Will the real India please stand up? My mistake – they already are.
Two Tests in, 2-0 down and staring a right good thumping squarely in the face, a result which would only add fuel to the barely debatable point that the Indians – when it comes to the five-day game – are appalling travellers.
My prediction prior to the series, made in an overly optimistic tweet to fellow contributor Ryan O’Connell, was for Australia to triumph by a 3-0 margin – but this may have been a touch too generous.
They’ve had their moments, as they always will do, but the second half collapses have been all-too familiar and there is little that suggests a form reversal is on its way.
Batting that can’t ram home an advantage and a bowling attack that is fodder for the hosts’ line-up bodes poorly for the tourists, but nothing there should have come as a surprise.
In England last summer, after an excellent victory at Lord’s, the capitulation was staggering and hinted at a side who, when all the necessary factors don’t fall into place, just don’t turn up.
The Indians have decent players and should have the ingredients to at least be competitive abroad, but time and time again they fall flat on their face.
Do they not give a monkey’s about Test match cricket? I would be loathe to push that as an argument because too many believe poor performance equals a lack of desire, which is not necessarily the case.
Are they simply out of their depth when the surfaces served up aren’t slow, low turners?
Batting-wise they’ve shown enough in both Adelaide and Brisbane to suggest this isn’t the case but on the flip side their bowling looks far from incisive.
Is the World Cup, a tournament they will rightly fancy as having a chance of winning, too big a distraction? Perhaps but the schedule doesn’t simply stop.
It would be nice, and quite enlightening, to be provided with an answer to this conundrum but I wouldn’t hold your breath because if those in the firing line don’t know how to stop the malaise they can’t expect those on the outer to do so.
What can’t be doubted is that the hosts should scent a battered side ready for the taking.
The Aussies’ cricket has been effective and driven and they have jumped on the opportunity to close out both Tests which didn’t look like being the case at certain points in each encounter.
That, really, is all you can ask for and if they aren’t celebrating a series win come the conclusion of the Melbourne contest, I’ll have to examine the strength of what I’ll be drinking over the festive period.
On that note, to all those who have read and commented on my offerings, Merry Christmas.
ausi
Guest
A lot of words there Alec and saying nothing new or profound. They hammered us in India and we will probably do the same here - so whats new? Look how we performed against Pakistan - the Kiwis did much better. This Indian team has potential - lots of it - just watch over the next 2-3 years. We have plenty of problems - we cant seem to cull the old codgers - the selectors seem to have no vision beyond next week.
Brains of a bimbo (Atgm)
Guest
Merry christmas to all the roarers. dhoni needs to go and they will do better overseas
satish
Guest
There is no mystery here. 1.Experience is crucial in alien conditions. 2 fast bowlers with averages under 28 3. spinners who can chip in with 9 wkts in a series Our best pace bowlers do not have the best averages and they did/do not have enough partners. Before 2000, we could not put two people above 134kph+ on the field.Eventually we did find more 130+ bowlers and started winning outside asia . kumble played a better supporting role after practising more with the kookaburra ball.Our spinners hate the kookaburra. hence they started chipping in with more wickets. Team India didn't destroy sides except zim but we did win in NZ,WI,England. we came close in Australia in 2003 and in SA during 2006 but could not land the killer blow at the finish. After 2011. the old generation looked jaded and the losses started piling up. Now a new generation is learning its trade in a new cycle. So we are in the same stage as in 1997. Right now, Ishant averages in the mid 30's. No one else is considered established. Spinners cannot chip in with enough wickets. so we need bowler friendly conditions to succeed. I am sure they will start winning a few in our next few trips outside asia.
Duncan
Guest
Obviously I forgot that one you did better research then me but it still doesn't disprove my argument that most teams have woefully underperformed when touring here. Lehman was quite vocal last year in wanting Mark Cosgrove to shed the kilos as he thinks he has one of the better techniques in the domestic competition but unfortunately Cosgrove hasn't been listening as last time I set eyes on him he looked like he was at least sixteen stone Unfortunately I can't see anything changing as Smith and Warner seem like the only two batsmen willing to be aggressive and take a risk and more importantly can score ugly runs something Watson and the two Marshes don't seem to like doing.
