Cummins to Pujara
Man of the Australia-India Test cricket series Pat Cummins bowls to 'wall' Cheteshwar Purara, while India's exciting young batsman - wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant looks on at the non-striker's end during the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Well - India's 2-1 series win must rank as one of the best in cricket history. India fans may find it feels similar to Australia's away win against West Indies in 1995 which marked the passage of supremacy from one team to another. Time will tell. Australia's team went on to become the best for a generation but we don't know who will succeed Kohli, Rahane and Pujara (all about 32) as India's batting backbone, or Ashwin and Jadeja as all-rounders. While New Zealand are nominally No.1 in Test Cricket according to ICC's rankings, NZ lost 3-0 in Australia in 2019-20 and haven't won a series against Australia since 1989-90. Away wins are tough. So this is a great win by India, more emphatic than their 2-1 win in 2018-19 when Steven Smith and David Warner were unable to play in circumstances that unsettled the nation and the team.
Which is not to say that broader factors didn't impact this time around, as board decisions rescheduling matches to fit in with BCCI timing demands; and broadcaster Channel Seven taking cricket to the courts created uncertainty. This may reflect Channel Seven's loss of advertising revenue due to COVID factors; and impact Australian cricket's finances at a time when gains from cricket administration's investments have been lost in stock market upheavals.
But back to the cricket. India's players stood up as a team, with great individual performances not necessarily reflected in statistics. Strategic and tactical preparation was at a very high level. India's all-out 36 was the result of Australia striking before India knew what hit them, and India's construction of their fourth-innings in Sydney (no one big score, maybe an 100 and a few fifties, an anchor and others to push the pace) providing a rehearsal for Brisbane.
India proved in Sydney that they could bat out a draw, which must have been exasperating for the Australian bowlers who go in fierce, not liking a long battle. In Brisbane, India's batting showed intent, but the chase for the win risked the result going either way. Risharb Pant and Washington Sundar's partnership was decisive at the close - in the last half hour of a four-Test series!
Pant's 89 not out made him man of the match and Cummins took 21 wickets at an average of 20.04 for the series.
Now for the recriminations! Paine at 36...his batting held up (204 runs at an average of 40) but he dropped catches which turned out to be crucial and he suffered blowback from sub-par repartee. Unexpectedly, India had the edge in field placements and bowling plans, exposing Australia's batting weaknesses. The captain calls the tactics and India were up a notch here.
Australia's batting looked iffy with Warner injured and Smith and Labuschagne (426 runs at 53) carrying the team. Pucovski had a strong cameo. Cameron Green's batting was promising, although four places are now up for grabs. We missed the Sheffield Shield.
Cummins and Hazlewood (17 wickets at 19) were excellent throughout but Starc faded (11 at 41) and India played Lyon comfortably (9 at 55), particularly in the third and fourth tests when he should have been cleaning up for Australia on the fifth day. Australia lacks a penetrative fifth bowler, and Green didn't take a wicket.
Kohli was here for one test before flying back to India, and his batting was impressive in the first innings at Adelaide. Too bad he was run out, and no-one was around for long enough in the second innings 36.
Rahane as India's captain excelled and now has a record of four wins, one draw and no losses. He led from the front with a great second test century under pressure, supported by Pujara and Jadeja, and showed tactical nous. The way India constructed innings with fast and slow contributors was a highlight of their tour.
As experienced players were injured newcomers seized their moment. The whole series came down to the last session. At 5-265 India was on the ropes, but Pant and Sundar then hit 50 runs in nine overs. That should be a miracle performance on a fifth day Test wicket, but the pitch hadn't deteriorated. Pant (274 runs at 68) and Shubman Gill (259 runs at 51) had great series. While on paper Pujara's 271 runs at 33 isn't impressive, he soaked up 928 deliveries, more than anyone else, holding up an end and blunting Australia's attack.
For the bowling, Jadeja, Ashwin and Bumrah did well before injuries. The debutants stood up. Mohammed Siraj (13 wickets at 29) led the attack in his first series and Thakur and Sundar had strong results.
