India’s record lowest total in Test cricket of 36 left many shellshocked, including former Australia fast bowler Damien Fleming. Fleming, who does commentary for BBC and was at the Adelaide Oval, was at a loss of words watching the Indian batting crumble to one of the most ruthless displays of fast bowling ever seen. In fact, Fleming was so aghast that he couldn’t recall any international team being bullied the way India’s batsmen were.
“I see it, I see 36, but I don’t believe it. It’s insane. The last time I saw that would have been under-12s,” the BBC quoted Fleming as saying.
Also read: No one could make any sense of it - Virat Kohli on loss
Many believe it was Australia’s bowling, more than India’s batting that led to the implosion. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believed any team would have struggled against this kind of bowling, and even though the score might not have been as low as the one India posted, the way Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood operated – to combine nine wickets between them – would have left any batting line-up in the world would have been found wanting.
On the contrary, India captain Virat Kohli felt lack of execution was the reason behind India’s miserable batting show. In fact, Kohli stated that Australian bowled pretty much the same way in the first innings, and India were on top of it for a while before losing their way in the innings. Fleming felt this was the only way Australia could have won this, especially after India had acquired a first-innings lead of 53.
{{/usCountry}}On the contrary, India captain Virat Kohli felt lack of execution was the reason behind India’s miserable batting show. In fact, Kohli stated that Australian bowled pretty much the same way in the first innings, and India were on top of it for a while before losing their way in the innings. Fleming felt this was the only way Australia could have won this, especially after India had acquired a first-innings lead of 53.
{{/usCountry}}“It wasn’t excessive,” said Fleming on whether there were demons on the pitch for batsmen. “But they didn’t bowl a bad ball. And India’s bowlers could rightly feel like ‘what have we done?’ I wouldn’t have wanted to see Australia chasing 180 on that.”