Is no. 25 achievable for Federer?

Roger Federer capped another remarkable fortnight Down Under as he overcame the highly impressive Marin Cilic 6-2 6-7 6-3 3-6 6-1 in five pulsating sets, to win his 6th Australian Open and an incredible 20th grand slam title. The Croatian had a brilliant tournament, taking out the World no. 1 Nadal in the quarters, and more importantly, had the belief needed to beat the Swiss. And Federer must have known that it wasn't going to be easy.

Cilic first mounted a solid comeback after an ordinary opening set (which he lost 2-6), by winning the second set in a tie-break and then after losing the third set and down a break in the fourth, he unleashed his powerful, flat-out, big-hitting game to win five consecutive games to level the match and take the final to a decider. He even had two break-point opportunities in the opening game of the fifth set but once Federer snuffed them out by way of strong serving, it was one-way traffic as the Swiss maestro broke twice in the final set to win the first grand slam of 2018. Federer out-aced Cilic (24 to 16), made far fewer unforced errors (40 to 64) and trailed only slightly, in terms of winners (41 to 45). He returned remarkably well - getting a whopping 47% of Cilic's huge first serves in play and winning 27% of first serve points; Cilic's respective numbers were 36% and 17%. Also, the Swiss was much more efficient on his own serves (getting 60% first serves in) - winning 80% of first serves and 58% of second serves vs. 69% and 51% respectively, for Cilic. In a match of short points (76% of rallies were 0-4 shots long), both these aspects made a huge difference.

There's also the small matter of Federer's ability to come up with special shots or incredible improvisations when the situation demands. Serving at 4-2, 15-15 in the third set, Federer hit an incredible, inside-out, forehand flick half-volley from the baseline while out of position, back-pedaling and tracking down a heavy backhand - the Croatian, stunned at that recovery, found himself out of position and could only dump his reply into the net. Every Federer match has shots like these - they shock opponents and fans alike.

So what next for the maestro? By winning his 20th grand slam, he has already reached where no man has. His nearest rival is four slams behind and Sampras' 14 slams seem like a distant memory. Federer's smart scheduling has reaped rewards and hence he may curtail his appearances in the clay court season again. If the Swiss keeps up his fitness levels, he'll start as a favourite at both Wimbledon as well as the US Open. A 2-slam year like 2017 is very much on the cards and a 3-slam year (last achieved by Federer in 2007) isn't unfathomable. While it would be very difficult to achieve, a 3-slam year will leave Federer with 22 slams by September 2018, tied with Steffi Graf and just two short of the all-time grand slam leader, Margaret Court. Could we then witness the great man win grand slam no. 25 by 2020? It may sound incredulous today, but then, Federer has made a career out of making the impossible, possible.    

Classy India overcome tenacious Australia

In the end, India's all-round class proved too much for Australia. Till Day 2 in Dharamsala, Australia competed on equal terms, never let India run away and put enough pressure through their tenacity and resolve. This was best exemplified by their bowling performance on Day 2 - didn't allow India to score quickly, and picked up crucial wickets in the top and middle order. Then, on Day 3, it all came apart. Almost as if, the Aussie dam made up of resolve & grit couldn't hold up any more as India's superior class burst through.

Match recap

Australia won a very important toss and elected to bat. While Smith's men were unchanged from the last match (see my blog on Ranchi test), India made two changes. With Kohli injured, India chose to hand a debut to "chinaman bowler", Kuldeep Yadav. Further, given the likelihood that the ball would swing, India opted to replace Ishant Sharma with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The changes meant that India went into the series decider with five bowlers i.e. a batsman short. 

Australia 1st innings

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started to swing the new ball immediately and could've had Warner off the first ball, but Karun Nair dropped a slightly tough chance at 3rd slip. Umesh got Renshaw with a beauty in his first over, but then Smith and Warner launched a very aggressive partnership. Smith especially looked in sublime form and punished both the seamers. The spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja put some brakes on the run-rate but both Smith and Warner looked largely untroubled as Australia galloped to 131-1 at lunch. The match completely turned in the post-lunch session. The Indian captain, Rahane, continued with Kuldeep Yadav after lunch (he was introduced just before lunch) and the debutante's left-arm chinaman completely bamboozled the Australian middle-order. He first took out Warner with a flipper (caught at slip), then foxed Handscomb by a flighted chinaman which bowled him through the gate and then out-thought Maxwell by a fast googly which zipped through the surface and took out his off-stump. In between, Marsh fell to a loose shot, caught behind off the bowling of Umesh Yadav. Suddenly, at 178-5 having lost 4 wickets for 34 runs, Australia were under tremendous pressure and understandably, Smith became very circumspect. He eventually scored his 3rd hundred of the series and Rahane knew that the Aussie skipper had the ability to combine effectively with the lower order and put up a huge 1st innings total. He introduced Ashwin before tea and the tall off-spinner prized out Smith for 111. Australia went to tea at 208-6, adding just 77 runs during the session and losing 5 wickets in the process. Wade and Cummins tried hard with Wade specifically, having little problems dealing with Kuldeep Yadav. Wade went on to score a well made half-century but eventually, Australia were all out for 300, well short of the score they had in sights at lunch. For India, all the bowlers picked up at least 1 wicket with Kuldeep Yadav being the star, picking up 4 wickets. 