Cummins to Pujara
Man of the Australia-India Test cricket series Pat Cummins bowls to 'wall' Cheteshwar Purara, while India's exciting young batsman - wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant looks on at the non-striker's end during the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Well - India's 2-1 series win must rank as one of the best in cricket history. India fans may find it feels similar to Australia's away win against West Indies in 1995 which marked the passage of supremacy from one team to another. Time will tell. Australia's team went on to become the best for a generation but we don't know who will succeed Kohli, Rahane and Pujara (all about 32) as India's batting backbone, or Ashwin and Jadeja as all-rounders. While New Zealand are nominally No.1 in Test Cricket according to ICC's rankings, NZ lost 3-0 in Australia in 2019-20 and haven't won a series against Australia since 1989-90. Away wins are tough. So this is a great win by India, more emphatic than their 2-1 win in 2018-19 when Steven Smith and David Warner were unable to play in circumstances that unsettled the nation and the team.
Which is not to say that broader factors didn't impact this time around, as board decisions rescheduling matches to fit in with BCCI timing demands; and broadcaster Channel Seven taking cricket to the courts created uncertainty. This may reflect Channel Seven's loss of advertising revenue due to COVID factors; and impact Australian cricket's finances at a time when gains from cricket administration's investments have been lost in stock market upheavals.
But back to the cricket. India's players stood up as a team, with great individual performances not necessarily reflected in statistics. Strategic and tactical preparation was at a very high level. India's all-out 36 was the result of Australia striking before India knew what hit them, and India's construction of their fourth-innings in Sydney (no one big score, maybe an 100 and a few fifties, an anchor and others to push the pace) providing a rehearsal for Brisbane.
India proved in Sydney that they could bat out a draw, which must have been exasperating for the Australian bowlers who go in fierce, not liking a long battle. In Brisbane, India's batting showed intent, but the chase for the win risked the result going either way. Risharb Pant and Washington Sundar's partnership was decisive at the close - in the last half hour of a four-Test series!
Pant's 89 not out made him man of the match and Cummins took 21 wickets at an average of 20.04 for the series.
Now for the recriminations! Paine at 36...his batting held up (204 runs at an average of 40) but he dropped catches which turned out to be crucial and he suffered blowback from sub-par repartee. Unexpectedly, India had the edge in field placements and bowling plans, exposing Australia's batting weaknesses. The captain calls the tactics and India were up a notch here.
Australia's batting looked iffy with Warner injured and Smith and Labuschagne (426 runs at 53) carrying the team. Pucovski had a strong cameo. Cameron Green's batting was promising, although four places are now up for grabs. We missed the Sheffield Shield.
Cummins and Hazlewood (17 wickets at 19) were excellent throughout but Starc faded (11 at 41) and India played Lyon comfortably (9 at 55), particularly in the third and fourth tests when he should have been cleaning up for Australia on the fifth day. Australia lacks a penetrative fifth bowler, and Green didn't take a wicket.
Kohli was here for one test before flying back to India, and his batting was impressive in the first innings at Adelaide. Too bad he was run out, and no-one was around for long enough in the second innings 36.
Rahane as India's captain excelled and now has a record of four wins, one draw and no losses. He led from the front with a great second test century under pressure, supported by Pujara and Jadeja, and showed tactical nous. The way India constructed innings with fast and slow contributors was a highlight of their tour.
As experienced players were injured newcomers seized their moment. The whole series came down to the last session. At 5-265 India was on the ropes, but Pant and Sundar then hit 50 runs in nine overs. That should be a miracle performance on a fifth day Test wicket, but the pitch hadn't deteriorated. Pant (274 runs at 68) and Shubman Gill (259 runs at 51) had great series. While on paper Pujara's 271 runs at 33 isn't impressive, he soaked up 928 deliveries, more than anyone else, holding up an end and blunting Australia's attack.
For the bowling, Jadeja, Ashwin and Bumrah did well before injuries. The debutants stood up. Mohammed Siraj (13 wickets at 29) led the attack in his first series and Thakur and Sundar had strong results.