Author: Bobji

Australia who was expected to steamroll India at Perth, found themselves at the receiving end. The defeat was comprehensive. Indians played a brand of cricket that Australians themselves will be proud of. The Australian bowlers did not have an answer for the batting of Jaiswal, Rahul and Kohli. Nitish Reddy took full advantage of the lacklustre bowling and helped himself to an unbeaten score. The Australian batsmen were thoroughly outplayed by Bumrah and company. Now, there is speculation that the Australian team is in disarray. It is hard to believe because Aussies are usually extremely tough. They are not that easily perturbed by defeat. They will ensure that they fight harder but what caused this speculation? It is nothing but a harmless comment from Josh Hazlewood.

When asked how the Australian batsman plan to salvage the series opener, Hazlewood said,

“You’ll have to ask the batters that question, I’m sort of relaxing and getting a bit of physio treatment and probably looking mostly to the next Test and what plans we can do against these batters,” he said.

Adam Gilchrist responded that it speaks about a divided changeroom. Michael Vaughan, “I must admit I’m staggered by that. Publicly I’ve never heard an Australian come out and divide the camp into batters and bowlers.

Now, I do not want to read too much into what Hazlewood meant. He was frustrated because of the lack of rest between the innings and was made to toil for over 130 overs. These things happen in a team environment where not everyone necessarily gets alongwith everyone else. Australians themselves are a great example of that. Gilchrist and Warne did not get along and neither did Warne and Steve Waugh.

Don’t read too much into it, India

Be that as it may, India just cannot read too much into the purported differences. Differences are not, Australia will definitely fight harder than they have done. They are a wounded tiger ready to pounce on any slackness. This is where India must be careful. They have had a fantastic start to the series. Much against expectation. The series is a very long one. There are 4 more Tests to be played with three of them on pitches that usually favours fast bowling. The next game is at Adelaide where Australia have never lost a game in over a decade eversince the introduction of day-night Test.

Ravi Shastri said as much

“What the Indian dressing room will be thinking when they hear something like that, we know there are cracks on the pitch but I feel there are some mental cracks as well at this moment in time in the opposition,” he said.

“Having come to Australia for 30-40 years, I think this is the first time an Indian team is feeling that ‘You know what, we are better than the opposition in their backyard’.”

It is better if India does not read these statements. They must stay away from the media, both print and social until the end of this series. This Australian team may not be as great as the ones under Taylor, Waugh and Ponting but they are a steely bunch. Infact, it is statements like these that gets their energy flowing.

It has been more than 8 months since Australia played red-ball cricket. They were undercooked but now, having tasted defeat will be raring to go at Adelaide. They have history on their side at the moment. Agreed, they had history on their side at Perth too but at Adelaide, it is a different ball-game altogether. It is pink ball. Indians are not that much exposed to the pink ball. They will be playing the Prime Minister’s eleven with the pink ball but a 2-day game is not enough for a Test.

Adelaide usually leaves a lot of live grass to enable the shine on the pink-ball to be retained over a longer period. It helps in the night when the ball starts to swing. The Indians do not possess any swing bowler. All of them are seamers, the hit the deck variety.

Wrapping up the Australian team is in disarray

The point is, any game of cricket, until it is done, it is not done. At the moment, India must not think of qualifying for the WTC Finals and must concentrate on the task on hand. The talk of groupism within the Australian team is not for India to feel happy about. It does not even matter in the grander scheme of things.

