India have all but secured their first-ever Test series win in Australia by racking up 4-303 on day one in Sydney yesterday.
The tourists became huge favourites from the moment they won the toss, such is the overwhelming reliance of both of these teams on batting first in Tests.
Australia are so vulnerable when they bat second that they needed to dismiss India for a below-par score yesterday to remain in the contest.
They had a chance of doing just that when Ajinkya Rahane was bounced out by Starc for 28, leaving India at 4-228 with the second new ball due in ten overs. But India were shepherded through that tricky period, and then safely through 10 overs with the new ball by man-of-the-moment Cheteshwar Pujara (130no) and newcomer Hanuma Vihari (39no).
Pujara continued his astonishing form, cracking his third ton for the series to take his haul in Australia to 458 runs at 76. Incredibly, that is almost twice the next highest-scorer in the series, Virat Kohli (282), and eons ahead of Australia’s leading batsman Travis Head (217).
In his seven innings, Pujara has scored more runs than Aaron Finch, Mitch Marsh, Peter Handscomb, and Usman Khawaja in their combined 18 innings.
At the risk of overloading you with stats, there’s one more Pujara figure that must be mentioned. The 30-year-old has batted for a mammoth 1,135 balls so far in this series, which equates to 186 deliveries per dismissal.
That underscores just how difficult Australia’s strong and experienced attack have found it to dislodge Pujara. His sturdy defence and seemingly-infinite patience have drained this Australian bowling unit.
They tried bowling wide and he ignored them. They tried bowling full and straight, and he milked them. They tried bowling short and he weathered the blitz.
In the process Pujara has put together what will be looked back upon as the defining series of his career. Not only is it his single most outstanding Test performance, but it has almost single-handedly won India their first series in Australia.
India’s Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates after reaching a century. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Yes, young quick Jasprit Bumrah has been phenomenal. But in the end it has been the grinding batsmanship of Pujara which has been the difference between the sides.
Australia’s sole strength in this current team is their attack and Pujara, alone, has gone a long way to neutralising their threat.
The manner in which he has chipped away at the confidence and stamina of the Australian bowlers has made life much easier for his teammates.
This same role has been filled by superstar Virat Kohli in India’s past few away series. In England and South Africa last year Kohli was a one-man band, churning out runs while the rest of the Indian batsmen laboured.
That included Pujara, who averaged 29 in his seven Tests in those two countries last year. He was even dropped for the first Test in England after being found out by South Africa’s elite pace attack.
Over the last month, however, he has ensured there will be no questions about his place in the side for some time to come.
He’s also ensured there is nothing left in this series for Australia to salvage but pride.
First up the hosts highly-rated attack must rebound from an ordinary first day effort to keep India to less than 400.
Then their weird, cobbled-together batting lineup must defy expectations to construct a competitive first innings total. That looms as a massive task given not one member of their top six is in good form.
Even Usman Khawaja, their premier batsman in the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, has had a very poor series, averaging just 27.
Usman Khawaja (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
With the out-of-touch pair of Marnus Labuscagne and Peter Handscomb bizarrely parachuted into the number three and six spots, respectively, India will have to wait a long time before they again get to bowl at an Australian Test batting lineup this feeble.
Australia have no Pujara. Australia have no momentum. Australia have no hope.
JayG
Guest
Exactly this, Simoc. Mountain out of a molehill
JayG
Guest
"touch" self-righteous is an understatement. Even after Smith and Bancroft's recent interviews, I saw many people come out with their pitchforks for Smith "profiting" from the ball tampering saga (never mind that he is planning to donate the amount to a mental health charity) and for Bancroft having a sook (never mind that we've demanded explanations from them in the past - when they do provide an explanation, we decide they're snitching)
JayG
Guest
Actually, statistically, toss has had limited to no impact on games played in Australia. This might also be because Australia have traditionally been so strong at home at we've won regardless of the toss. These teams are far more evenly matched in Australian conditions and hence the disproportionate impact of the toss.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
As I've said before, if they want to stop ball tampering they need to start producing balls that don't require tampering to make them swing. Sick of seeing balls bowled with perfect seams for it to swing and it just goes dead straight. There was some discussion about how, with the pitches in Australia this year all having more grass on them and being less abrasive, the balls weren't getting scuffed up enough to generate reverse. That's fine, but if the balls are staying in such good condition then there should be conventional swing. But there is very little of that at all.
Simoc
Guest
Agreed the booing of Kohli was a disgrace. Non-cricketers don't understand the game at all. Guys at work think the team is a national disgrace because all they know about the game is what a 'Work for the Dole' Channel x reporter tells them on the news. Like the British press they're a lynch mob. In reality the sandpaper thing was a non-event as the umpires knew, checked the ball, and found no reason to penalise the team 5 runs. But for journalists looking for a story it has provided 'food for the kids' for nearly a year here in Australia. After all footballers never seek to gain advantage from the referee do they, and wouldn't dream of pretending they've been fouled. The drama has provided plenty of fodder for kids.
