Australia have one hand on the World Test Championship trophy after a clinical team bowling performance left India with an all but impossible mountain to climb after just two days’ play.
After Steve Smith completed his century and some free hitting from Alex Carey saw Australia set an imposing first-innings 469, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon picked up one wicket apiece to leave India reeling at 5/151 at stumps, still more than 300 runs behind.
A no-ball from Cummins to spare Rahane from falling LBW was the only blemish across 38 superb overs, with the expensive Starc producing the ball of the day to remove Virat Kohli, Boland miserly as ever across 11 metronomic overs that can only enhance his claim to hold his spot over Josh Hazlewood for the first Ashes Test, and Lyon striking late to remove the dangerous Ravindra Jadeja on 48.
“From having to face Scott in the nets recently he’s bowling very nicely,” Smith said. “The angles he provides and his ability to hit the stumps from slightly shorter than some of our other bowlers is a big plus.
“Shorter guys are a bit skiddier, so if there’s any seam movement it gives the ball more chance to move and still hit the sumps.
“The skills he possesses are magnificent. He’s turned up every time he’s had an opportunity. Whether he’s leaving any of the big three out, I don’t know. But he’s certainly a quality prospect.”
Resuming unbeaten on 95, Smith will seldom reach three figures with more ease than for his 31st Test century: gifted two juicy half-volleys on leg stump by Mohammed Siraj for his first two balls of the day, the veteran gleefully dispatched both to the mid-wicket boundary to reach the milestone.
One could only assume this was a late birthday present from Siraj, with Smith having turned 34 a week ago to the day.
Doubtless the gift of a century would have delighted Smith just as much as anything he could have received from friends and loved ones.
Travis Head, though, wouldn’t find things quite so fruitful early; though given enough time to bring up a well-deserved 150, his Test best of 175 would remain out of reach, gloving a short ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Bharat to end the fun at 163.
Head’s fall would precipitate a mini-collapse for Australia, albeit with a healthy scoreboard already; four wickets would fall in the next 42 runs, with Green (6) far too loose in his drive off Mohammed Shami and edging to slip, Smith wafting outside off and losing his off stump to Shardul Thakur, and Starc unwisely choosing to take on sub fielder Axar Patel with a suicidal single straight to mid-off.
But while much of the focus will be on his dismissal, falling LBW to Jadeja after yet another unsuccessful reverse-sweep, Alex Carey had already provided just the counterattack Australia needed to keep India on the back foot, a 51-run stand with Cummins ensuring a commanding first-innings total.
Creative from the start, with an early boundary coming via a French cut off Umesh Yadav, Carey’s enterprising batting was positively Gilchristian; backing away and carving a full offering from Siraj through backward point for another four the most obvious example.
Having fallen to a reverse-sweep repeatedly during a frustrating tour of India, it would be that shot again to deny Carey a half-century on his England Test debut, and again lead to suggestions he should consider shelving the stroke entirely.
While none of Cummins, Lyon or Boland could offer much resistance once Carey fell, the three would all soon get their chance to shine with their preferred skill: the captain the first to land a telling blow.
With Sharma looking set to explode with some crunching early strokeplay, dispatching Starc with a fierce pull shot off just the second ball of the innings, Cummins abruptly ended the threat to pin his opposite number in front, Sharma’s choice to flick rather than defend coming back to bite him.
At least, though, he would perish playing a shot: the same couldn’t be said of Shubman Gill (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (14). The former watched in horror as a brutal nip-backer from Boland cannoned with laserlike precision into his off stump, while the latter couldn’t have been paying too much attention if he thought a similarly confident leave off Green would fare any better.
Lifeless for much of the first day as India’s quicks toiled to remove Smith and Head, the Aussies were coaxing life from its depths, Starc finding sharp bounce to catch a surprised Kohli on the gloves for Smith to take a sharp overhead catch at second slip.
At 4/71, with the entire top order removed, another World Test Championship final defeat began to loom large for the favourites.
That seemed to be 5/87 when Cummins trapped Ajinkya Rahane in front, recalled for the one-off Test for his first match in 18 months; however, a persistent no-ball problem flared up at the worst possible time, the captain’s fourth overstep of the day easily his costliest.
Together with a freewheeling Jadeja, who conspired to ruin Boland’s figures with a swivelled six among eight boundaries in a 51-ball counterattack, the pair looked set to steer India to stumps for no further loss, and the faintest hopes of a revival.
Enter Lyon; just nine balls into his first spell, the wily off-spinner found turn and appreciable bounce to extend his superb career record against left-handers, the previously rampant Jadeja only able to edge to a gleeful Smith at slip to end his stay on 48.
Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sent in to see out the day, Bharat may have counted a pair of nasty blows off first Boland and then Starc as a mercy; it ensured he’d need to see out just three overs to reach the close unbeaten on 5, with Rahane safe at he other end on 29.
They’ll need to add plenty more when play resumes on Day 3, however, for India to have any chance of fighting their way back into a Test that already seems squandered.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Turns out after all that hand-wringing that Cummins and McDonald have shown Australia are the #1 test team in the world and their approach has worked. The past generation is, ... well ... just that. And Langer? Please, take all that anger and go and work for Hillsong, or something else. And take Matthew Hayden with you.
Wes P
Roar Rookie
We do because who is putting their hands up to open. Pundits keep speaking of Harris (ok but not world class), the sandpaper kid, Renshaw...all tried but found wanting. Saying that Warner's 2nd innings dismissal was woeful. Lazy, arrogant shot, no footwork. And it's given India a look in
JGK
Roar Guru
I knew this headline was going to come back and bite us.
