India vs Australia: India counterpunch squares series

India vs Australia 2nd Test: Gill, Rahane seal eight-wicket win after bowlers make short work of Australia’s tail

News of Virat Kohli’s paternity leave had the official broadcasters and Cricket Australia (CA) dejected. Kohli was the marquee in a series expected to offset some of the financial damage caused by Covid-19 and surely, his missing three Tests would affect the profile of the contest. Probably make it one-sided too because Kohli’s absence could skew the team’s balance.

Ajinkya Rahane of India (2L) bumps fists with Matthew Wade of Australia as India win by 8 wickets. (Getty Images)

India completing an eight-wicket win in the second Test on Tuesday is therefore the classic underdogs’ story. One made even more compelling because apart from Kohli, first team regulars such as Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Rohit Sharma too were unavailable. They were in the side that won on the same ground in 2018. Had Hardik Pandya been able to bowl regularly, he would be an automatic choice too.

And yet the four-Test series for the Gavaskar-Border Trophy is now 1-1, the capitulation at Adelaide history. If CA is still unhappy, it won’t be because of India’s didn’t turn up. It would be because Australia have not. Their premier batsman Steve Smith is averaging 3.3 runs after three innings and Marnus Labuschagne has not been able to convert starts.

INDIA vs AUSTRALIA - 2nd TEST, DAY 4 - FULL HIGHLIGHTS

India’s cricket was of such high standard, the single-mindedness so striking that they sealed the contest with over a day to spare. Having been bowled out for their lowest ever score of 36 in the day-night first Test, India were expected to roll over in Melbourne. Because there is a precedent: after being dismissed for 42 - India’s lowest before Adelaide - Ajit Wadekar’s team had lost the next Test by an innings and 78 runs.

It was fitting that captain Ajinkya Rahane (27 not out) hit the winning runs. In the way Rahane blends into the background, he is the opposite of Kohli. Yet it was Rahane’s steely resolve that embodied India’s performance at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Every move he made in the game mirrored an aggressive mindset. They rekindled memories of the Dharamsala Test in 2017 where he had led against Australia in Kohli’s absence. Including the Test against Afghanistan, Rahane’s record as captain? Three Tests, three wins.

And for sheer tenacity against a world-class bowling attack on a tricky track offering bounce and movement, Rahane’s 112 in the first innings will go down as one of the great knocks in Indian cricket history.

“It would’ve been easy for us to get bogged down thinking about Adelaide but we decided to not do that. We wanted to come in with intent and attitude. Collective effort of individuals was the message. We knew we’d get the results if we did that,” said Rahane in the post-match interview after being named the Man of the Match.

Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja pooled in their experience to back Rahane. KL Rahul would have been the like-for-like replacement for Kohli but India opted for Jadeja. The all-rounder’s 121-run partnership with Rahane in the first innings was priceless and he chipped in with important breakthroughs in both innings.

But before the Rahane-Jadeja joint-venture, Bumrah and Ashwin’s outstanding bowling slayed the demons of Adelaide. Operating in tandem, they helped bowl out Australia for 195 on the first day. India’s bowling effort not only negated the psychological advantage Australia had taken into the Test, it put the home team under pressure.

Ashwin will take a lot of confidence from this effort. With five wickets in the Test, he has quelled doubts over his ability to continue in a series after the initial impact.

Memorable debut

When India made four changes to the 11, it looked like an unsettled unit. But with memorable debuts, Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill showed they wouldn’t be out of their depth in cricket’s most demanding format. Playing because Shami was injured, Siraj worked up good steam and always looked capable of taking wickets. The gangly pacer from Hyderabad was accurate and showed he could swing the ball.

With only 70 to defend in the second innings, Australia aimed was to land some solid blows that would soften India batters going into the remaining two Tests. But Gill was in such touch during his unbeaten 35 (36 balls) that he may have put Australia’s intimidating bowling attack on the backfoot instead.

There were scintillating strokes during his first innings score of 45 but couple of times Gill was cut into half by incoming balls. He was also dropped in slips. Gill was more compact in the second innings and had all the time to deal with the extra pace of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. In the few balls he faced off Nathan Lyon, Gill looked untroubled.

“Really proud of all the players, credit to our debutants Gill and Siraj. The way they showed character was amazing. Shubman has done well in first-class cricket, showed intent and composure. Siraj bowled with a lot of discipline. Sometimes as debutants, you can get carried away, but guys who play first-class cricket for four-five years know what to do, it makes a captain’s job easier,” said Rahane during the interview with the official broadcaster.

Clinical finish

On Day 4, India woke up nervous due to the bowlers’ past record of struggles against the lower order. Umesh Yadav was missing due to injury but the four-man bowling unit probed continuously. That Australia played 103 overs to score 200 showed how disciplined India’s bowling was. Rahane attacked with Bumrah and Ashwin but kept them fresh by rotating his bowlers.

It was impressive how Siraj backed Bumrah. They peppered Australia’s lower-order with the short ball. Over the years, effective use of the short ball hasn’t been India’s strength. It is the reason for the average record in dislodging the tail. However, Bumrah has a telling bouncer and he created an opportunity with a mean short ball that left Pat Cummins clueless. Siraj then got two wickets off short balls. Cameron Green was late on a pull shot to be caught at midwicket by Jadeja, and Nathan Lyon gloved a leg-side bouncer to the keeper.

Back home and waiting for the birth of his first child, Kohli tweeted: “What a win this is, absolutely amazing effort by the whole team. Couldn’t be happier for the boys and specially Jinks who led the team to victory amazingly. Onwards and upwards from here.”