There is also talk about Marnus Labuschagne’s place being in doubt. The Australian public is angry and they want Labuschagne to be dropped. Some have even called for Smith to be dropped alongwith Labuschagne. Usually, when the Australian public is angry, they show their frustration at the opposition. Indians will be bullied on the ground where they practise. Perhaps, the closed-door session that I ridiculed will once again help. Nevertheless, preparation for Adelaide must be taken with earnest and every Australian cricketer, including the ones who may or may not replace the existing players, must be analysed thoroughly. Whether the Australian team is in disarray or otherwise, it is their problem.

https://icricketcritique.com/the-border-gavaskar-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/australia-clearly-is-the-favourite/
https://icricketcritique.com/series-between-unequal/
https://icricketcritique.com/so-the-perth-test/
https://icricketcritique.com/indias-likely-playing-eleven/
https://icricketcritique.com/why-protect-kohli/
https://icricketcritique.com/a-thorough-display/

The Perth Test will be remembered by every Indian fan for a very longtime. Like the Gabba win in 2020, this will also be discussed in the same wavelength. It was a fabulous win and make no mistake about it. It was so heartening to see the Indian team put up a display that defied their current mental-state and their confidence. This is what Indian teams must be doing all over the world. There are far too many cricketers on this land not to dominate the sport. Afterall, cricket is the only game this country loves and it is incumbent on the board to ensure that the Indian team dominates wherever they go. It was a thorough display at Perth.

Having scored just 150, there was a sigh around the country, here we go again. Everyone expected the worst but it turned out to be bittersweet a couple of days later. This victory will do a world of good to the Indian team that was low on confidence having endured the worst defeat against New Zealand. A couple of inspiring selections and a brave call, were in hindsight, key contributions. The Perth pitch was tricky. Even the likes of Ricky Ponting or Steve Waugh or Adam Gilchrist would have struggled on a pitch that offered extravagant seam movement. Hence, it was no surprise that the Indian batsmen too struggled. For awhile, it looked like 36 all over again, a famlliar sense of dread swept through the supporters but the first burst from Bumrah overthrew all conventions and gave the millions some hope.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and the stupendous effort

During the 70s and 80s, scoring runs in the West Indies was considered as the epitome of batting. Australia was no different but West Indies had that edge because of their superior bowling. All of that changed in the 90s when the West Indies declined as a force and Australia grew gigantically under Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ponting. Once in generation batsmen and bowlers were part of that team. Asian batsmen, including Gavaskar, struggled in Australia. The country was unforgiving for non-Australians. If anyone has scored runs in Australia, especially when they were the absolute undisputed champion side, that player has arrived on the international stage.

The current Australian team may not be as good as the earlier ones but they still possess a potent bowling attack. Even now, runs in Australia is considered a virtue. Here was Jaiswal, on his first trip to Australia, Prior to the tour, Nathan Lyon revealed that he spoke to the English offspinner, Todd Murphy to understand about Jaiswal. Having got out before scoring in the first innings, he set-off to make amends and wasn’t it amazing the way he went about his job? The captain, Jasprit Bumrah, spoke in glowing terms about Jaiswal.

Bumrah about Jaiswal

“Out of all these innings, he [Jaiswal] had a great start to his career,” Bumrah told the host broadcaster. “But the way he played in the last innings was probably his best Test innings so far because he left the ball. He has an attacking nature, but he left the ball well and played long. That really helped us.”

The challenge for Jaiswal will be, how to take this form forward and maintain it throughout the series. It is a long series and focus is bound to slacken but he will have to ensure that his focus and determination never wavers and when he is batting, he is completely tuned to the task on hand. Scoring a hundred in Australia has eluded so many good batsmen, Joe Root being the prime example. Jaiswal got one in the first Test itself. It is a huge tick against his ability as a batsman.

The debutants

Both Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana proved that their selection wasn’t a mistake. Harshit has height and looks quite strong. However, he lacks pace to hustle batsmen on batting pitches. When the pitch did not have much assistance in the 2^nd innings, he was easily dispatched for runs. He is young and will probably be able to improve his pace but he will have to do that rather quickly lest others will overtake him in the pecking order. Harshit will certainly remember his first wicket forever just for the beauty of the delivery. It showed his ability but with lack of pace, his impact will be limited to pitches that has some help for the bowlers.

As for Nitish, he had a dream debut. Important runs in both the innings topped with his first Test wicket. Just like Harshit, these are early days for Nitish. The Australians would have no idea what to expect from him. Now that they have seen him, he will have to be much more prepared and ready for Australia. He is sure to play at Adelaide where the pitch will help his bowling.

