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Australia’s unlikely pair of Steve Smith (92) and tail-ender Mitchell Starc (99) put on 97 runs for the eighth wicket in the Mohali Test against India yesterday. Thanks to this late order resistance Australia totalled 408.
Match on, we thought. But were proved wrong again.
Their glory was short-lived as within two hours they were eclipsed by India’s debutant left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan. The moustached Indian played a magnificently breathtaking innings which will be remembered for a long time.
Shikhar in Hindi means hunt and he hunted the attenuated Australian attack as it has seldom been slaughtered in their 136 years of Test history.
It was heart-breaking for an Australian to see fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson sitting idly in the pavilion, a punishment from their management for not doing their “home work” last week.
And who benefitted from this tactless and senseless decision?
The Indian batsmen, especially their inexperienced openers!
With Murali Vijay (unbeaten on 83 with 10 fours and two sixes), Dhawan (185 not out with 33 sparkling fours and two sixes off only 168 balls) put on 283 runs for the unbroken opening stand against a much-weakened Aussie attack.
Also why pick three spinners on a pitch which was equally favourable to pace and spin?
Dhawan’s debut century was the quickest in Test history as it came off only 85 balls. But there was drama before he had faced a ball.
It was very sporting of Australians not to appeal as the debutant was accidentally “mankaded” by Starc as he bowled the first ball of the innings.
The camaraderie between the opponents has been the best aspect of the series so far.
The Indians had applauded Starc’s fighting 99 just before lunch yesterday and Michael Clarke’s men heartily congratulated Dhawan at stumps.
It was an innings to remember as he attacked Australia’s quickies and spinners with a range of spectacularly classy strokes. It was as if we were watching David Gower at his scintillating best.
Having hit 33 sparkling fours so far, Dhawan needs to hit five more fours today to break England’s RE ‘Tip’ Foster’s record of smashing 37 fours in his debut masterpiece of 287 against Australia in Sydney way back in 1903-04.
Dhawan also requires only 15 more runs today to become only the sixth batsman to hit a double century in his Test initiation.
The others are Foster as mentioned above, Jacobus Rundolph (222 not out, South Africa v. Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2002-03), Lawrence Rowe (214, West Indies v. New Zealand, Kingston, 1971-72), Mathew Sinclair (214, New Zealand v. West Indies, 1999-2000) and Brendon Kuruppu (201 not out, Sri Lanka v. New Zealand, Colombo, 1986-87).
Having added 370 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara for the second wicket in the previous Test in Hyderabad, Vijay has to add only 17 more runs this morning with Dhawan to join the rare “club” of those who have added 300 plus runs in two consecutive Test innings in a series.
Australia has to win this Test and the following one in Delhi next week to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But even Napoleon would call this impossible.