Simoc
Guest
So Duncan, Tasmania isn't part of your Australia obviously since NZ cleaned up Australia in Hobart on their most recent visit 2011/12 season. But I think this is a very talented Indian cricket side but dropping their bundle for a session is all it takes to lose. The Australian batting has revolved heavily around Warner and Smith and it's time for some others to step up.
Duncan
Guest
Edit it should be ninety five for Pakistan and ninety six for the Windies
Johnno
Guest
We rarely bring it on tour too India and other Asian hot spots.
Duncan
Guest
Hi Alec and merry Christmas I agree with the premise of your argument but feel it's a bit pointless as India are hardly in the minority when it comes to not delivering in Australia. Sri Lanka have never won a test here let alone a series , New Zealand last won a test here in nineteen eighty seven and they drew one in the early two thousands ,Pakistan in nineteen ninety six and the Windies in ninety five so I don't see why anyone's surprised at all I was at the first two days of the Gabba test and it was only the fact that it was forty degrees on day one that slowed the Aussies down from finishing it off inside three days
Chris Love
Guest
Chui nailed it. When things are going India's way they can ride that momentum with the best of them. When things swing against them they drop the bundle and they don't know how to pick it back up. Australia has shown twice now in this series that they are prepared to dig deep when the chips are down. India don't have that, they don't have any "heart"!
Anthony D'Arcy
Roar Pro
I think captaincy plays a big part. India were on top for the first few days of the Brisbane test until Dhoni and the bowlers persisted with a strategy that didn't work -- bowling short to Johnson. Dhoni seems to too often miss a trick like this and momentum swings drastically. As for the bowling, in their quest to getting a fully functional pace attack India seem to have read a bit too much into pace. Can you afford to have 2 or 3 bowlers bowling reasonably quick, and erractically? There probably needs to be a bit more balance. If one of the quicker bowlers (Shami for instance, but he's been disappointing) can manage to hit a line and length more often, then this attack would be much more effective. However I should say, this bowling attack has competed much better than a lot of previous Indian attacks, so it's at the least a step forward. Merry christmas to you too Alec.
Gremlins
Guest
Happy Christmas to you too, Alec, Like others, I think the problem's mental. They seem to be all too concerned with peripheral issues (such as not liking the food they ordered) and with internal differences in the sheds. Whinging about the DRS is also an issue. For heaven's sake, don't they realise that when the umps invoke the third umpire (which they do), he then uses the technology to make a decision? Quite frankly, if they're playing in India, then they are able to dictate the pitch, for example, and whether or not to use the DRS. But in someone else's backyard???? If we use the DRS in Australia, then it should be available to both teams. If the Indians don't want it, then they don't use it. But the Australians could and should. When they get it all together, they're going to be damned hard to beat.
Steele
Guest
They also need their own tail to learn how to hold a bat!
Bearfax
Guest
Actually I think this team from India, more than so many before them, promises to be truly competitive on tours. They have a collection of young and very talented players and to be honest they almost had Australia on the ropes twice. Only the batting experience and talent of Warner, Rogers and Smith and the bowling of Johnson and Hazlewood, got Australia over the line. Given a year and this Indian side could be quite formidable even on tour.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Hard to tell from the outside, but you have to think it's mental. Kohli hinted as much with his desire to be aggressive and competitive during the Adelaide test, implying India had given up on previous overseas tours. I think given the sheer amount of cricket they're involved in, after a while it all becomes a bit humdrum, and they can shrug off getting thrashed in overseas test matches. Almost like a penance they have to do every so often to enjoy IPL, ODI cricket, 20/20 and home test matches.
Chui
Guest
"Do they not give a monkey’s about Test match cricket?" An interesting phrase to use in Australia. ;) I think the problem is mental. As soon as they start moaning about something that hasn't gone their way, their play is affected
Darshan Kawar
Roar Pro
Hi Alec, Nice article. All questions you raised are spot on. Although Indian team have good batsmen and showed they can play on bouncy pitches, the main problem lies in bowling department. Having 2 genuine pace bowlers haven't helped and they need to learn how to bowl at tail, which has caused problems to the team off-late. They just were unable to push the envelope by wrapping up tail quickly.