The old guards

Kohli and Rahul, it is soothing to see both of them among the runs. If not for Bumrah’s brilliance, my man of the match will be Rahul. It was his twin innings and the way he guided Jaiswal that was a catalyst in the win. This was an important Test for Rahul. I have always said that he has the talent and the ability but has muddled thinking. If only he could think clearly, he still could be the batsman that he threatened for so long.

Wrapping up a thorough display

I did not write much about Bumrah because everyone knows about his brilliance. However, I would like to say that he must become the captain because he has earned it. Bumrah himself admitted that he would like to continue on the job though he will also be happy to continue as Rohit’s deputy. It will be harsh to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy. It will look like he is being punished for being with his wife during the birth of the child though removing from captaincy is purely based on cricketing reasons. Nevertheless, it will be better if Rohit Sharma himself comes forward and relinquishes captaincy.

Other blogs about the series

https://icricketcritique.com/the-border-gavaskar-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/australia-clearly-is-the-favourite/
https://icricketcritique.com/series-between-unequal/
https://icricketcritique.com/so-the-perth-test/
https://icricketcritique.com/indias-likely-playing-eleven/
https://icricketcritique.com/why-protect-kohli/

Every former cricketer or every pundit worth their salt, whenever they pick their choice for the playing eleven, has always put Virat Kohli at number 4. The latest is Wasim Jaffer who wants Padikkal to bat at number 3. It essentially means that he does not want to disturb Kohli from his usual spot. My question is why protect Kohli? It is onething to stick to one’s position when the going is good but it is completely another to stick to the same position when the going is pretty difficult. All these former cricketers do not seem to understand the needs of the team and the importance of experience. In my opinion, Kohli must not be protected. What did Wasim Jaffer say about the possible playing eleven for the first Test at Perth?

“I believe Padikkal should be played at No. 3, he has played Tests for India before and is familiar with that number. He has scored runs there and is also a left-handed batsman, so he deserves to play at No. 3,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.

First of all, he is wrong at the very outset. Padikkal has played only one Test for India and that as a middle-order batsman. He batted at number 4 against England and held himself well. Even for his state team, he does not bat at number 3. He is a middle order batsman. That is where he batted even for India A in Australia. So, Jaffer’s comment that Padikkal is familiar with number 3, is plain wrong. I do not mind Padikkal in the eleven, afterall, in a side where no one can be trusted to score runs on this trip, what is wrong with one more youngster? However, I will have him in the lower middle-order rather than in the top 3.

Why protect Kohli?

Kohli is the most experienced in the current lot. He has toured Australia multiple occasions and he batted exceptionally down under. Even In the absence or the presence of Rohit Sharma, he is the most capped Indian cricketer in the current lot. The rest, Gill, Jaiswal, Sarfaraz, Sundar, Padikkal do not have that much experience at the highest level with the exception of Gill. On a pitch that is expected to bounce, if India were to bat first, they will need all the experience that they can find to dodge the first and second sessions. The Australian bowlers are fresh after a prolonged rest and they are all raring to bowl at their best.

Usually, at Perth, they are at their confident best. It is a ground where Starc has done pretty well and so has Lyon. Cummins, we do not even have to ask because of his supreme skills. How are youngsters like Padikkal or Sarfaraz expected to lead the resistance against them? This is where every former cricketer and the so-called pundits get it wrong. If Pujara is in Australia, that is a different story altogether. Number 3 was reserved for him. The situation is completely different now. There is no Pujara and there is severe lack of experience of playing in Australia. This is where Kohli must make himself accountable.

Kohli must volunteer himself to bat at number 3. India need all the experience at the top. Especially following a disastrous New Zealand series where the batting failed miserably, it is time the batsmen made amends. For that, Kohli’s experience and skill is vital. Among the current lot, it is Kohli who has the ability to confront the likes of the Australian seamers. With the bounce on offer, his skill is important.

