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The unAustralian move Australia must use to beat India

Roar Rookie
9th March, 2017
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Matt Renshaw is starring for Australia A. (AAP Image/David Moir)
Roar Rookie
9th March, 2017
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1323 Reads

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and controversy in Test series between Australia and India.

While disciplined batting performances from Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara on a wearing pitch, and a fourth innings rout from Ravi Ashwin were the catalysts for an impressive Indian victory in the second Test, it is instead Virat Kohli’s explosive claims making headlines.

These claims came on the back of Steve Smith’s fourth innings dismissal, when, given out LBW off Umesh Yadav, Smith glanced towards the Australian camp, potentially for advice on whether to review the decision, before being hastily sent packing by umpire Nigel Llong.

Kohli, however, claimed the Australians had acted similarly on a number of occasions while in the field, apparently while he was batting, strongly suggesting in his post-match press conference that these actions were cheating.

Regardless of the the legitimacy of these accusations, this was a bait-and-switch manoeuvre from Kohli of Trump-like proportions.

The Indian skipper could have fielded questions about his poor performances with the bat in the first two Test matches, or about his and his team’s behaviour in the field towards Australian batsmen during the Australian first innings, or even about his reaction to an unsuccessful DRS review off Josh Hazlewood on the second day.

Instead, he placed further pressure on the Australian team and skipper with his incredible claims. These will add an extra edge to this series.

Indias captain Virat Kohli

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Despite what could be said (and has been by commentators including Ian Healy over the last few days) about the behaviour of the Indians in the field, this was undoubtedly a tactic employed and led by Kohli in an effort to cause mental disruption. And the tactic worked, as not only did Australia find scoring difficult in their first innings, but a free-flowing start to India’s second innings turned the tide of the Test.

Australian players, too, got swept up in the war of words, with the match referee as likely to discuss conduct with Mitchell Starc, Stephen O’Keefe, and captain Smith, as with any of the Indian players.

It is little surprise then that the Indians used the same confrontational approach in the field to seal the match, and will be expected to do so again in the last two Tests.  

The Australians still have a strong chance for a monumental upset, as even if the series is drawn, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains in Australia. They have played surprisingly well in the first two Tests, with disciplined batting and bowling.

However, an unusual and unAustralian course of action must be implemented to not only slow the momentum India has gained from this win, but actually give the Australians an edge in the last two Test matches.

I want them to avoid the war of words and turn the other cheek.

David Warner has words with Indian batsman Rohit Sharma

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Overseas visitors could be mistaken for thinking sledging is a time-honoured tradition in Australia; that from the time a young boy or girl is taught to swing a bat or bowl a ball, they are taught to give a bit of lip as well.

And it is no surprise that when the Australian cricket team became ‘beatable’ again a decade or so ago, many teams and players have rejoiced in being able to participate in the war of words and come out on top.

Virat Kohli is one of them. On his tours to Australia, he appears to have relished being the villain for the crowd, media, and opposing players, helping him score a bucket-load of runs.

Since becoming Indian captain, his fighting attitude has become a hallmark of the way his teams play cricket, leading to the proactive rather than reactive, confrontational style the Indians have employed on home soil over the last few years. This is quite a novel approach, as any ‘bullying’ while playing at home has historically been limited to the effortless impunity with which batsmen swatted away visiting bowlers and the relentless accuracy of the home spinners, rather than involving verbal confrontation. 

When it comes to Australia however, Indian teams over the last couple of decades have been galvanised by a feeling of victimisation, whether it has been over umpiring decisions, conditions, or Australian behaviour. Any combative attitudes from Kohli et al. have come from a position more David than Goliath.

Although Smith gave his team the green light to get involved, Kohli and his team are starting the on-field spats. To take the unAustralian approach of not engaging could see Kohli’s method backfire. Not only may it make it difficult for him to find the oppositional drive that he so desires to aid his ailing batting, but his team could find themselves labelled with a similar moniker to the ‘ugly Australians’ under Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.

Media and even social media backlash to this has the potential to be huge, and nothing, not even a series loss at home, would be more shameful to an Indian team than being the villain rather than the victim in a chapter against Australia.

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Don’t get me wrong, this is not an invitation for the Australians to cower under a barrage or take anything lying down. It is about letting their cricket do the talking, as they did for the first one and a half Test matches, and not engaging in the verbal battle that is often merely a distraction rather than fuel for performance.

The youngest player in the team, Matt Renshaw, has developed a great blueprint for this, answering questions with his bat and responding to sledges with a smile.

I’ve labelled this an unAustralian approach, but this is already somewhat of an unAustralian team. They went to the UAE before this series to prepare themselves against spin. They haven’t relied on methods tried and tested in Australian conditions to serve them in India, instead trying to avoid getting beaten on the inside edge to the spinners. They’ve batted time and valued their wicket. They’ve played with two finger spinners and bowled patiently in partnerships.

Compared to Australian tours of India over the last decade, this is a decidedly unAustralian approach, and they’ve used these tactics because it gives them a chance to win.

I’m just encouraging them to take it one small step further.

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