India 1st innings

Unlike Australia, India started slowly, reined in no doubt, by tight Aussie bowling. Hazlewood got rid of Vijay very early, and that brought together India's most prolific pair of this series. KL Rahul and Pujara again combined well, with the in-form Rahul completing his 5th half-century of this series. However, soon after reaching his half-century, Rahul's concentration wavered as he played a few loose shots and was eventually bounced out by Pat Cummins. Rahul and Pujara put on 87 for the second wicket. While Cummins was hostile, the Aussie spinners were not looking penetrative. However, the pitch offered bounce and soon enough, Lyon started to find his groove. Immediately after tea, Lyon accounted for Pujara (who had reached another half-century) as the extra bounce generated by the overspin, got the bat & pad, and lobbed to short-leg. Karun Nair didn't last long either, as he got out to Lyon in a similar fashion. Rahane and Ashwin put together a fifty-partnership before Lyon struck again. He took out both Rahane and Ashwin in quick succession, and India were on the backfoot, having lost the last 5 wickets for 113 runs. With Saha and Jadeja new to the crease, and India still 79 runs behind, Australia sensed an opportunity to take a sizable first innings lead. They took the 2nd new ball and were immediately presented with an opportunity. Cummins had Saha edging to an out-swinger but Renshaw dropped a fairly straightforward catch. This was his second drop of the match (he had dropped Rahul earlier) and one that would prove decisive in the context of the match. Like in Ranchi, the 7th wicket partnership proved match-turning for India. The pair added 96 runs for the 7th wicket before Jadeja was dismissed for a well made 63. India eventually got all out for 332, a lead of 32 on a pitch that was rapidly deteriorating. Lyon took a 5-wicket haul and looked at his most dangerous since Day 1 in Bengaluru.

Australia crumble, India rumble

India's lead wasn't substantial and Australia would've been confident of quickly wiping that off. Instead, they were greeted by India's best all-round bowling performance of the entire season. Both Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were very hostile to begin with, bowling at high pace, swinging the new ball as well as bowling nasty bouncers. Even though Karun Nair let-off Warner in the slips again, it didn't prove costly for India as the seamers got rid of both the openers, as well as the batting mainstay, Steve Smith, before Australia could even erase India's lead. Maxwell and Handscomb then led a min-revival as they put on 55 for the 4th wicket. Both Ashwin and Jadeja, however, were getting enough assistance from the pitch and causing problems for both Maxwell as well as Handscomb. Finally, just before the tea interval, Ashwin forced Handscomb to nick a straighter delivery to 1st slip and in the very next over, Jadeja got Marsh caught at short leg. By then, Australia had lost 5 wickets and were ahead by only 60. Maxwell was holding fort from the other end and had reached an aggressive 45, before he padded up to an off-break from Ashwin and was adjudged LBW. That finally broke the back of the Aussie resistance. They eventually managed 137, setting India a target of 106. Ashwin, Jadeja and Umesh Yadav, each picked up 3 wickets.

A target barely crossing 100 was never going to test this Indian team, given that the pitch was still good for batting. KL Rahul got another half century (his 6th 50 in 7 innings in this series) and even though, Vijay and Pujara departed early, an aggressive Rahane ensured that win was achieved quickly and without any further hiccups. India won the match by 8 wickets and the series 2-1. The series win ensured that India regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy and also made India the holder of test trophies against all test playing nations simultaneously (only the 3rd team ever to achieve this). Ravindra Jadeja, with 127 runs (63 in this match) and 25 wickets (4 wickets in this match) in the series, was adjudged as the Man of the Match and Man of the Series. India's gamble of playing five bowlers worked and the debutante, Kuldeep Yadav, picked up four crucial wickets in the first innings.

In the end, India just had too much firepower, too much class for Australia. Like in Bengaluru (see my blog), Australia lost the match due to a poor batting performance in their 2nd innings. Ultimately, they needed someone other than Smith to produce a gritty batting performance (like Handscomb and Marsh did in Ranchi). India finished their 2016-17 test season with 10 wins, 2 draws and just 1 loss - joint 2nd for most test wins in a season. And though they dominated both New Zealand and England, this victory against the gritty Aussies would taste the sweetest!

    

Dharamsala test: Series decider in the shadow of the Himalayas

So we finally arrive in the hillside city of Dharamsala, with the series tied at 1-1, with hours of exciting cricket already played, and yet with everything to play for in the venue's debut test. There's been some banter on-the-field, some words spoken off-the-field, the media has played its role but overall, these incidents have been overshadowed by some terrific cricket played by both teams. Many expected India to steamroll their opponents but clearly Smith & his team were quietly confident about their chances, even before the Pune test. Its perhaps apt then, that they come into the decider on the back of a hard-fought draw, with both teams confident of their chances and yet, aware of the opposition's threat.

Will India make it 10 for the season?

Leading up to this series, India had won 8 tests and drawn 1 during this home season. In this series, they've won their 9th test, drawn their 2nd and lost their 1st test match of the season. Kohli & Co. will undoubtedly look to record their 10th victory at Dharamsala and take the series along with it. Given the quality of their opposition, this would be one of Kohli's sweetest series victories as a captain. In each of the three tests, Australia has grabbed the initiative and put India under severe pressure. And yet, apart from the failure in Pune, India has stood up to the challenge. They turned the tables both in Bengaluru, where they won, as well as in Ranchi, where they put Australia under tremendous pressure on Day 5. The bowlers have looked good and if the batting clicks as a unit, the Border-Gavaskar trophy could be won at this picturesque venue.

Will Smith & Co. conquer India in India?

Australia's last test series victory in India was in 2004-05. In fact, since that series winning test at Nagpur, Australia went 11 tests in India without a victory. They finally broke that winless run in Pune and had chances both in Bengaluru, and less so in Ranchi, to seal the Border-Gavaskar trophy (as a previous winner, Australia will retain the trophy even if they draw the series). Despite that, it can't be denied that the Aussies have held on valiantly after the morale-crushing defeat at Bengaluru and the subsequent sidelining of Mitchell Starc on account of injury. Pat Cummins showed in Ranchi that he's perfectly capable of filling in as a strike bowler. If the Dharamsala pitch lives up to its reputation of assisting seamers, then Australia can pick up Jackson Bird in place of the struggling Nathon Lyon and hope that they can use Maxwell's off-spin more effectively. A win or a draw will help Smith & Co. to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, a result unthinkable for many, even in the Australian press, just four weeks ago!    

