BGT Second Test: Australia Crawls Back

Day One:

After a comprehensive thrashing in the first test at Perth, the Australians had much to prove to themselves as well as to the world watching. The day-night test set to begin at Adelaide was an extremely crucial one for the Aussies. A loss here would rattle them as a side.

Mitchell Starc, though, had other plans. From the very first ball of the game, the fiery-left hander showed why he is rated so highly, with a beautiful delivery pitching on leg stump and straightening after pitching, sending the centurion from the last innings back for a golden duck.

Shubman Gill joined KL Rahul, and they were both showing intent from ball one, while also being solid in defense and leaving with precision. Shortly after notching up a 50-run partnership though, Rahul fell to a sharp back-of-the-length delivery from Starc, and an even sharper catch from McSweeney at gully.

One brings two, as the cliche goes. India never really recovered from there, as wickets fell in heaps as the floodgates opened. The late swing on display was too much for the Indian batters, and the Aussie pacers were breathing fire with the pink ball. Four big wickets fell in the next 40 runs as Kohli, Gill, Rohit and Pant were sent back by the pace of the Australian quicks.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc celebrates after sending back Shubman Gill.
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Nitish Kumar Reddy seemed to continue his form from the last game, playing extravagant shots, reverse sweeping pacers and hitting clean inside-outs on his way to a quickfire 42 off 54 balls.

Indian number eight Nitish Kumar Reddy confidently ramps Scott Boland over third man.
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But he was dismissed by Starc too, and India’s tail got swept away with the team getting bowled out for 180, and Mitchell Starc ending with figures of 14.1-2-48-6. Australia looked at ease under lights. Despite loosing Khawaja early, McSweeney and Labuschagne played out the day, with Australia cruising at 86-1 at stumps. Day one was well and truly dominated by the hosts.

Day Two:

The second day began with the set McSweeney being dismissed by Indian vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah. Smith went back cheaply too, caught down the leg-side with his horror series continuing. Out came the man who is known for giving the Indians plenty of headaches. Travis Head at his home ground went at it straightaway as he took to the Indian quicks and thrashed them all around the ground. When they went full he would flay them through the off side with his trademark drives with the follow-through over the shoulders, and when he got anything short, he was quick to pounce on it with belligerent cuts and pulls.

Labuschagne on the other end quietly went about his business and got a well-made fifty. Not his best, but one that he desperately needed given his abhorrent form in the recent past. Soon after his fifty, he was dismissed by an incredible catch at gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Mitchell Marsh got out quickly as well with a straight-one from Ashwin.

Marnus Labuschagne raises his bat after getting to a much-needed 50.
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Head, however, was treating him differently as he pounded Ashwin down the ground and through the covers. With a soft glance on the leg-side, Head brought up his 8th test ton. It wasn’t until he got to 140 that he was finally sent back by a searing yorker from Siraj, with the bowler giving Head an ugly send-off.

Home-town hero Travis Head raises his arms in delight after getting to a 111 ball hundred in front of over 50,000 people at the Adelaide Oval.
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Australia were finally bowled out for 337, with a match-winning lead of 157. The Indians had a massive task on their hands, with Jaiswal and Rahul coming to bat against Starc under lights. Jaiswal looked like he had put his golden duck behind him as he looked comfortable against the swing. His partner, however, was cramped for room and gloved one to Alex Carey behind the stumps. Nobody was able to solidify the innings for India or provide the much needed partnership that they required. This time around it was skipper Pat Cummins & Scott Boland who were making dents in the Indian lineup.

Some brave batting from Pant (including some ridiculous shots) took India to 128-5, but it looked bleak for them as day three approached.

Outrageous: Rishabh Pant ramps a back of the length delivery by Boland over the slips late on day 2.
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Day Three:

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant came out with an enormous work set in front of them. The pair wouldn’t last as Pant was sent back early on the third day. Young Reddy tried to consolidate with the veteran Ashwin at the other end, getting to another well made 42. His 40s in this series have given his test career a great start. The Australians started bowling bodyline, coming around the wicket and making it extremely difficult for the Indians to negate. After a few blows on the helmet and copping a few on the gloves, the Indians were all-out for 175, with Australia needing 19 to win. Khawaja and McSweeney got the job done easily and Australia won the pink-ball test with 10 wickets.

With the series in balance, the third-test at Brisbane is set to be a riveting encounter. The Indians will remember what they did at the Gabba the last time they were there, and the Australians will fight tooth and nail to go two-one up in the series.