Lukas
Roar Pro
He did. Fingers crossed because we need him.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
It wouldn’t surprise me if it delivers totals under 150.
AR
Roar Rookie
Yep - agree. Boland is so uncomplicated. Just nipping away at the top of off. 'BazBall' should produce a lot of catching opportunities with that approach. And his record against England - albeit in Australia - will be front of mind for them.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
100% re Boland. Starc and to a degree Cummins seemed as clueless as India had been about just what the right spot to bowl was. Too full, too short, too straight....and India were off flier with 0-23 off 4 overs and neither bowler seeming to have a clear plan. When Boland came in and immediately bowled 6 balls on the spot and produced a maiden over..........it was like a transformation. Ironically Cummins still leaked 7 before finally getting it right when Rohit came on strike. At the end of that over - Cummins 3.0.16.1; Starc 2.0.14.0 and Boland a maiden and he then rocked up with a wicket maiden to have 2.2.0.1. It is interesting - even at days end - Boland 4 maidens from 11 overs. Conceded 29 off the other 7. Cummins going 4 an over with 2 maidens and Starc near 5.8 off 9 with no maidens. The Indian quicks all went at 3.35 to 4.21 an over and Yadav with 5 maidens from 23 was the most economical. Outside of he - Jadeja with spin went at 3.11. So Boland's 2.64 economy is a stand out. Credit too - to Green going at 3.14; and Lyon with 2 overs late picking up Jadeja for the cost of 4 runs is an excellent start. So looking forward to the Ashes - from this point (prematurely of course!!) - - if Hazlewood returns.......I wouldn't be rushing Boland out the door......but I know they will. My problem is that even Hazlewood has tended to be too much that 'back of a length' bowler like his tall NSW mates. Boland attacks the stumps more than any of them (and in a more nuanced way than Starc with his attempted yorkers).
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
My biggest disagreement with the High Priest of Cricket is his views on the Waugh bros. We both like the other brother and the other one not so much.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And for all of those were the failures. That's what I'm talking about. I was there and that's my opinion; only. Steve was a far better cricketer. Mark was one the most elegant batsmen I've witnessed.
AR
Roar Rookie
Moeen Ali has not played red ball cricket for over 2 years. Against Australia in 11 matches, he averages 64.65. He is a most welcome recall.
Gilberto
Roar Rookie
Honestly Pant & Bumrah being injured explains a lot more in the change of fortunes then any pitch doctoring.
Wes P
Roar Rookie
I thought Warner looked good.
Wes P
Roar Rookie
He bat well. That partnership with Cummins really helped seal the deal. You take 48 from your keeper everytime. Still 4 of 7 suggests something. So many players put away the hook shot for that reason.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
I’m on record here as saying that this current Australian team has the makings of greatness . This was after the dismantling of South Africa a team that historically performed well in Australia . Sure its not the SA team we are used to but they were made to look a lot worse by a dominant Australia than what they actually are . In fact came into the series on the back of wins against India and NZ away . Were I England , specifically certain players ….Broadly I won’t Stoke the fire by naming them :stoked: I would zip it and rather focus on a very tough task ahead .
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And that annoyed me about him. In every measurement, any measurement, give me Steve everyday of the week. ——- Mark would come in and score a most elegant 103 or 111. He’d just go missing. I like a batsman with fight n feist; eg SW.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Go back and watch his 112 at the G in 1992 against the might of the West Indies when they were still mighty, or his 116 to win on a spiteful green seamer in Port Elizabeth against SA in 1997 or his gritty unbeaten 115 to save the series at Adelaide against SA in 1998. Watch those three innings and tell me he wasn’t a fighter. Just because he made it look easy, doesn’t mean it was.
Lukas
Roar Pro
Was just watching some clips of his leg side game....if it came down to style points..he's definitely in.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
The wicket of Kohli yesterday is a case in point. Starc bowled a bunch of hot trash at times yesterday, but he still managed an unplayable ball to remove India's most dangerous player. You make a great point that Green allows that flexibility to carry a high risk/high reward player like Starc in English conditions. I think people tend to underestimate the value of variety in an attack. We're fortunate that the 'Big 3' bowlers who've formed our main attack over the past 6 years bring such different and complementary skills to the party.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Hard to disagree, the only players to make a decent contribution despite playing in the IPL are Warner, who I thought was excellent and played a really critical knock in the first innings, and Jadeja - who held up an end with the ball and made valuable runs, albeit he was fairly streaky at times. That said, I think that has more to do with transitioning between formats than T20 necessarily having an overall detrimental effect on test cricket. For someone like Cam Green, I actually think getting some experience in the IPL will serve him well in test cricket in the long run. It will help him expand his game more and play with more confidence than we've seen at times early in his test career. Of course, that's assuming he's not lost to the franchise system altogether, but I don't think that's so much of a risk for Australian players as it is for those in smaller nations. A player who really wants to leave a test legacy can still be well paid to stay an Australian player with IPL stints in between. I think the situation is much darker in New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies etc.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
In the case of Mark Waugh, I get the criticism, but IMO he saved his best innings for when his team needed them most. Pure stats will never do him justice. He should’ve averaged mid to high 50’s, not 42. Then there’s also his slips catching. As Ian Chappell once said, Junior was the one player he would pay the entrance fee just to watch him field. He made it look so easy.