How are the teams placed?

Australia is likely to field the same eleven that secured a draw in Ranchi. Pat Cummins has been cleared to play after precautionary tests on the back. Australia would be hoping that Nathan Lyon comes back into form on a pitch that will likely to have more bounce and pace than Ranchi. If the curator leaves more than a tinge of grass on the wicket, then Australia may be tempted to replace Lyon with Bird. However, that seems unlikely and even Australia won't want to change a stable, successful combination for a crucial test like this.

India has been bothered by a few injury issues, the biggest among them being the shoulder injury of Virat Kohli. Cricket fans will remember, that twelve years ago, Australia headed into the Nagpur test 1-0 up and on a greenish pitch that offered massive assistance to fast bowlers, India's captain (Sourav Ganguly) had to miss the test due to injury. The Aussies were pleasantly surprised by that pitch; their seamers picked up 16 wickets to help Australia win the match by a huge margin and secure the series. With the likelihood of a pitch assisting the seamers and the captain missing out on account of injury, there's a sense of déjà vu. Indians would be hoping to avoid an encore though. Shreyas Iyer has been called as a cover for Kohli, and Rahane will captain if Kohli fails to pass the fitness test. An additional headache has emerged in the form of M Vijay's fitness. He didn't attend the practice sessions and it's likely that the shoulder injury, that kept him out of the Bengaluru test, has flared up. If he does sit out, then Abhinav Mukund will take his place. On the bowling front, it's unlikely that India will tinker with the combination, except if there's potentially some swing available. In that case, Bhuvneshwar Kumar may replace Ishant Sharma. 

Pitch

The pitches in this series have come under intense scrutiny. And the quality of the pitches have thrown up some intriguing battles. The pitch at Dharamsala has traditionally assisted pace bowlers. And the cool climate (with temperatures in the low 20s) is likely to assist swing. Kohli expects the pitch to have bounce and carry. With the almost anti-climatic behavior by the Ranchi pitch after the massive hue & cry raised prior to the match, the predictions have been far more guarded this time around. Or may be, with so much at stake, everybody is too tense to venture into predictions!    

India & Australia: Perfecting the Art of Comeback

At the end of day 5 in Ranchi, a draw was probably a fair result. And the series scoreline, with a test to go, is also a fair reflection of how both teams have competed relentlessly on even terms. The Ranchi test ebbed and flowed in a manner symptomatic of this series. Australia pushed India on the back-foot through a sizable first innings total and by making inroads into the Indian middle-order. India then pulled things back through a monumental 7th wicket partnership and then applied pressure on the Aussies by picking up their first 4 wickets cheaply. Finally, it was left to the young, Handscomb and the experienced, Shaun Marsh to combine and save the day for the visitors.

Recapping Day 4 and Day 5

Australia had a slight upper hand going in to Day 4 with India still trailing by 91 (Check out My previous blog). The overcast conditions (necessitating the use of flood-lights) seemed to be tailor-made for Cummins and Hazlewood. However, the ball was soft (50 overs old) and the next new ball was available only after another 30 overs. Australia tried very hard, dried up the runs but couldn't break the resistance offered by Pujara and Saha. While Pujara remained resolute in defence, Saha used his feet intelligently against the spinners. Even though only 75 runs were added in the morning session, this pair ensured that India didn't lose a wicket and in the process came very close to the Aussie first innings total. Australia took the new ball as soon as it was available, in the hopes of breaking the partnership & then running through the Indian lower middle order. Those hopes were to remain suspended for another session though. And any hopes of India going for quick runs in the 2nd session quickly evaporated as the overnight pair ensured another wicketless session with the addition of 68 runs between lunch and tea. Post-tea session, however, was the most eventful of the match. Saha quickly completed his 3rd test century and then Pujara completed his double century, the 3rd of his career and 2nd against Australia. He got out shortly after that, giving Lyon his first wicket since the first innings of Bengaluru test, and ending a monumental 199 run partnership with Saha. Jadeja quickly got into the groove and even though Saha departed shortly after Pujara, he along with Umesh Yadav piled on further misery on the Australians by putting together a 54 run partnership. Jadeja got a quickfire fifty (54 off 55 balls) before Kohli declared, with India 152 in front and Australia facing the daunting task of seeing off 8 overs before close of play. They ultimately didn't have to play the full 8 overs as the nightwatchman, Lyon, fell to 2nd delivery of the last over. Jadeja was expected to be the danger-man for Australia and he got both Warner and then Lyon by two absolutely top class deliveries. Australia ended Day 4 at 23-2, still 129 runs in arrears, and staring at a real prospect of defeat.