-Vibhor Dubey

Mitchell Starc wraps R Ashwin on the pads.
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BGT First Test: Advantage India

The much anticipated Border-Gavaskar trophy went underway on Friday with the visitors batting first on a pacy Perth deck against the best bowling attack in test cricket. The green Western Australian wicket proved to be too much for the Indians as they got rattled out in under two sessions, with Hazlewood being the pick of the bowlers, getting 4-29 in just two spells.

Coming off a humiliating 3-0 defeat against the Blackcaps not too long ago, the first 2 sessions seemed like the beginning of a very long and arduous tour for the Indians. However, what unfolded in the third session completely turned the game on its head. The stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, wily Mohammad Siraj, and resilient Harshit Rana made massive dents in the Aussie line-up, perfectly exploiting the conditions. Be it Khawaja, McSweeney, Labuschagne, Smith, Head or Marsh, everyone was done by the sheer pace and hard lengths of the Indian quicks.

Australia’s Travis Head sways out of the way of a sharp bouncer. ©Getty Images

The life on the pitch brought life into the Indian pacers. It was reminiscent of the Indian team under the mighty Virat Kohli. By the end of day 1, Australia were 7 down for a meagre 67 on the board. And not long after the morning light hit Perth stadium on day 2, the hosts were sent packing at their own home. What looked like a lackluster Indian XI was turning the heat down under.

With a lead of 46 runs and 4 long days ahead of them, the Indian batting line-up had to ensure that they put their first innings behind them, and create a mammoth lead to secure an easy win. Much to their advantage, the wicket looked placid as the grass wore out. There was still time for the cracks to start opening up, and India could feast on the Aussie lineup. Senior KL Rahul and young-gun Yashasvi Jaiswal did just that. Playing sensible cricketing shots, sticking to the Defense-Drive-Leave template of textbook test match batting.

It was the purist’s delight as Jaiswal cut effortlessly, drove elegantly and flicked skillfully on his way to an incredible century. His innings also included a fair bit of flare as he took on Mitchell Starc, both verbally and with the bat. Delicate upper cuts, powerful pick-ups, and slogs down the ground made him look like the complete player ready for the occasion. And ready he was. These 161 runs will be the most memorable and cherished ones that he has scored in his short but incredible test career. The kid with the humblest of beginnings has well and truly arrived at the top-most level of the sport.

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal rejoices after getting to his first test century in Australia. ©Getty Images

KL Rahul was resolute in his defense and showed immense grit and temperament on his way to a KL-assy 77. The test looked all but gone from Australia’s hands. And to make matters worse for them, in came Virat Kohli. Despite scoring 60s and 70s in the recent past, Kohli was said to be out of form. Such is the reputation of the great man. His second innings of the match, to go with the drooping Australian shoulders, gave him a chance to capitalize and score big.

He looked like the Virat Kohli of the past as he was extremely compact in defense, putting the loose balls away with drives and flicks. He wasn’t afraid of sweeping, a shot which is quite uncharacteristic of him. With the lead over 500, shadows lengthening on the third day, India was looking to declare and put the home team in for 15 to 20 overs of fast-bowling barrage. However, the former skipper was nearing his 81st international ton.

Kohli proved the team man that he is by shifting gears and taking on the Australian bowlers, pumping Nathan Lyon over his head, pivoting and piercing the gaps while pulling against Labuschagne, and reversing the offie to get into his 90s. The 27,000 at Perth, along with millions watching in India held their breath with every run that brought Kohli close to his 100. And finally, sweeping Labuschagne from outside leg stump and beating the man at deep backward square, India’s biggest cricket sensation brought up his hundred. His celebration, quite subdued, mature, very different compared to the Kohli from a decade ago when he was still clobbering the Kangaroos in the BGT. A decade later, Kohli and India were feeling a 100 kgs lighter.

A 100 kgs lighter. Virat Kohli raises his arms in delight after getting to his 81st international ton. ©Getty Images

India finally declared, giving Aussies a humongous target of 534. It didn’t take long for India to start making inroads, catching McSweeney in-front, sending the nightwatchman back, and wrapping Labuschagne on the pads to end the third day on 12/3. The much awaited win was moments away.

Marnus Labuschagne cops one on the pads from Jasprit Bumrah late on day three. ©Getty Images

Come the 4th day, Bumrah and Siraj wreaked havoc on the Aussies, picking three each. The visitors somehow made it to lunch as Head and Marsh showed some resilience. However, India came back, courtesy debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, who cleaned up Marsh with a peach. Wickets tumbled as Sundar and Rana cleaned up the tail, giving India the first test.

Hope in the midst of the hopeless is what test cricket is all about. And with games like this, the format is sure not just to survive, but to thrive in the years to come.

-Vibhor Dubey