The infatuation must stop

Why is that in India, the premier batsman must bat only at number 4? What is this infatuation? The former cricketers must not support this but they are they ones who advocate for the premier batsman to bat at that position. Ricky Ponting, who was Australia’s best batsman of his era, played at number 3. So did Jacques Kallis until the advent of one Hashim Amla, who made the position his own. There are so many examples of the best batsman of the team, batting at number 3. It is only in India or Asia, that this is not the case.

Take the case of one Sachin Tendulkar. He was one batsman who refused to be removed from his ivory tower. For him, his position was number 4 and no one can move him anywhere else. Others, including Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly where shuffled around him. Sehwag even opened the innings but Tendulkar would not move. The hue and cry when he was made to bat in the middle-order in ODIs made every Indian fan frustrated.

The same is happening with Kohli. Others can be shuffled around. A youngster on his first visit to Australia, a land where visiting teams have found the going to be tough, can bat at that position but not Kohli. The reasoning, if an early wicket falls, Kohli will not be exposed. Kohli must be exposed exactly for that purpose. He is the one with the technique and expertise to succeed against the new-ball. If he is afraid to front up, what is the point of having him in the team? If he could score runs from that position, imagine the confidence that it will give to the youngsters who will follow. How Kohli would have eased the situation for the batsmen to follow?

Wrapping up why protect Kohli?

I think for the sheer experience he possess and the experience of batting in Australia, it is Kohli who must bat at number 3. No need to protect him from anyone. He has already played enough for every bowler to know his strength and weakness. Let your premier batsman take charge from number 3 and see the progress of the series.

Other BGT blogs

https://icricketcritique.com/the-border-gavaskar-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/australia-clearly-is-the-favourite/
https://icricketcritique.com/series-between-unequal/
https://icricketcritique.com/so-the-perth-test/
https://icricketcritique.com/indias-likely-playing-eleven/

This morning, I saw an article in espncricinfo.com that likely playing eleven for India at Perth. It gave me an idea as to how I want the playing eleven to be. Not that it matters for the echelons of the management but it is a favourite pastime of every Indian supporter. To discuss threadbare what must in the team and who must not, we the fans never lose an opportunity to do so. This Test at Perth is nothing different. Hence, I wanted to see whether the team that I select will even closely resemble the team at Perth. This is my choice for India’s likely playing eleven.

With both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill ruled out, one owing to the birth of his second child and the other, with a fractured finger, the door is open for two others who may not have found a spot at Perth. Not that neither’s presence would have been advantageous, Rohit’s average in Australia is something he will be ashamed about whereas Gill had a wonderful debut series in 2020 but has been inconsistent eversince. Nevertheless, being a first choice batsman, his presence will be missed.

Rohit Sharma’s absence has left a spot open at the top. Jaiswal, on his first tour of Australia will be other opener. Initially, the team management seemed to think along the lines of making Rahul and Easwaran open the innings. It could be that they wanted to shield Jaiwal on a pacy Perth pitch against the rampaging Australian bowlers so that his confidence is not dented. However, better sense seems to have prevailed.

The opening combination

Easwaran in his short stint so far, for India A, did not cover himself with glory. Leave alone breaking the door open to selection, he didn’t even stand near the door. His performance was abysmal to say the least. It makes one wonder whether if this is the calibre of someone who has played in the Ranji Trophy for so long, what is the quality of the Ranji Trophy itself?

Nevertheless, Easwaran has ruled himself out of contention from the entire series. If only he had managed atleast a single score above 50, he would have booked his spot. Anyway, the other options are Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel.

Rahul has done reasonably well outside of India whenever given an opportunity. The problem with him is that he goes into his shell completely without even thinking about runs. Cricket is a simple game of runs and wickets. Rahul has all the shots in the book and is quite talented but that talent has been wasted over 10 long years. The successive team management and the selectors seemed to think that Rahul will justify his talent and hence are giving him continuous opportunities but Rahul is determined not to make use of such opportunities. Perhaps, his career mirrors that of Rohit Sharma who too was a mega failure initially and started to perform after 10 long years. If Rahul could dismiss his inhibitions, he can still become the batsman that he threatened to be when he began.