Day 5 began with Australia's most prolific pair (during this series) on the crease. Both Renshaw and Smith had played the Indian spinners reasonably comfortably throughout the series and India knew that breaking this partnership would almost mean a foot in the door. The pair survived for another 21 overs and had brought the lead down to less than 100, when Renshaw fell LBW to Ishant. The Indian quick who was bowling from round the wicket, set up Renshaw very nicely. He bowled a couple of nasty bouncers and followed those up with a full delivery that caught Renshaw on the crease, dead in front of the stumps. Three balls later, Jadeja accounted for Smith when the Australian captain, in a moment of indecision eerily similar to his Indian counterpart in Bengaluru, padded up to a delivery that was relatively full and in line with the stumps, and lost his off-stump. With both in-form batsmen back in the hut and Australia still 89 runs behind India, Kohli & Co. must have started harbouring hopes of wrapping up a victory in the 2nd session. That however proved to be a false dawn with Shaun Marsh and Handscomb displaying superior defensive technique and putting up an outstanding rearguard action. Very importantly, the rightie-leftie pair kept the scoreboard ticking thereby eating away at India's lead. By the time Jadeja got Marsh, they had added 124 runs, eaten up 62 additional overs and the match was already in the last hour. Even though, Ashwin got Maxwell shortly thereafter, both Handscomb and Wade ensured no further damage and finally, with 10 minutes left, Kohli and Handscomb shook hands, signalling the end of a very thrilling encounter. 

Stats Stack-up

Two of the top 3 batsmen from both teams continue to dominate the batting charts. And, Peter Handscomb is slowly starting to make his mark in this series. He combined brilliantly with Shaun Marsh (who's at no.6 in the list below) to pull Australia out of the woods and help them save the Ranchi test. And who would've thought that Kohli would muster less than 50 runs in 5 innings! 

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

There's not much change in the bowling charts either. Jadeja has emerged as the most effective as well as the most consistent bowler from either side. Steve O'Keefe has been steady over the last two tests following his spectacular 12-wicket haul in Pune. Both the off-spinners will be slightly disappointed - they've been good in patches (one inning each in Bengaluru) but haven't looked consistently penetrative. Umesh Yadav continues to be the best fast bowler from either side but he may be in for some competition from Pat Cummins (given the likely conditions in Dharamsala). 

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Everything on the line in Dharamsala

The next test in Dharamsala starts in 5 days and this gives very little time for the players to recover. This is especially true for bowlers - on an average, the fast bowlers bowled 40 overs while the spinners bowled 70 overs (mainly because of Jadeja and O'Keefe) in this match. However, with the season coming to an end, the respective team managements will push the players to give it all. Plus, there's plenty on line here. Whoever wins the next match, wins this series as well as the Border-Gavaskar trophy. In case of a draw, Australia will retain the trophy. 

A fighting draw in Ranchi may give the momentum to the Aussies and hence make them favourites for the next test, but there've been enough instances during this series where teams, when counted down and out, have made spectacular comebacks. Recall how India seemed down and out at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru (check my blog during Bengaluru test), and having already lost the Pune test (check my blog after Pune test), were in serious danger of losing the series. Instead they mounted a superb comeback, led by their bowlers as well as Pujara and Rahane, and pinned the Aussies on the mat. Coming into the 3rd test, remember the kind of pressure Australia and Steve Smith were under (following the DRS-issue). India were considered heavy favourites to continue their winning momentum in Ranchi. And yet, Australia, led by Smith and comeback man Maxwell, mounted an impressive first innings total. Further, Pat Cummins, returning to test cricket after 6 years, put India under serious pressure. Then again, Pujara and Saha rescued India with the bat while Jadeja, with both bat and ball, gave a mighty scare to the Aussies. Prediction won't make for a lucrative profession in this series. 

Dharamsala, making its debut as India's 27th test centre, will have a much cooler climate. It has traditionally assisted fast bowlers. We are all set for the final test of this season. Here's hoping that Dharamsala adds another exciting chapter to this riveting series!

Ranchi Test, Day 3: Hard to separate the two teams!

What a contrast Ranchi has presented when compared to Pune or even Bengaluru! Contrary to expectations, this looks like a fantastic test match pitch which allows run making as well as wicket-taking, but only to those who can ally skill with perseverance. Thankfully, both sides have thrown up a few players displaying this trait and this has resulted in a riveting test match till now.

Match recap till Day 3

Australia scored 451 in their first innings, thanks largely to Steve Smith's unbeaten 178 and Glenn Maxwell's maiden test century (104). On a good batting wicket, Smith won the toss and chose to bat. Renshaw and Warner gave the Aussies a frenetic start, putting together 50 in less than 10 overs, before a combination of loose strokes and good bowling, pulled them back to 89-3. Smith and Handscomb led a minor revival before Umesh trapped Handscomb LBW with a superb in-swinging yorker. At 140-4, Smith knew he needed support from his teammates to take Australia beyond 350, a score that would've kept Australia in the game. He found one in Glenn Maxwell. Together they put on 191 runs for the 5th wicket; in the process, Glenn Maxwell hit his maiden test century. Smith also got some useful support from Wade and Steve O'Keefe to help Australia finish with 451. Jadeja and Umesh were the standout bowlers for India, picking up 5 and 3 wickets, respectively.

In reply, India got off to their best start of the series with the aggressive KL Rahul combining very well with M Vijay to put on 91 for the first wicket. Rahul continued his rich vein of form to score a brisk 67 before he was undone by a superb bouncer from the comeback man, Pat Cummins. Then, Vijay and Pujara put together their 6th century partnership of this season before Vijay, in what was a brain-fade moment, stepped out to O'Keefe in the last over before lunch and was stumped by a long-way. He fell 18 short of a well-deserved 100. However, Pujara did get to his 11th test century - the first by an Indian in this series. Despite receiving little support from the other end, with both Kohli and Rahane falling cheaply, Pujara held one end up, picked up the scoring rate once the 2nd new ball was taken and ensured that India remained within touching distance of Australia. Pat Cummins was the most impressive Aussie bowler on display, picking up 4 wickets.

