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There was a sense of disbelief watching India labour across the first five days of this series against Australia – surely they can’t continue to struggle? Then, yesterday, the dozing marauders awoke.
In the space of one day of focused, disciplined Test cricket, India vaulted themselves squarely back into this series.
At the start of the day, Australia had an opportunity to bat themselves into a dominant position.By the time the visitors extended their lead to 80, with four wickets in hand, India looked deeply worried. A lead of 130-plus would have been a major psychological blow to the Indians, who had managed only 137 on average across their first three innings in the series.
But a fired-up Ravi Jadeja, who was surprisingly underused by captain Virat Kohli, produced a wonderful spell to finish off the Australians swiftly. A collapse of 4-7 handed the momentum to India, who then came out and started their innings in an assured manner.
With India cruising at 1-84, the second Test was drifting away from Australia. They desperately needed someone to produce a slice of sorcery. Up stepped Steve Smith, who had earlier grassed a very tough chance off the bat of Cheteshwar Pujara.
The Australian captain snared a truly extraordinary one-handed catch at slip to dismiss KL Rahul off the bowling of Steve O’Keefe. The Indian opener was threatening to win the match with his own blade, cantering to 51 off 85 balls with an ease which belied the tremendously difficult pitch.
With three half-centuries from four innings, Rahul has been by far India’s best batsman in this series. Smith’s amazing grab created an opening for Australia. As so often happens in cricket, one wicket paves the way for more. India slid from 1-84 to 4-120. After Rahul departed, big quick Josh Hazlewood pinned Virat Kohli LBW. The Indian superstar reviewed the decision, which turned out to be remarkably close but remained in favour of Australia.
Then India made the bizarre choice to send in at five Ravi Jadeja, who batted at nine in the first dig. It backfired as Jadeja was castled by Hazlewood for 2. This left India effectively 4-37 and put Australia on top. Once more, however, this fantastic Test match produced a twist as India finally produced a truly significant partnership.
Pujara and classy middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane settled the Indian innings, batting with a sense of calm and composure the home side had badly lacked. Across the course of their 93-run stand Australia looked increasingly anxious in the field.
Apart from spearhead Mitchell Starc, who struggled to maintain a consistent line and length, the Australian bowlers were impressive. With his lofty height and unrelenting accuracy, Hazlewood appeared perfectly suited for a pitch offering unpredictable bounce. So it proved to be as the lanky seamer was Australia’s most effective bowler, finishing with 3-57.
O’Keefe was similarly tight, building pressure nicely as he conceded just 1.75 runs per over in his figures of 1-28. Yet it was Nathan Lyon who was arguably Australia’s most consistently threatening bowler, despite returning 0-69 from 27 overs.
After having things all his own way in the first innings, when he took career-best figures of 8-50, Lyon’s luck rank dry yesterday. In his second over Lyon watched with disbelief as Indian opener Abhinav Mukund shouldered arms to an off break that missed the off stump by mere millimetres.
That was a sign of things to come for Lyon. In his fourth over, Pujara nicked a delivery only for it to thud into the thigh of keeper Matt Wade. The very next ball Pujara lobbed an edge just shy of short leg Peter Handscomb. And then in Lyon’s next over Smith dropped Pujara, before the Indian batsman clipped the ball in the air agonisingly short of mid wicket.
That’s not to suggest that India were fortunate to hold a decent lead by stumps. Pujara, Rahane and Rahul all batted extremely well on the tricky surface.
The one positive to come out of the final session for Australia was the sense that the pitch was not as difficult for batting as it had been on Day 2. Of course, when a partnership builds it tends to make the deck look more placid.
But it was more than that – the surface undoubtedly was playing less tricks and the Indian commentators unanimously agreed that it had improved over the course of the day. That should provide some level of comfort for Australia, who have batted with rare patience and determination over their first three innings in this series.
They will need to muster similar reserves of resilience if they are to chase down a total which looks likely to be in excess of 180, and quite possibly much more.
A few weeks ago I’d have given Australia zero chance of recovering from their current position. But now it would be foolish to write them off. This sensational Test is well and truly alive.