Moreover, on Perth pitch, we need someone who has the technique to survive. Hence, Rahul gets the nod to partner Jaiswal.

The number 3 conundrum

In 2018 & 2020, Pujara took the responsibility of tiring the Australian bowlers. In 2018, he doubled that with runs against his name and in 2020, his dour was one the reason for the series win. He is not in Australia in 2024 because of his lean performance over several years. That spot is now open and who better to fill than the most experienced campaigner?

Virat Kohli must bat at number 3. He is the senior most in the squad and as such, he take the responsibility on his shoulders. Agreed, that he has under enormous pressure to deliver after having had a bad phase for 5 years. Gone are the days when the sight of Kohli will send shivers down the spine of the bowlers. It has got easy now which is all the more reason for Kohli to bat at number 3 because he should not be protected any longer. India need all the experience at the top to bat the first and second sessions of the Test. Rahul and Kohli can do that and can also guide Jaiswal properly.

The middle order

Kohli moving upto number 3, who will replace him at number 4? This is where I will have Dhruv Jurel. He is the only batsman who showed some gumption in Australia. Twin 50s on challenging surfaces, though for India A against less mean bowlers than the Australian attack, mean that he has the ability to become a proper batsman. He showed his capability against England, albeit at home, with a match winning innings. Jurel deserves a longer run to establish himself in the team. I am going to put my neck on the chopping block and state that Jurel could potentially takeover as the captain in a couple of years.

Pant takes number 5 as usual and I want to see twin left-handers follow him. Who are they? Number 6 will be Devdutt Padikkal who is another who held himself well against Australia A. Sarfaraz Khan, I am afraid is not good enough for Australia. He struggled on the Indian pitches save for the 150. Most of his runs came behind the wicket and in Australia, it is demanding trouble. Sundar must be at number 6. Now, I am not looking at Sundar as an allrounder. I am looking at him as a specialist batsman. He has the ability.

The bowlers

Perth Test is unlikely to go the full distance. It is better to have the additional batsman who could score those vital runs. Ashwin will be the sole spinner and followed by the seamers. All the seamers are absolute mugs with the bat. Bumrah and Siraj will begin at Perth. The 3^rd seamer, Akash Deep just does not have the pace whereas I have never seen Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana bowl.

Wrapping up India’s likely playing eleven

It is fun isn’t it to play the selector?

Other BGT blogs

https://icricketcritique.com/the-border-gavaskar-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/australia-clearly-is-the-favourite/
https://icricketcritique.com/series-between-unequal/
https://icricketcritique.com/so-the-perth-test/

So the Perth Test. Well, well, well, one more edition of the BGT Trophy is upon us and it has already heated up. The Australians, be it current or former cricketers, are at their best when it comes to what Steve Waugh termed “mental disintegration”. Not just the Australian players, even the newspapers and the public in general, bat for their team and by the time the first ball is bowled, the visiting team is at the mercy of the Australian players. They are completely depressed and dejected by the start of the series and as a result, are ripe for the taking. This series is not different. Former players like Ponting, Clarke, Hayden have given their opinions about the series and about specific Indian players.

Gautham Gambhir, the combative coach, replied to them but not from a position of strength owing to the inability of his team to defeat New Zealand at home. By replying, Gambhir is actually playing into the hands of the Aussies. What is the need to respond to every jibe? It is alright if your team has been dominating the game in which case, even the Aussies will be keeping quiet. The reality is that they are not. Every non-Indian supporter is making fun of the team after the New Zealand series.