India ended Day 3 at 360-6. Both India and Australia would be reasonably satisfied with this day. India, because it is now within striking distance of Australia's total and with Pujara still on the crease, can harbor hopes of overhauling 451. Australia on the other hand would be pleased that it restricted the Indian scoring rate on Day 3 and just allowed 240 runs while picking up 5 wickets, on a pitch that is still very good for batting. It doesn't look like that the pitch will crumble at an alarmingly rapid rate and hence, this test match may last the distance. Coming in to Day 4, Australia would like to wrap up the last four wickets for not too many, score quickly in their 2nd innings and possibly declare an hour before the end of day's play (ideally setting India a target of 350). India, on the other hand, would like some quick runs from Jadeja and Saha, and then look to dismiss Australia cheaply. They would ideally want to chase a score of not more than 150 in the final innings.

Key factors that may shape the outcome of the match

• Jadeja & Ashwin - Apart from the quick runs India expects Jadeja to make, they will also want him to continue his rich bowling form. There are foot-marks created outside the left-hander's off-stump (by the right arm quickies from both sides) and given the predominance of lefties in the Aussie lineup, Jadeja would like to exploit this to the hilt. He's been the best spinner from either side in Ranchi and India's hopes for a win will rest largely on his shoulders. India would also expect Ashwin to find the match-winning form that he displayed in the 2nd innings of Bengaluru test. 

• Warner & Maxwell - Australia will need quick runs in their 2nd innings and would look up to the explosive duo of Warner and Maxwell to deliver the goods. Warner is due for a big score and the match situation may de-clutter his mind and enable him to commit fully to an aggressive batting strategy. Maxwell on the other hand, would be supremely confident after his first innings century. He's had success against Ashwin in the past (during IPL) and his unorthodox methods can upset bowlers' rhythm.

• Aussie bowling - The Aussie bowlers would have their task cut out in the 4th innings of the match. While Cummins has looked very impressive in his comeback match and Hazlewood continues to toil away diligently, both Lyon and O'Keefe haven't looked threatening since the first innings of Bengaluru test. The Aussie spin duo will have to come to the party if Australia wants to seal the Border-Gavaskar trophy at Ranchi. Additionally, reverse swing will also be a factor going forward.

• Pitch - The Ranchi pitch has played very well till now. However, both teams will be hoping that it starts assisting the spinners more & more on Day 4 and 5. Typically, one would expect spin and variable bounce, thereby making run-scoring difficult. The conditions are likely to assist reverse swing too. 

Both the captains would be very keen to win the Ranchi test. If Australia win, they'll retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy irrespective of the result in the next test. In case of an Indian victory, the team will definitely enter the next test as strong favorites to regain the trophy. The match situation will clearly test the patience as well as pro-activeness of both the captains. On this pitch, a proactive captain will strive to make things happen. Here's hoping that fortune favors the brave!   

  

Ranchi's test debut with series nicely set up at 1-1!

India made a stunning comeback in the Bengaluru test to level the series 1-1. The thrilling final day at Bengaluru has left the cricket lovers gushing for more! All the events - wickets, runs, swing, seam, spin, DRS reviews, momentum swings; everything seemed to be happening in fast-forward mode. Almost as if, Day 4 was a microcosm of the three previous days. So the long gap between the Bengaluru and Ranchi tests was welcome. Everybody, including the fans, needed to catch some breath after that breathtaking match.

Reliving the Thrilling Day 4

The day started with the match in balance. India started off cautiously - only 11 runs came off the first 8 overs. There were a few nervy moments for India - both against Pujara. First, when he a popped up a Steve O'Keefe delivery to forward short leg, where the usually brilliant Handscomb could only catch this one on a half-volley. And then again in the next over, when Lyon trapped Pujara LBW through a viciously spinning delivery which kept low, only to be overturned by DRS. The ball-tracker confirmed that the ball was spinning down the leg side. These anxious moments aside, the first 45 minutes of the day were calm & serene. This, however, turned out to be the calm before the storm. Australia took the new ball immediately after the 80th over. And this decision turned the match in Australia's favour. Mitch Starc, bowling fast & full, swinging the new ball into the right-handers, created havoc and within a space of 3 balls, had the well-set Rahane LBW, castled the in-form Nair and nearly got Saha too. In the very next over, Hazlewood got Pujara and Ashwin in quick succession. Pujara could not get to a well-deserved 100, falling in the nineties for the first time in his career. In his next over, Hazlewood got Umesh Yadav and this left India tottering at 258-9. Ultimately, Saha and Ishant got 16 more runs before O'Keefe got Ishant. India were all out for 274, losing the last 6 wickets for 36 runs, thereby setting Australia a target of 188. This was an in-between kind of a target; neither the 225+ that would have made India the firm favorites (esp. given the position they were in at the start of Day 4) nor the kind of total that Australia could've just cantered through.

