- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
MS Dhoni played his 89th Test at the Gabba, his 59th as Indian captain.
But rookie Australian skipper Steve Smith out-played and out-thought the veteran to win the second Test by 48 runs a day early.
What a stunning debut for the 25-year-old playing only his 24th Test.
Especially as Dhoni held all the cards after the first day having won the toss. At stumps India were 4-311 with Ajinka Rahane on 75, and Rohit Sharma 26, with Dhoni and Ravi Ashwin still to bat.
A first dig total of a big 500-plus was on the cards for the tourists.
But Dhoni lost control as the rookie tightened the screws during the second day.
Not only did Smith take a blinder of a second slip catch, diving low to his right with an out-stretched right hand, but his 133 was the launching pad for a massive late order revival.
Mitchell Johnson clubbed an even ball 88, Mitchell Starc 52, Nathan Lyon 23, and debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood an unbeaten 32, to lead India by 97.
Smith was in total control, and even had a smile when Indian paceman Ishant Sharma told him to “f-off” after Smith had chopped the delivery onto his stumps.
Seeing Smith had peeled of a career-high 162 not out, an unbeaten 52, and 133 in this series for an average of 347, Sharma made a right royal goose of himself, giving the Australian skipper the ultimate marching order.
But the Sharma farewell was in keeping with his captain.
Dhoni had also made a goose of himself trying to bounce the Australian tail, but all of them can hook and pull, so the tactic blew up in Dhoni’s face.
And Dhoni added to his self-inflicted pain at the post-match media conference by complaining about umpire’s decisions, and the state of the practice wickets at the Gabba.
Dhoni is no dunce, but he made an even bigger goose of himself by saying there were too many 50-50 umpiring decisions that went against India, and the reason for the defeat.
That criticism was laughable.
Dhoni should demand those in charge of Indian cricket, the BCCI, sign off on the DRS. Seeing the ICC hasn’t the bottle to tell India to do anything, at least the Indians would get a fair shake if the DRS was operating.
Dhoni’s criticism of the practice wickets were damned when Steve Smith praised them, adding the wickets were a true indication of how the centre played.
So where to from here for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG?
Australia lead 2-0 in the four Test series, and unless Dhoni adopts the Smith captaincy style, India will be whitewashed 4-0.
Dhoni’s style is he would rather draw than lose chasing a win.
Smith’s style is to go for the win from the very first ball.
India’s side cannot be stronger than the one on duty at the Gabba, but their abilities can be better deployed by Dhoni.
Smith will have another debutant in Queensland batsman Joe Burns, replacing the hamstrung Mitchell Marsh.
Burns has loads of talent – he’s averaging 54.87 this season – and loves facing the quicks. Smith may well slot him in at three, and drop Shane Watson down the list to five or six, especially as Watson will have more bowling responsibilities than in the past.
Talking bowlers, the most dependable Ryan Harris is likely to return from injury. This will greatly increase Smith’s firepower.
Josh Hazlewood’s here to stay after his seven-wicket debut haul at the Gabba, which means Starc will be yet another casualty to carry the drinks.
There’s more good news for Smith on the pace front.
Expressman Pat Cummings, on another comeback trail, touched 150 clicks last night for Sydney Thunder in the BBL, and James Pattinson made a successful comeback in Melbourne’s district cricket at the weekend.
It’s fast approaching an embarrassment of pace selection riches if Johnson, Harris, Hazlewood, Starc, Siddle, Cummins,and Pattinson are all fit and in-form.
The same applies to former Test batsmen Ed Cowan and Adam Voges, the two leading run-getters in this season’s Sheffield Shield.
Cowan’s scored 590 runs at 65.55 with four centuries, Voges 509 at 101.80 with three tons and a half-century.
That all adds up to increasing depth in Australian cricket and spells even more trouble for India at the MCG next Friday.