Bouncy pitch

If reports are to be believed, the curator at Perth has promised a pitch that has lots of bounce and carry. It will be music to the ears of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Bumrah but not so for the Indian batsmen whose stocks have fallen so low that it will be considered a success even if one of them managed to score a 50. It shows the sorry state of affairs. The confidence of the Indian batsmen is so low that some of them are injured in runup to the Perth Test.

In the infamous intra-squad practice game, Rahul was hit on the finger whereas Kohli, Jaiswal and the others fell for low scores. Now, reports says that the bounce that was on offer at The WACA, wasn’t even close to the bounce where Sheffield Shield games were played. Moreover, the bounce at The Optus Stadium is expected to be even higher than this.

If this is the condition of the Indian batsmen, what are they going to do on a pitch that will bounce and seam extravagantly? Indian fans shudder to think of what is instore. We just do not want another score less than 50. Two games in 4 years is shameful enough.

Gill’s injury

To make matters worse, Shubman Gill is injured while fielding. He is ruled out of the first Test. It is another story whether Gill could have made any difference but when the first choice member is out of the Test, it sends the wrong signal down the group. As if the selectors felt that they had erred, Devdutt Padikkal, who had a reasonable outing for India A, has been asked to stay in Australia. It signifies that the remaining batsmen, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy was not good enough to replace someone who is injured. The selectors, the board and the team management have some serious explaining to do.

Ashwin or Jadeja?

This is going to be another dilemma. I would personally pick, Ashwin. Ofcourse, Jadeja is a better batsman but his number has declined over the last 3 years. Ashwin is certainly a better bowler and at The Optus, which will bounce a lot more, Ashwin with his height can come into the equation straightaway. For all the success of the Australian bowlers, spinners, Nathan Lyon has picked up a lot of wickets at a cheap rate on this ground. For the redoubtable Shane Warne, WACA was a ground where he picked up huge loads of wickets.

Ashwin’s inclusion will obviously weaken the batting. It is time to go back to the 6 batsmen formula. Gill’s injury and Rohit’s unavailability have taken away much experience. I will not mind including Sundar in the team. He has a lot of batting to offer. His bowling will not be that effective but he must be considered a proper batsman who can bowl if the need arises despite his 10-wicket haul against New Zealand.

As for Siraj, this will be one more opportunity for him to show that he belongs to this level. 80 wickets in 30 Tests is nothing short of less than ordinary. We all thought that the days of Ishant Sharma, who took wickets at 2.5 – 3 per Test at an average of 35 is long gone but Siraj has reminded us of that phase. Akash Deep has been impressive in India but his medium pace may not be that effective, especially, if he cannot swing the ball.

The batsmen

I do not know who to leave out and whom to pick because there is no difference at all. All of them are struggling with the exception of Pant. It is heartening to see Dhruv Jurel hold himself for India A. He surely has batted himself into the playing eleven. It could even be at the exception of Kohli. The rest, do not hold any hope whatsoever.

Wrapping up so the Perth Test

Australia will relish the prospect of hammering and humiliating India into submission. They will be itching to close the game in 3 das thereby sending a decisive message for the rest of the series.

Other BGT blogs

https://icricketcritique.com/the-border-gavaskar-series/
https://icricketcritique.com/australia-clearly-is-the-favourite/
https://icricketcritique.com/series-between-unequal/

Over the last 20 years, since the Ganguly-led Indian team started to win outside of Asia, somehow, somewhere, the India vs Australia series became quite competitive and a lot of times, closely fought. Suddenly, Australia talked about the series being on par with the Ashes. During the Waugh and Ponting era, when Australia won everything under the sun, India proved difficult for them to crack. England, Pakistan, West Indies and NewZealand were simply rolled over. South Africa was tough but they could not land the final punch. It was India, right from 1996 with the exception of the 1999 Australian tour, not only matched Australia but more often than not, bettered them. India are yet to lose a series to Australia in 10 years. This is not something any team with the exception of the erstwhile West Indies can claim. Yet, this series threatens to be a series between unequal.