The Aussies started their chase in a brisk manner, probably aware that the new ball was the best time to pick up quick runs. Ashwin started off very well, repeatedly troubling the shorter man, Warner. On the other hand, Ishant got the Aussie bedrock, Renshaw, pretty early. It was a very good ball - bowled from round the wicket, angled in, bounced & seamed away, taking the glove on its way to Saha. Despite this early hiccup and a few other nervy moments, Australia had galloped to 42-1 after 9 overs, a run rate of 4.67 (far ahead of the run-rates achieved in the previous three innings of the match). This is when disaster struck for Australia. Ashwin, who was bowling from over the wicket to Warner and was hit for a 6 off the last ball of his previous over, switched to round the wicket and on the very first ball, Warner tried to sweep a flighted off-break and was wrapped on his pads. The umpire gave it out and after a surprising moment of hesitation, Warner went for the DRS. The ball tracker showed that the ball barely hit Warner in the line of off-stump (in fact, to the naked eye, it appeared that the ball had hit him outside the line) - this was adjudged as umpire's call. Further, the ball seemed to be hitting the outside of off-stump - again adjudged as umpire's call. Given the evidence, DRS had to agree with the on-field umpire's decision but it was a highly contentious decision and one that would have a lasting impact on the outcome of the match. Smith and Shaun Marsh continued the steady flow of runs and took Australia to 67-2 when a slew of serious errors in judgement rocked the Aussie boat again. Firstly, Shaun Marsh shouldered arms & was wrapped on his pads to a Umesh Yadav delivery from round the stumps. Then, the umpire Nigel Llong, adjudged him LBW when the ball was clearly going to miss the stumps. Shockingly, Smith and Marsh decided not to review the decision! That decision of not reviewing was probably based on the fact that they had just lost a review (Warner) and did not want to risk a scenario where they would be left with no reviews for 65 overs. India of course, did not mind these dollops of luck but were very much aware of the danger that Smith posed. He was expertly handling the spinners and was keeping out the grubbers delivered by Indian seamers. However, in the 21st over, another grubber from Umesh proved one too many for Smith and he was hit plumb in front of his stumps. Surprisingly, this time, Smith was rather keen on reviewing and even looked up to his dressing room for help with DRS. This was a clear breach of rules and the umpires intervened, sending Smith on his way. Even Kohli had a thing or two to say to his Aussie counterpart. This was the final nail in the coffin for Australia, and despite Handscomb and Mitch Marsh putting up a brief resistance, a rampaging Ashwin proved too much for the lower-middle order. Very much like their opponents, Australia lost the last 6 wickets for 38 runs with Ashwin picking up 5 of them. He roared back into form with a match-winning spell of 6-41 in the 2nd innings while KL Rahul, for his twin-fifties in a low scoring affair, was adjudged the Man of the Match. India won the match by 75 runs and leveled the series in emphatic fashion.

The much-dreaded thunderstorms arrived in the evening but thankfully, the match was over by then. It would've been cruel if rains were to decide the outcome of such a thrilling match.

Key themes in this series

Pitches

While it's fair to say that the pitches have been spinner friendly (spinners have taken 57 of the 80 wickets to fall in the series), the fast bowlers have also had an impact, esp. in the Bengaluru test where they accounted for 14 out of the 40 wickets that fell. Pune served up a rank-turner with the pitch crumbling on day 1 itself thereby offering vicious turn & bounce. On such a pitch, quick left-arm orthodox spinners became more dangerous and both the captains relied more on spin vis-a-vis pace. The Bengaluru pitch on the other hand offered variable bounce (more on the lower side) which brought the fast bowlers into play as well as slow turn which forced the spinners to rely more on variations in flight & uneven bounce. The charts below bear this out.

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Starc, the batsman, as crucial as Starc, the bowler

As Australia's premier strike bowler, Mitch Starc has bowled at high pace throughout the series. He's got the ball to swing into the right-handers from over the wicket, got it to rear up from a good length and has gone round the wicket in search of reverse swing. Even though he's picked up only 5 wickets, each of those have been top order batsmen. Equally impressive has been his performance with the bat. He's amongst the top 5 run getters having out-scored both Warner and Kohli. In fact, he's accounted for 54% of the runs scored by the last 5 Australian batsmen across all innings (118 runs out of 217). In a series punctuated with low scores, where no team has crossed 300 and teams have not been able to cross 125 on three separate occasions, Starc's contribution with the bat has had a major impact. His absence for the remainder of the series, therefore, will be a massive blow to the Aussies.

Top order thrives, middle order flops

From both sides, an opener and the no. 3 batsman has thrived. KL Rahul has been India's star performer with the bat, and with 215 runs, is the highest run getter on either side. He, alongwith Pujara, has ensured that, even though India has not got off to solid starts during the series, it has made a comeback as a batting unit. On the other hand, Aussies have been assured of a solid start mainly due to the increasingly dependable Renshaw and the captain-prolific, Steve Smith. These four batsmen occupy the top four positions in the batting charts. On the other hand, the failure of David Warner and Virat Kohli has been most surprising. Neither of them has totaled even 100 runs in the series. While Warner has got starts in 3 out of 4 innings, he has generally struggled against Ashwin and hence, has not been able to convert them into big scores. Kohli, on the other hand, has misjudged either the line of the ball or the movement off the pitch on three occasions, and this has resulted in cheap dismissals. All in all, the middle and lower order has undone the good work of the top order.

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Aussie spinners outbowled the Indians; Umesh stands out amongst quicks

In their first three innings, the Indian batsmen were dominated by the Australian spinners. They kept the runs down and picked up 26 out of the 30 wickets. The impact was such that India could only stitch together two 50-run partnerships across these 3 innings. On the other hand, Ashwin, Jadeja and Jayant Yadav were less impactful in the first test match and couldn't run through the Australian batting line up. This allowed the Aussies to stitch together four 50-run partnerships in the first test itself. However, first Jadeja and then Ashwin began pulling things back in the 2nd test. They matched the Aussie spinners in the first innings of the 2nd test match and then finally, outbowled them in the 2nd innings with Ashwin leading the way. 

In the pace bowling department, while both Starc and Hazlewood have had their moments, Umesh Yadav has been the standout quick bowler from either side. He picked up 6 wickets in the Pune test and 3 top order batsmen in the Bengaluru test. Umesh has been quick, economical and has consistently generated pace & movement. 

Data source: ESPNcricinfo.com

DRS usage & impact

The Decision Review System has added spice to the ongoing series. It's not just those decisions which were reviewed, but even those that could've been reviewed but weren't, that added to the drama. By common consensus, India were pretty ordinary with their usage of DRS in the first test. While fielding, in both their innings, they wasted their reviews within the first 40 overs. While batting in the 2nd innings, they wasted their reviews within the first 6 overs! None of the wasted reviews were even close to overturning the umpire's decision. On the other hand, Australia were very judicious with their usage of review system, never reviewing those where they had some doubt, and they ended up with multiple successful reviews throughout the match.

