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!    

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!   

  

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.