The form of the Indian batsmen is not only worrying but a majority of the Indian fans have already written off the team. India need to win 4-0 to qualify for next year’s WTC final. None of the supporters are expecting that. All of us will be pretty pleased if this series does not turn into a one-sided affair. Back in 1999, Jayant Lele, I think he was the secretary at BCCI, famously remarked after the squad for the tour was selected, that India will lose 0-3. The mood is quite despondent after the hammering received from New Zealand. Most of the supporters will never be able to come out of such a humiliation.

Spin trouble

The way every batsman approached the spinning pitches and the lone pitch with little bounce has made everyone think what will happen in Australia. Just before the series against New Zealand, there were a lot of expectations. Speculation ranged from India winning the series for the 3^rd successive time and thereby equalling the record of South Africa to Australia winning the series narrowly. Now, the tide has turned completely. The speculation is for a clean sweep by Australia. If that happens, several careers will be at stake.

Evidence points to Australia

Australia under Cummins have formed a steel that was missing under Tim Paine and Steven Smith. Cummins is an exceptional bowler but has been a revelation as a captain. He is just like Ashwin who keeps on thinking. Australia who lost the services of Shane Warne the captain, made the right choice after the Tim Paine saga. The record under Cummins is enviable. WTC winners, ODI World Cup winners, series win in Pakistan and a drawn series in Sri Lanka. A wonderful Ashes draw against a rampaging England team away from home. Definitely, the Test side is proving to be tough nut to crack.

Added to that is the fact that the first, second and third Tests will be played on pitches that has traditionally favoured the Australian bowlers. Perth, has promised to produce the fastest pitch. Adelaide, being a day-night affair, where Australia have never lost a Test follows Perth. Brisbane Gabba for the 3^rd Test will be another pacy pitch. Ofcourse, in 2020, it was at The Gabba where India created history but that was then. This is now. Most likely, the series will be done and dusted by the time the 3^rd Test is finished.

Not just the current form of the Indian batsmen but the mindset itself is severely affected. They lost the fortress to an unfancied New Zealand. A defeat of that nature is bound to affect everyone involved. If another series against a less fancied side had taken place before the BGT, chances are that India could have won that series and improved the confidence. Now, to jump straight onto a pitch that promises to be quick, hard and bouncy, the Indians can only hope that they are not injured in anyway that will put their participation in next year’s IPL in jeopardy.

Bowlers vs Bowlers

Just a cursory glance at the bowling line-up between the teams gives a stark picture. Bumrah and Cummins cancels each other. Both of them are highly skilled with good enough pace. However, the rest of the Australian bowlers are all better than India’s. There is simply no comparison between Mitchell Starc and Mohammed Siraj. One is a bonafide great bowler of his era whereas the other has taken less than 3 wickets per Test. Siraj is blessed that he is born in India where there is dearth of fast bowlers. Otherwise, he will not even be considered. Hazlewood against Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna. Where is Hazlewood and where is Akash Deep? This is Akash’s first tour to Australia. He has a longway to go before he could even be considered as a permanent in the Indian team. Prasidh Krishna used to bowl with high pace but not anymore.

When it comes to spin, Nathan Lyon is leaps ahead of both Ashwin and Jadeja. Outside of Asia, Jadeja is considered for his ability as a batsman rather than as a spinner. Ashwin is not even considered because of his inferior batting ability. Lyon has had ample amount of time to study every Indian batsman and bowl accordingly. Much depends on how India bats against Lyon. He is a specialist Test bowler in an era where everyone wants to play in any lucrative T20 leagues.

Wrapping up series between unequal

Batting-wise, it is almost similar except for two facts. One, Australia are playing at home and know the conditions pretty well. Hence, they will prevail easily. Two, Travis Head, who has taken a liking towards the Indian bowlers. I think that this series depends on the ability of the bowlers to restrict the scoring.