Big Red V
Guest
Agree 100% with JimboJones but the mass hysteria over SandpaperGate was done by the media. Put enough spin (pun intended) in the papers and the uneducated will take it as gospel. Talk around the bar stool was completely different - it was simply a couple of knobheads who made potentially THE most idicotic cricketing decision known to mankind (although current selectors are challenging that) and the max they should have gotten was a few matches. The Saffas thought it was harsh given their history of cheating and getting off lightly. Like or loath Warner and Co, if they come back, tell them to pull their heads in and produce runs. If they do that, history will be forgotten very quickly - call it sporting amnesia!! As an aside, the booing of Kholi was an absolute disgrace!!
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Or just maybe, Australians suffer from the tall poppy syndrome and are a touch self righteous?
The Bush
Roar Guru
Cricket isn’t their national sport like it is for us. They don’t have a Bradman, Bodyline Series, WSC history etc. The joke that the Aussie Test Captain is the second most important position in the country is a funny joke for a reason...
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
DaveJ the way Pujara paces an innings is just superb - he is happy to shelve his ego for his first 100 balls, play super cautiously and let his roots grow into the crease. Then he gradually picks up the pace once he is well set.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"Why do so many people in Australia despise Warner because he’s aggressive? You don’t see the South Africans grilling Rabada" The South African public backs their cricketers way more than the Australian public. I play cricket with a bunch of Saffas, a couple who are ex-pros, and all of them were perplexed by how harsh the Australian public reaction was to the ball tampering scanda. While they all agreed it was clearly wrong they couldn't understand why the Australian public acted like it was a national crisis, like Australia was the first-ever team caught ball tampering. When Faf was caught ball tampering twice and Philander too the SA public didn't get out their pitchforks.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
“Australia have no Pujara. Australia have no momentum. Australia have no hope.” Superb piece Ronan. He has been fantastic. Hazlewood after the game yesterday said : “To dismiss Pujara we need to be more patient than him. We haven’t succeeded in that.” I am just so happy for Test cricket when I see him bat. It defines what you can and should do when you have the time to grind the opposition down. Bradman may not have approved of his strike rate, but there is no more effective Test player today than Pujara if you leave out Kohli and Williamson (and Smith for now).
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Yes full kudos to Pujara. Some commentators say he’s slow, but he bats like many of the classic Test batsmen in the past and is not particularly slow. Prime case is Wally Hammond, known as a fine stroke player not a stonewaller. Yet his finest achievement was scoring 905 runs off 2521 balls in the 1928-29 Ashes, a scoring rate of 36/100 balls! Pujara went at over 50 yesterday and has scored at 46 throughout his career, although obviously a bit slower this series – modulated to suit the pitches and the bowling. Other players to compare scoring rates with – Jacques Kallis 46, Steve Waugh 49, Raul Dravid 42, David Boon 41, Mark Taylor 41. Need to keep in mind scoring rates are quicker in the last 15 years since they reduced the boundaries by 5-10% and made bats that hit the ball 10-20% further. ——— I like “They tried bowling wide and he ignored them. They tried bowling full and straight, and he milked them. They tried bowling short and he weathered the blitz.” Could add: “He knew he could always wait til they brought on Labuschagne and pile on some runs then.”
Mon
Guest
Tim Paine is failing in his field placings and bowling instruction. What happened to the leg side trap that got both Kohli and Pujara in Melbourne 2nd innings? Identical shots ffs! You know they’re sweating on anything on the pads! But not to worry, he’s a real nice fella.
Mon
Guest
+1000000 This is spot on.
Jack
Guest
I think it’s pretty crazy and overly dramatic that the entire country has decided series is over after day one... if they collapse for say 350-370 it’s one hundred percent game on. it has been a very close series. That being said if we go to lunch without taking any wickets and India add one hundreds we are I. Trouble
Vistro
Guest
may be the quicks they desperately need Davey to come back and manage the ball for them!
JimboJones
Guest
Why do so many people in Australia despise Warner because he's aggressive ? You don't see the South Africans grilling Rabada , yet he's as aggressive , if not more . A lot of sad , weak people in this country are offended by anyone who is not meek like themselves. I'd like to see Warner , just shut up , do his time and come back , basically no different to what he was. As for Bancroft , I'd be happy to never see him again after his childish sooking. Steve Smith should never lead the side again , but I don't think Tim Paine has a clue , geeeez , he cant even win a toss.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Yep, Pujara has been outstanding, but our quicks have been even poorer than most of 2018. They have no variation, can't swing the new or old ball and rarely seem to take a key wicket, this being usually up to Lyon. Realistically, none of the three should be regarded as safe for the future.
Cantab
Guest
He came into this series ranked 4th in the world and will likely move up to 3rd, behind only Kohli and Williamson. There’s been a lot of chat about the pitches this series, it goes along the lines that it’s as flat as a pancake when Kohli and Pujara bat, but a mind field when anyone else does.... Those two guys are substantially better than any other batsmen in either team.
Steve
Guest
He's actually got a pretty good domestic t/20 and 50 over record but unfortunately he has a few weaknesses that prevent him from playing top level 20/20 cricket. He's played well in the DY Patil t/20 and Syed Mustaq Ali trophy. He's said he's going to work hard to overcome those weaknesses and i think he'll get back into top level t/20 cricket in the next couple of seasons.