India's first innings at Bengaluru seemed to be a continuation of Pune when Kohli left a relatively straight & fuller delivery from Lyon and was trapped plumb in front. If the leave wasn't shocking enough, he decided to outmatch that with a shocking review! In Australia's first innings, India missed a trick by, ironically, not going for a review against Shaun Marsh when he gloved a Umesh Yadav delivery to Saha. He was on 14 at that time and went on to make a crucial 66. In between, Marsh went for a great review when adjudged LBW to Yadav and managed to get the decision overturned. India meanwhile continued with the trend of "hopeful" reviews and were out of their 2nd set of reviews (granted after the 80th over) by the 94th over!

Things however, began changing in India's 2nd innings. Kohli reviewed what looked like a genuine 50-50 LBW call and was probably unlucky that there was no conclusive evidence proving whether the ball hit the bat first or the pad. Even Pujara got an LBW call overturned. The Aussies, meanwhile, continued to be judicious with their use of DRS.

The review system left a significant impact on the match in Australia's 2nd innings. First, the Warner dismissal was clearly a contentious call where the benefit of doubt should have gone in favour of the batsman. Then, Shaun Marsh not reviewing a howler was clearly influenced by the Warner review. Lastly, the Smith episode where he, after being adjudged LBW, looked up his dressing room for advice on whether or not to go for the review, caused a lot of bad blood between the two teams. Smith insisted "brain-fade", Kohli alleged ongoing tactic and ultimately, the two cricket boards had to intervene and call a truce.

Leading up to the Ranchi test

Pitch

The JSCA International Stadium at Ranchi is set to make its debut as India's 26th test center. The average first innings total in the two Ranji matches held earlier this season is 140. Progressively the pitch became better for batting in those games. Also, it has been known to assist both the seamers as well as spinners. As per media reports, the pitch for the upcoming test match has an unusual dark color about it and experts believe that it won't bounce a lot. The dark color of the pitch may be on account of moisture which would mean that spinners relying on overspin (like Lyon) may extract some bounce on the first couple of days. The moisture in the pitch should also help bowlers who can extract seam movement. The pitch should become better for batting on Day 2 and Day 3.

Team compositions

Mitch Starc's injury will be a big blow for the Aussies. Another Mitch (Marsh) has also been ruled out due to injury and that means Australia will be forced to make at least two changes. They've flown in Pat Cummins as a replacement for Starc and he's likely been rushed in to enable a like-for-like replacement (strike bowler to be used in short bursts). However, I won't be surprised if Australia opt for Jackson Bird. Also, I expect them to bring in Marcus Stoinis to replace Mitch Marsh. 

For India, M Vijay should make a comeback as an opener. It's unlikely that they'll drop Karun Nair and bring in Jayant Yadav. 

With the series now in balance and with both teams now aware of each other's strategies, this should be another engrossing affair. Australia can retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy if they win here. Kohli & co. would be eager to prove that Pune was an aberration. Let's Play!  

India's Humiliation in the Pune test!!

"If Australia play well, India will win 3-0. That is if Australia play well. Otherwise, 4-0.", said former Indian offie, Harbhajan Singh before the India-Australia test series got underway. Even Sourav Ganguly, an astute reader of the game, predicted that this series could also go 4-0 in India's favor like the England series. Only Virender Sehwag sounded a note of caution, stating that the law of averages may catch up with this Indian team, while predicting a 3-0 or 3-1 kind of a scoreline.

Looking at these predictions as well as the numerous articles in media (which were dismissive of Australia's chances), I became increasingly uncomfortable. After all, everybody was labeling this Australian team as one of the weakest ever. Possibly, the "experts" were being lazy with their analysis. May be, they were taking cue from Australia's last tour of Sri Lanka in July-August 2016, where they were thrashed 3-0. Perfectly reasonable to assume that they were mindful of how the visiting South African team beat Australia 2-1 only 3 months back. I became so wary of how everybody was writing this Australian team off, that I tweeted the following before the 1st test got underway:

So what happened? Why did this Indian test team's juggernaut come to such a screeching halt at Pune? And how come many experts didn't see that coming? After all, this was Australia's first test victory in India since 2004!! (yes, you read that right). And, this was also India's second worst test defeat on home soil - coming 2nd to that very test in 2004 (held at Nagpur). Not to mention, India's combined total of 212 runs across 2 innings and 20 wickets in Pune, is their worst match aggregate ever on home soil. The time for serious soul-searching is now.

What did the experts fail to notice?

The tendency to oversimplify & overlook details and perspectives is all too prevalent today. Especially, if these details unsettle the neat conclusions that one seeks or those that don't fit the prevailing narrative. 

The pivotal moment for Australian cricket during this season came after they suffered a humiliating innings defeat against South Africa in the 2nd test at Hobart in November. This was their 5th consecutive test defeat and there were immediate fallouts - the chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, resigned and Trevor Hohns became interim chairman. Plus there were wholesale changes to the squad. Three cricketers debuted for Australia in their next test vs South Africa at Adelaide - opener Matt Renshaw, middle-order batsmen Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddison. Also, in came Mathew Wade as the wicket-keeper replacing Peter Nevill while pacer Jackson Bird replaced Joe Mennie. Also, Steve O'Keefe was drafted in against Pakistan in the 3rd test in January 2017 at Sydney. These changes infused a new sense of purpose amongst the Aussies and since then, they've won 5 consecutive tests (including the Pune test). Both Handscomb and Renshaw have been very impressive since their debuts while O'Keefe has made a great comeback.

