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Warm-up Test: All-round Bumrah headlines opening day for India as Australia A bowled out for 108
India vs Australia: India’s four-pronged pace attack did well to intimidate Australian youngsters with short-pitched stuff as Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini got three wickets apiece.
“Who is going to be our Pujara from last time?,” Rahul Dravid had asked in a webinar recently. On evidence of how India batted on Friday, no one. If the first day of the pink ball warm-up game went India’s way it was because of the bowlers and because one of them, Jasprit Bumrah, scored a half-century.
Anil Kumble, the former India coach and captain, has said he would back India if they better Australia in the day-night Test, which begins in Adelaide on December 17. For that to happen, India’s batting would need to improve significantly. Opting to bat first, India, who have played one pink-ball Test over one year ago, lost seven wickets for 21 runs after Australia A quicks found the right length on a lively Sydney Cricket Ground wicket.
The collapse began when Hanuma Vihari (15) misjudged one that came in from Jack Wildermuth and was dismissed shouldering arms. Captain Ajinkya Rahane (4) nicked one, chasing a wide back-of-the-length delivery. Wriddhiman Saha (0) and Rishab Pant (5), both vying for the wicketkeeper’s slot, squandered opportunities with the bat, as India, showing little technique and temperament, were reduced for 123/9 from 102/2.
Earlier, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw had negated Mayank Agarwal’s early dismissal with a flurry of fours. Shaw hit three of them in the ninth over of tall right hand quick Will Sutherland, two past extra-cover. But if Agarwal, following a bright white ball campaign in IPL, went following a tentative poke that was pouched in the slips, Shaw paid for more than daylight between bat and pad against Sutherland. The tour selectors are now left to judge if Shaw can temper his aggression and contribute more than a 29-ball cameo that fetched him 40.
Gill, the other contender for an opener’s slot, made 43 through check drives, on-drives, flicks and a back foot pull for six before being caught behind for 43 to a corker from Cameroon Green --- one that held its line around the off-stump.
That’s when Bumrah, a legit tailender, decided he wanted to rework his batting record and reputation. Coming in to bat with a Test average of 2.9, first-class average of 7.6, he remained unbeaten on 55, an effort which got him a guard of honour from his mates in the pavilion. Bumrah wasn’t only having fun with wild slogs, he would get behind the line of the ball to frustrate Australia A as he anchored the 71-run last wicket stand with Mohammed Siraj to take India to 194 in 48.3 overs. Unintentionally, he took all-rounder Green out of the match for concussion, when his drive hit Green on the temple in follow through.
Bumrah’s batting heroics also set the game up for India’s bowlers to make the pink ball talk in the post-dinner twilight session. On a freshened-up wicket following a drizzle and in ideal conditions for him, Mohhamad Shami bowled a magical spell dictating terms with swing and seam and smart use of the bouncer. Shami got three wickets. Bumrah, Siraj and Navdeep Saini shared the spoils as the home team was bowled out for 108.
Ten wickets fell under lights sending a reminder to Australia that India has the bowling to exploit favourable conditions. It may have been a subtle message to their own batsmen, to post more competitive totals. That India could not in the absence of Virat Kohli, Pujara and KL Rahul who were not playing the game.
Brief scores: India 194 (Shaw 40, Gill 43, Bumrah 55; Abbot 3/46, Wildermuth 3/20). Australia A 108 (Carey 32; Shami3/29, Saini 3/19, Bumrah 2/33, Siraj 1/26).
