So I had been waiting for the action(BGT) to start for weeks now. There is something about beating Aussies in India. It is a sense of achievement. Even when things in personal/professional life might be here and there - when we beat Aussies or Pakistanis, it gives me a happiness of a kind which I alone know(other ICT fans/followers too).
I usually wake up at 10:30-11:00 AM - on a game day, I wake up without an alarm at 9:30 AM sharp - open the browser on my phone and head to espncricinfo.com. Some folks follow cricket on cricbuzz.com - come on that website hardly comes close to covering cricket when it comes to solid commentary or user comments.
Now, I shall go about the recently concluded test - day by day.
Day 1:
It was game on when Siraj bowled that brilliant delivery ‘round the wicket’ and caught Khwaja on the pads. The delivery came into Khwaja from ‘round the wicket’ - who expects to be leg-before in Nagpur - round the wicket.
It was followed by a ‘jaffa’ by Shami - which was not short enough. Warner read length wrong and there went his off stump, rollicking - making circles like a bloody merry-go-round.
From there on - it was only a matter of time when the mighty spinners would come and do the routine ass-fuckery of the Aussies. There also was some crying in the Aussie Media over the application of Zandu Balm on Jaddu’s bowling hand.
Ashwin and Jaddu were on a quest to end careers. And there you had it, Australia packed for 177 on a brand new pitch on a sunny day - with no demons in the pitch.
Day 2:
India resumed their innings with 77/1 - Rohit was rock-solid in this defence. Was a little less free flowing as he was on Day 1. He knew that on a pitch where scoring is difficult - runs are equally important compared to time spent on the pitch. And then he kept doing that over the first hour - slowed his innings. The highlight of the first hour was the six with Ash Anna hit off Lyon - fetched it from full outside off and deposited it on the deep midwicket boundary for a six. If that is not an embodiment of a proper cricketer then what is! Virat came to the crease after a while - he looked in good nick - scored two boundaries off the fuller deliveries - full blown off drive beating the fielder in the ring.
Virat was to be undone on the first delivery after the lunch by Murphy - not a great delivery but Virat was looking to glance it, there wasn’t enough pace on the delivery and the most he could do was to nick it to Alex Carey - behind the wicket.
Around 30-40 minutes later, SKY’s defence was penetrated by a good one by Lyon - great delivery. One got thinking as to how did SKY leave so much space between bat and pad.
The score read 168/5 - having watched the first innings where Australia lost their tail for 15 runs, fear set it. Oh well, is it one of bloody tests!
Then came Sir Jadeja to the crease - the master from Saurashtra, the vanquisher of subcontinent, the crown jewel of Test Cricket over the last couple of years. He did what he does best - spent time on the pitch and put away whatever came into his arc. He didn’t look like getting out to both Lyon and Murphy. The pitch had started to behave by now. Odd one pitched on off and middle - and turned so much so that it went for 4 byes. Although it perturbed Aussies more than Indians given they had to bat next.
Rohit made a well deserved 120 on a tough pitch. It was a century of class and resilience.
After KS Bharat came Axar Patel on to the pitch to the bat. Now this bloke can hit fluent cover drive if it is pitched a little fuller. Axar did most of the scoring in the last session and India finished the day at 321/7.
Day 3:
I had surmised if India adds 50 runs to the overnight total - India would not have to bat again. Axar and Shami ended up adding 80 runs to their over night total. Shami scored three maximums off Murphy - two of them being proper, fetching from the off stump and depositing it on the midwicket boundaries.
At the stroke of the lunch - Patty Cummins bowled a slower one(full outside off) - Axar missed that completely and the cherry kissed the off stump bail and the red light flickered. And that was a wrap for India and Axar - Axar departed at 84 - if he had a couple of more overs in the middle, he would have ended up with a magnificent century. Nevertheless he created a ‘4 hours-masterclass’ on how to bat against spin - which has been added to the curriculum of Cricket Australia - and would be shown to Grade Cricketers and the folks who want to play Sheffield Shield/represent Australia.
During the afternoon session - the Aussies came onto bat. I was confident that the Aussies wouldn’t survive the day. But getting packed in a session was not something even my enthusiastic self could imagine. Ashwin Anna had grabbed them by the belly buttons - making batters stuck on the backfoot. They could hardly muster up courage to meet the delivery on the front foot. Aussies were packed for 91.
And before long it was done! India are 1-0 up in the BGT. Can’t wait for action to begin in Kotla starting 17th - the same ground where Kumble has a 10fer against the Pakistanis. So long!
Going forward, Cummins and co. have a lot of thinking to do. Find the right combination of batters at the top. May be drop - Warner. Get Head to open at the top. Anyway your openers are not scoring runs here in India - better for Head to whack a couple out of the park.
MOTM: Who else other than the Phoenix from the Ashes - Sir Ravindra Jadeja.
*all images taken from the internet. not intending to infringe copyrights.