The Indian team, after the surrender to New Zealand at home, is now in Australia for The Border Gavaskar Trophy. It is worth mentioning that India has somehow, won the trophy 4 consecutive times, including, twice in Australia. Looking back and looking at the batting, it is nothing short of a miracle. Anyway, the next edition is upon us and the Indian team has already landed at Perth, the venue of the first Test. Australia clearly is the favourite. There is no doubt about that. They won the most recent Test among the teams when they hammered India during the WTC finals at Lord’s. Yes, Australia did lose the ODI series, of all teams, to Pakistan but we all know that that is a different ball game altogether.

Australians, especially, Pat Cummins is determined enough to win the series. He is on record stating that this is the only trophy that he hasn’t won yet and would love to dearly. Almost all the Australian players, barring a few white-ball games, are well rested and is looking forward to the series. India on the otherhand, is knackered, defeated and humiliated and have silently moved into Australia. If reports are to be believed, only a handful of fans greeted them off the team bus. Perhaps, the Indian fans in Australia are not expecting anything substantial from the dad’s army, as are the fans in the country.

Lack of practice games

In the previous tour, India did play a couple of proper first class games to get used to the conditions. The Chinese Virus helped in that they were required travel to Australia, 6 weeks in advance which more or less, forced the Indians to play those games. However, the fact is that those games really helped in India winning the series though they were shot out for 36 in the first Test. This time, however, for some inexplicable reason, the team management has decided not to play a single practice game before the first Test. The stupidity of the Indian team, whenever they travel to any of the SENA countries, know no bounds. Here is a set of batsmen, who have become absolute mugs with the bat, having failed in familiar environs, travels to unfriendly condition and decides against a practice game. This is the height of ridiculousness.

The Indian team seems to turn themselves into a comedy circus. They have opted for “secret training”, whatever that means. Spectators are not allowed inside the ground to watch the Indians train. Not that it matters because there is nothing to watch. Everyone knows everything about the Indian cricketers. The huge tarps are erected to obscure the viewing public. However, it didn’t help because people brought ladders and drones to look at the training. Rather puzzlingly, on Tuesday, Bumrah, Kohli, Jadeja and Ashwin, chose to skip nets. None of them did anything against New Zealand and why would they be excused from training? The Indians stumble onto one stupidity to the other. Especially Kohli, who did not spend any significant amount of time on the field to be tired. This tour is extremely vital for Kohli. Failure here, chorus around demanding him to be dropped will only intensify.

Pacy Perth expected

India were just bowled out for 46 at Bangalore on a pitch that do not remotely resemble the pace and bounce of Perth. Now, reports have emerged that Perth will be at its fast and bouncy best.

“This is Australia, this is Perth… I’m setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry,” WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo. “In a perfect world, I want to emulate last year.”

This news is certainly not a welcome one for a team whose confidence is at its lowest ebb. Quite a few juniors, Jaiswal, Sarfaraz for whom this is their first tour to Australia, they would have heard about the bounce of Australian surfaces but now the thought of fronting on such a pitch, either their dream will come true or they will be shivering with fear. Last year, the bounce on the pitch between Australia and Pakistan was tough to bat that Pakistan wilted for 89.

The absence of Rohit Sharma will usually raise an alarm but now, it does not even matter. His presence as a batsman or as a captain is immaterial. His captaincy is not inspiring and his batting, particularly in Australia, is even less so. Average in Australia is less than that of Ashwin. Yet, he is the captain and Ashwin may not even feature in any of the Tests. Reports have emerged that Rohit will not be available for the first and second Test because of the birth of his second child. These guys, earlier this year, Kohli and now Rohit, time the delivery so perfectly that it does not disrupt their IPL participation. As Gavaskar pointed out, it will be better if he participates only as a batsman and not as the captain. Will the BCCI listen?

Wrapping up Australia clearly is the favourite

It promises to be an extremely difficult tour for India. On the oneside, Australia are raring to avenge successive series defeat and on the otherhand, India is ripe for the taking.

Other blogs about the BGT

https://icricketcritique.com/gautham-gambhir-the-new-coach/
https://icricketcritique.com/gautham-gambhir-must-reduce-talking/