Youngsters apart, the experienced hands in the Aussie ranks are much too familiar with the Indian conditions. Warner, Steve Smith, Starc, Shaun Marsh have all played regularly in IPL; Warner even led his franchise to their 2nd IPL title in the last edition. While Warner and Steve Smith have very impressive test records, Shaun Marsh has a fantastic record in Asia. Also, what was largely forgotten in the noisy narrative (that "Aussie batsmen will crumble against spin") was the fact that their current batting line up boasts of several batsmen who play spin bowling very well. Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb are very nimble on their feet and are acknowledged as good players of spin bowling.

Determining factors in the Pune test

It'll be useful to analyze what went wrong for India in this test and how Australia prevailed in such dominating fashion. Of course, it would be too simplistic to pin this down to a few factors but I'll still make an effort to highlight the major factors.

The pitch 

The pitch at MCA Stadium in Pune came in for some scrutiny. The surface was very abrasive and devoid of any moisture. This resulted in the ball getting scuffed up pretty quickly and the pitch offering plenty of turn and bounce from the 1st session itself. I tweeted the following after watching the opening hour of play (mind you Australia's opening pair were yet to be separated):

As a matter of fact, the match got over in a little over 2.5 days. The pitch was unlike any India have played in this home season. This rank turner can only be compared with the pitches used during South Africa's tour of India in Nov-Dec 2015. In that series, South Africa didn't cross 200 in any of the completed matches (the Bangalore test was rained off) while India crossed the 300 mark only once. Needless to say, the Australian team adapted much better to the dry surface in Pune vis-a-vis the South African during that series while India's much vaunted batting lineup simply crumbled. On such pitches, a finger spinner is much more lethal given that he can turn the ball a long way even when bowling at a quick pace and at a flatter trajectory. It's still unclear whether this pitch was prepared on specific request from the Indian team management (Kohli denies this) or it was a case of under-preparation given this was the first test match hosted at this venue.

Aussie spinners outbowled their Indian counterparts!

Yes you read that right!! Despite playing three spinners including two off-spinners (presumably to counter the plethora of left-handed batsmen in Australia's batting lineup), Indian spinners were out-bowled by Steve O'Keefe and Nathan Lyon. How did that happen? Some experts have pointed out that on a raging turner like this one, in order to get a dismissal, the deliveries have to be fuller in length (vis-a-vis good pitches). Since the ball turns appreciably after pitching, the closer it is to the bat, the lesser it'll deviate before reaching the bat and thereby has a greater chance of taking an edge instead of missing the bat. Both O'Keefe and Lyon kept the ball much fuller vis-a-vis Jadeja and Ashwin, thereby either inducing an edge or missing the inside edge for an LBW dismissal. The below pitch maps amply demonstrate this:

Source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Notice in the above pitchmaps as to how the Aussie spinners are closer to 2 - 4 mtr range and there are fewer deliveries in the 4 - 6 mtr range vis-a-vis the Indian spinners (in the respective 1st innings). In the 2nd innings, the Indian bowlers tried to bowl fuller (esp. Jadeja) but they were still not full enough.

Source: ESPNcricinfo.com

Source: ESPNcricinfo.com

All in all, while the left arm spin of O'Keefe wreaked havoc amongst the Indian batting line up comprising mainly of right-handers (10 out of 11 batsmen are right-handers), Ashwin couldn't do as much damage against the Aussie batting line up comprising largely of lefties (6 out of 11 batsmen are left-handers).

Aussies batted with a plan, the Indians appeared clueless!

In the pre-match conference, the Aussie skipper spoke about how the spin was inconsistent on Asian pitches (unlike the Australian pitches) and hence, how difficult it was to pick the off-break from the one that didn't turn (even though it was delivered as an off-spinner). On such pitches, Smith professed that one needs to eliminate one half of the bat. In other words, the batsman needs to ensure that he plays the line of the ball and doesn't follow the deliveries that turn. This way, he may get beaten on the outside edge of the bat but not on the inside edge (thereby eliminating LBW). Smith practiced what he preached and got a masterful 100 in the 2nd innings. Renshaw played well in both the innings and specifically targeted Jadeja by repeatedly going down the pitch against him. Mitchell Starc used the long handle to good effect in both the innings and came up with very useful contributions down the order. Overall, the Aussie batsmen showed a lot of grit and patience to muster totals of above 250 in both the innings.

On the other hand, the Indian batsmen looked clueless against the Aussie bowlers esp. O'Keefe. In the 1st innings, they were first bamboozled by the Aussie pacers and then were either too tentative or too dismissive against O'Keefe. In the 2nd innings, they kept missing the straighter ones to either get bowled or LBW. Apart from KL Rahul in the first dig and Pujara in the 2nd, none of the other Indian batsmen showed any fight. As a result, India barely managed to score above 100 in either of the innings and they lasted for less than 75 overs (combined for both the innings).

Australia's superior fielding!

Australia's superior fielding, esp. their close catching, held sway and thereby played a significant part in this match. Handscomb held some outstanding catches in the first innings and both Smith and Wade were safe. On the other hand, Indian fielders dropped Smith three times during the course of his 2nd innings hundred. "Catches win matches" never sounded this prescient.

What lies in store for the rest of this series?

The Pune test was a sudden wake-up call for this all-conquering Indian team. There was possibly a hint of complacency coming into this test but this thrashing must have put them on guard. They'll now know that these Aussie boys are more than a handful and making a comeback & winning this series will test their character and grit to the fullest. I do expect Virat Kohli & Co. to make a comeback in the remaining tests and if the Aussies can continue playing with the same determination and tact, we'll have a cracker of a series - possibly one to rival the memorable 2001 series.