Outsmarted and outplayed, only two Aussies can loosen India’s grip

The one-in-100-years flood that swept away India in Adelaide seems a lifetime ago.

Yesterday’s eight-wicket victory by the tourists in Melbourne levelled the four-Test series one apiece, and yet again exposed Australia for what they are: a one-trick pony.

Full of ham and good manners, Tim Paine won the Boxing Day toss. From there it was all downhill. Cunning fields and disciplined bowling saw India wrap themselves around Australia’s batting like a python drawn to the heat of a meek opponent.

Another Aussie capitulation below 200 raised doubts about the surface. Ajinkya Rahane, oblivious to the pressure in Virat Kohli’s absence, demonstrated everything Paine’s men couldn’t.

Pitted against Test cricket’s premier attack a week after India’s most embarrassing performance, the stand-in skipper’s century was the lesson in patience, soft hands and mastery that the home side are yet to comprehend.

India’s first innings total of 326 was evidence of the Australian attack’s tenacity. Rahane’s ton not only reminded Australia of the void left by Steve Smith’s loss of form, but Indian debutant Shubman Gill shone a beacon on Justin Langer’s opening quandary.

Where Joe Burns tentatively poked and Matthew Wade crucified a strong start, a clear-headed Gill stroked with finesse for an impressive 45.

Harsha Bhogle named David Warner alongside Alastair Cook in his Test XI of the decade and on Fox Sports claimed the opening position was the easiest pick given the lack of depth, and furthered the point by suggesting New Zealander Tom Latham was their only competition.

Warner’s likely addition for the third Test is significant but given the way India has deftly unraveled every other batting technique to date, a repeat of the whirlwind tons on Bhogle’s selection sheet is unlikely.

(Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Australia aren’t alone with their new-ball shortcomings. Currently hosting Sri Lanka, South Africa brought up their first century opening stand in 23 Tests. The previous one was back in 2017.

But even if Warner makes the cut, will Wade be his partner? If Australia’s middle order had fired, his 30 and 40 in Melbourne makes good reading. But it’s doubtful he’ll be sacrificed for Burns, and to name the fragile Will Pucovski might be considered careless as much as it would be heartless.

And given the lifelines offered to Burns, Travis Head would be unlucky to miss out. And while the scores don’t show it, Cameron Green in his first two appearances has largely looked untroubled against India’s challenging pace or loopy spin.

For so long Steve Smith shielded his teammates’ fragilities, often striking the difference between team totals in the mid-hundreds and 300-plus. The Ashes were retained on his bat and a mirror image was found in Marnus Labuschagne.

Smith’s form has dried up faster than the salt lakes of Kalgoorlie, which is testament to India’s preparation. Dashing back-to-back tons in the ODI series looked like a precursor to long-form dominance. But India’s patient lines and crafty fields have not only rattled Smith’s mind but spun his quirky accumulation rhythm off its axis.

Labuschagne too, for all his persistence and his rapid rise up the charts, has blindly followed his leader down a dark alley. Edges off Ravi Ashwin and leg-side traps mean Smith and Labuschagne are two birds with one stone for India.

Apart from the knockout blow in Adelaide, the tourists have won just about every session, and in any other season the result of the first Test would have paralleled the second.

But if Australia are to break India’s hypnotic spell in the limited time available, it’ll take their most gifted players. Smith and Labuschagne are smart enough to nut out India’s nagging angles, and quirky enough to re-invent their approach to tick the scoreboard over.

Because as good as the Aussie bowling attack is, defending regular scores of 200 doesn’t win trophies. And on a placid Sydney wicket, the chances of twin Indian failures is about as probable as a Kohli comeback.

Australia needs to change the tide, but it’ll only happen once they nudge closer to 400 with the blade. Another double innings failure is sure to bring another Melbourne result.

That is of course unless you believe in miracles and two one-in-100-years floods within the space of a month.