And so it comes down to the final Test match between India and Australia to decide who wins the series.
Given this Aussie side was given nary a chance, it’s quite the achievement for the Australian side.
There have been so many sub-plots in the series, you’d almost expect JR Ewing or the White Walkers to suddenly appear.
But is winning one game and drawing another enough? Are they happy to be the Lou Ferrigno of the cricket world, or would they rather be the Steven Bradbury?
Ahead of the last Test, here are the issues that are most worrying.
David Warner
With 131 runs for the series at 21.8 and a top score of 38, Warner has re-enforced his reputation as something of a John Farnham: dominates in Australia, unknown outside it.
Can ‘Whispering Dave’ find the pitch and understand it? Make some runs and make them clean?
Probably not.
It may be time to re-think Warner’s place as vice-captain of the side. There are clearly some youngsters available who are more likely to be captain, so could use the experience, and it may free him up to focus on his next hit(s).
Also, you don’t really need a vice-captain with Steve Smith as skipper. If the players follow his lead, there won’t be enough practice balls available on Earth for what comes next.
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Cordial
The Australian side was in the field for 210 overs at Ranchi, with Steve O’Keefe sending down 77 of them, Josh Hazlewood 44 and Pat Cummins (taking a break between injuries) 39.
Some of the batsmen didn’t have it so easy either. Smith faced 361 balls in the first innings and Glenn Maxwell 185. In the second innings, Peter Handscomb faced 200 balls and Shaun Marsh 197.
That’s a lot of time in the Indian sun doing sport.
Given the short turn-around between the third and fourth Tests, it’s unlikely that the Australian team will be 100 per cent fit for the game. Cummins is a particular injury concern, given he’s due after playing one Test and that he looked like the only one who could take a wicket for long parts of the Ranchi Test.
Mitch Johnson famously spoke of how much cordial he drank during a day to keep running in and bowling at top speed. Does the Australian team have access to sufficient levels of cordial, and what are the risks around Type B diabetes?
Philosophy
After the Ranchi Test, Smith was quoted as saying that “if there’s anything called momentum, it’s with us”. This is surprising and uncharacteristically existential coming from Smith.
Has the captain suddenly discovered philosophy while in India? Is he staying up at night reading about energy (chakras) and how it can be tapped into or aligned with a group of men drinking cordial?
Is Australia going to look to focus its chi to get through the last Test, or leave it for the universe to decide?
Make no mistake, this isn’t about mental disintegration, we are in new territory here.
Shaun Marsh
With his brother out, Shaun had taken the mantel of ‘least respected cricketer’ in the team, despite Matthew Wade being in it.
Shaun proved his abilities once again in his last innings, scoring 53 runs and soaking up 197 precious deliveries.
There has never been any doubt about his talent, but equally there has never been any doubt about his consistency.
Will Marsh fire again in the last Test to help Australia win? You wouldn’t put a bet on it. Will he stay in the Test team for the Ashes series? You’d probably put the house on it.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Bimbo you read that in the Indian press, who have zero inside intel on who Australia will pick at Dharamsala. There has been no such story in the Australian media.
Beauty of a geek Brains of a bimbo
Guest
Read somewhere that bird will replace okeefe for 4th test.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
I am not an Englishman but an Indian only!
TheRev
Roar Pro
"England-like climate" has completely stumped me! You'd feel pretty ripped off as an Englishman if you took a holiday to India only for the same climate!
TheRev
Roar Pro
Thanks Andrew!
El Loco
Roar Rookie
Almost agree with this except would change "due to England-like climate prevailing" to "only if his finger is stuffed". No changes, forget it, it'd be stupid to break up the team bond around the playing XI.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Only change is possible in the 4th.Test is Jackson Bird in place of Nathan Lyon, due to England-like climate prevailing there.
Jameswm
Guest
So you haven't met Glenn Maxwell?
Craig
Guest
SMarsh more disrepected than Wade...that'll do me. SMarsh has a spattering of fans (me included), but I'm yet to meet a Wade fan.
Andrew Young
Roar Guru
Thoroughly enjoyed this one! well-written! As much as I am not a fan of Marsh (S), you'd be hard pressed to say he is more disrespected than Wade!
Pope Paul VII
Guest
It's sure is about perception. Those English matches Khawaja had plenty of mates go missing after he missed a straight Swanny. One of the other outs to said Swanny he was given out caught after he missed by an English mile and the other was looking for quick runs in a declaration.. Again vs SL - plenty of struggling mates. Meanwhile Shaun spin specialist has score well in SL and is inconsistent as ever in India. In SL test matches he hasn't actually conjured a win and in India, in the boys only win, he wobbled 16 and blot. The problem for Ussie is he's never offered redemption while Shauny bumbles happily along with a average 10 runs less in approximately the same number of innings. Which brings us back to Davy Warner. He's only average 36 in tests from 2016 and is all over the shop but tells everyone he is feeling great so therefore he can get away with another The main argument against Khawaja should he hasn't seen an angry red ball since January and is being punished for past sins.
qwetzen
Guest
Drop a v-c a "heck of a big call"? I don't think so. To slightly paraphrase former US Veep John Garner; "The vice-captaincy ain't worth a pitcher of warm p1ss". And using the "3 * 50+ opening stands" as a justification is spurious. One of those openers is continually failing. So how much could the opening stands have been worth if the dud wasn't playing? It could also be "very destabilising" to the team to continue to carry a passenger. Especially when he's the captains' best mate. Yep, I saw UK being embarrassing in those series too, but again, keeping Warner means that you're picking someone who *is* failing as opposed to picking someone who *might* fail. That's irrational. And dare I say it, selecting the consistently failing Warner for T4 could be interpreted by some as yet another example of preferential treatment of NSW players. It's not a difficult problem and it's a principle of sport; You perform poorly, you get dropped.
Matth
Guest
I hear what you are saying, but it's a heck of a big call to drop the VC after 3x50 plus opening stands, when th team as a whole has massively exceeded expectations and we are heading into a decider. It could possibly be very destabilizing. I also think that Khawaja's "perceived" problems against spin are reducing in the minds of punters for every test he is out of the side. I saw him in England against Swann. I saw him in Sri Lanka. He was woeful. Not just struggling, but completely at sea. I see more risk than upside to bringing him in.
qwetzen
Guest
Here's something of interest from someone named Martin Gibbes in today's The Daily Tele. "... but after selectors were praised for dumping Usman Khawaja because of his perceived inadequacies against the turning ball...". Source: https://tinyurl.com/l2frspp The context here was; "So why shouldn't Warner be dropped as well?" and logically, he should be. Aren't you better off selecting a batsman with a "perceived inadequacy" against spin rather than one who has a current inadequacy? I think there's a 0.01% chance of Warner being "rested" (Again quoting The Tele. Other players get 'dropped'. NSW players get 'rested'.) For one reason his mate Smith is one selector & for another reason, the other selector is M Waugh. And not to worry anyway. Warner says that he's "hitting the ball really well in the nets" and is as confident as all get out of playing a blinder in T4.
Bob
Guest
Biggest worries are Lyon being played if not fully fit, cummins being able to back it up from a heavy load first test back and as you said Warner scoring runs