The ball crashed into the billboard, and the summer of cricket in the South came to an end under Australian skies. Beau Webster, who had just played his fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 5, attempted a lofty bat from Washington Sundar.
Pat Cummins and his men won by six wickets as Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 after a decade. Years later, that disparity may seem one-sided, but to those who watched the game in person or on television, this was a series that could have swung either way.
This is cricket driven by ruthless fast bowling. The batsmen, meanwhile, mostly made mistakes, some committed and others rejuvenated. This is a different story than the one incited before the game.
When India lands in November 2024, the Australian media is hyping Virat Kohli. The package includes the use of native Indian languages ​​in features praising Kohli. This is to cater to the fan base that incorporates Kohli into Sachin Tendulkar’s zone.
A star is needed to draw audiences to the venue and draw eyeballs to watch the event live. Kohli is regarded as the X factor, with strong ability and even higher market competitiveness. But as the sports caravan trudged through Perth, Canberra (warm-up), Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne before stopping in Sydney, a new rock star was identified – his The name is Jasprit Bumrah.
This series may have fallen into Australia’s pocket, but if one man ruled it, it would have been Bumrah. The India striker, who also captained the first and final Test matches in Perth and Sydney, left such a mark that one might also recall Imran Khan’s 1983 Test series (Six 40 wickets in a Test match against the visiting Indians. In Bumrah’s case, there were 32 scalps in five tests, and the average was a staggering 13.06.
It was no surprise that Australia breathed a collective sigh of relief when Bumrah, who had back spasms, was unable to bowl in Sydney’s second innings. Perhaps, if he had charged in and given the thundering signal, India might have leveled the match at 2-2 and retained the trophy they had won in the previous two editions of the tour. After the dust settled, Usman Khawaja wryly said: “I got bastardized,” as his teammates sipped champagne in the dressing room.
If Bumra is light, path, hope and magic, he also reveals in an indirect way the fragility of the Indian Army. He has a heavy chip on his shoulder and his supporting cast of bowlers isn’t exactly setting the charts ablaze. To be fair, Mohammed Siraj has done his best, with 20 scalps to show for it, while Akash Deep has shown promise.
Virat Kohli was superb in Perth before wandering outside off-stump and retreating. |Photo credit: AP
Virat Kohli was superb in Perth before wandering outside off-stump and retreating. |Photo credit: AP
In a fight where the spin was considered an afterthought, Ashwin retired midway, leaving a huge vacuum and a huge legacy. But to judge it coldly, India lost because the batsmen failed. Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy all had their moments; Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar, Bumrah and Akash The same goes for lower classes such as Akash), but as a collective, the willow users become paper boats, soaked and washed away in the downpours.
Kohli bowled a good number at Perth before wandering outside off-stump and retreating. Captain Rohit Sharma, who missed Perth on paternity leave, lost his magic once he joined the team. His batting performance was so poor (31 runs in five games) that he opted out of the Sydney tournament. This is a message that suggests to the world that it was mishandled. For a team that was already in dire straits and trailing 2-1 before the climax, it was definitely not ideal.
Often, once over the deep end, India faltered in the opening Tests and continued to struggle towards the end. This time, it’s the opposite. After a brilliant performance in Perth, Australia seemed to be in disarray when an innocuous line from Josh Hazlewood was twisted into a knife and hurled at his team-mates. This couldn’t be further from the truth, but a section of the local media reported on it.
India then traveled to Canberra, got through the Premier XI with ease, landed in Adelaide and were probably blinded by the floodlights, failing in the pink-ball Test. 1-1, there’s still a lot of games to play. The Gabba in Brisbane threatened to fall to Australia, but persistent rain and India’s tail-end ensured a follow-on was avoided and an eventual draw was ensured.
Test cricket has a draw as one of the outcome options. However, in this age of instant gratification, the good old draw is considered an aberration. Conversely, losing in the midst of a hard-fought victory is seen as a badge of honor. A poor performance in the final match of the final day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground meant India lost the match.
The second game requires durable forts located in Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara areas. Instead, India’s batsmen returned to the dressing room like misguided cannonballs. Batting time is an art that is in serious decline.
Australia won the final Test in Sydney with a score of 3-1 to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. |Image source:AFP
Australia won the final Test in Sydney, 3-1, to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. |Image source:AFP
This string of woes may suggest that India has been playing second fiddle, but on turf, even Australia is in trouble. Apart from Travis Head initially and later Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, the home team’s batting was also weak. Debutant Sam Constas did eat a bit of Bumrah’s food, but that was an exception.
Just as Bumrah led India forward, Australia found its biggest hero in Cummins, the captain grabbing wickets and scoring runs. He was assisted deftly by Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland’s pinpoint shots outside the stumps sapped the patience of the opposition batsmen. It’s an eerie rhythmic hypnosis, and the Indians walk into it with tentative bats.
Electors under Ajit Agarkar will have to make some tough decisions in the coming months. The team is about to undergo a change; this is the reality that coach Gautam Gambhir and others have to face. Movement cycles are inevitable; there are highs and lows.
If the home defeat against New Zealand was seen as a rare banana peel incident, Australia’s drubbing was a wake-up call that no one should ignore. Taking joy from ODI and T20 exploits and then using it as a balm on Test wounds will reap its consequences. New heroes have to emerge, especially those invested in longer formats.
