Clarke: remember the topsy-turvy Adelaide Test of 2003
Columnist By Kersi Meher-Homji, 24 Jan 2012 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert
Michael Clarke leads Australia looking for a clean sweep over India at Adelaide Oval.
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Everyone – not almost everyone – is awaiting a whitewash 4-0 series win for the Australians in the Adelaide Test starting today. But Michael Clarke, beware the Ides of the December 2003 Adelaide Test.
He was only a Sheffield Shield player then and made his successful Test debut the following year.
However, Ricky Ponting, the only Australian survivor of that incredible Test, will have mixed feeling of ecstasy and agony. On the other hand, four Indians will remember this Test with relish, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and especially the heroes Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
It was the second Test of the 2003-04 series after the first Test in Brisbane was drawn.
Australia started flamboyantly, being 5 for 400 at stumps on the opening day, Ponting unbeaten on 176.
The home team batted serenely to total 556, Ponting batting like a master to stroke 242 with 31 fours. It was relentless pounding of a poor attack as Ricky only pausing at 200 to blow a kiss to his wife.
An innings defeat for Sourav Ganguly’s men was on the cards as India lost 4 for 85, including Tendulkar’s for one.
Just then VVS joined Dravid and looked solid. It might have reminded skipper Steve Waugh of the Kolkata shocker of March 2001 when the same troublesome twosome of VVS and Dravid had converted a certain defeat into an incredible win by adding 376 runs for the fifth wicket.
He soon put that thought in the subconscious, thinking that this is Australia, mate; not spin-friendly India.
But lightening struck again on the Adelaide Oval as Dravid (233) and VVS (148) added 303 for the fifth wicket. Again!
India totalled 523, still 33 runs behind. A certain draw, predicted the experts.
Wrong! Australia was shot out for 196, Ponting out for a duck as the mediocre medium-pacer Ajit Agarkar claimed 6 for 41.
Needing 220 for a win, India reached the target for the loss of 6 wickets, that man Dravid, unbeaten on 72, driving India to a lofty and unpredictable victory. For the first time in Australia, India led the series 1-0 with two Tests to go. (The series was drawn 1-1 after Australia won in Melbourne and the Sydney Test drawn, Tendulkar scoring 241 not out and 60 not out.)
Spare a thought and tissues for Ponting, smacking 242 of the best in Adelaide and be on the losing side! It was the highest individual score for a side who ended up losing.
What a triumph for the Indians’ spirit, exemplified by Rahul “Wall” Dravid who was on the field for most of the five days, batting for almost 14 hours to register 305 winning runs.
The Aussie tormentors, Dravid and VVS, are still there although eight years older, reflexes slower and struggling for runs.
Having lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy already, India has nothing more to lose. But the memory of Adelaide 2003 should inspire them to grittier efforts.
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January 24th 2012 @ 12:16pm
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 24th 2012 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
Before the start of play in the Adelaide Test this morning, Channel 9 showed highlights of the 2003 Adelaide Test. The same was featured in today’s Roar post.
Spinner Aswin could be a match-winner as the Test progresses.
January 25th 2012 @ 1:16pm
JohnB said | January 25th 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
Kersi, I’ve always thought it was a little uncanny how similar this game was to the Adelaide Ashes test in 2006 (we don’t talk about the last one). Ridiculously flat Adelaide road, huge first innings from the team batting first, team batting second in some trouble then saved and gets almost up to parity. Game should be a draw for all money, except that the team batting third panics for no particularly good reason, collapses and leaves the other team a target they get with just enough time/wickets available. At 3 for a shedload at lunch day 2, still possible lightning may strike a third time – but don’t bet your own money on it I suspect!
January 25th 2012 @ 8:46pm
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 25th 2012 @ 8:46pm | Report comment
JohnB, you are spot on. Here are the two mirror-image Adelaide Tests:
HERE are two mirror image topsy-turvy Tests played in Adelaide exactly three years apart:
Adelaide Test of December 2003
Australia 556 (Ricky Ponting 242)
India 523 (Rahul Dravid 233, VVS Laxman 148) and trailed by 33 runs
Australia 196 (Ajit Agarkar 6-41)
India 6-233 (Dravid 72 not out)
Team batting first and amassing over 500 runs in first innings lost
Adelaide Test of December 2006
England 6-551 (Paul Collingwood 206, Kevin Pietersen 158)
Australia 513 (Ponting 142, Michael Clarke 124)
and trailed by 38 runs
England 129 (Shane Warne 4-49)
Australia 4-168 (Mike Hussey 61 not out)
Team batting first and amassing over 500 runs in first innings lost
Will the 2012 Adelaide Test follow this pattern? I very much doubt it.