Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Australia vs India 2nd Test: Will India beat themselves?
The pitch dominates the build up. It’s looking green. India get excited, and pick a specialist four-pronged pace attack. Heat expected throughout the Test? Doesn’t matter.
Did India get caught up too much in the hype? Yes. There is always a lingering worry for India fans now, despite the tourists being well placed at 172/3 in pursuit of Australia’s 326. Seeing India’s XI on day one was a huge surprise, and meant three key things.
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Risk for reward?
India were prepared to risk playing Umesh Yadav, a bowler so fantastic on his day, but the element of “his day” not certain to be the case very often. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was brilliant in South Africa at the start of the year (where he was left out of the second Test), and this Perth pitch doesn’t require one to be of express pace to be effective. India were undoubtedly excited, and it showed in the first hour of the Test, displaying a lack of consistency not seen in Adelaide. That single hour has proved crucial, with Australia just about playing from in front ever since, despite excellent batting from India on day two.
No specialist spinner
Ravindra Jadeja had to play. India, on day one, were desperate for a change of pace in the heat. Shane Warne has always said that if the ball seams, it spins. Hanuma Vihari was introduced, and got one to spit up at Marcus Harris. But, in using a part-time option, Virat Kohli was prepared to give Australia crucial runs by placing point back on the boundary, offering scoring opportunities that weren’t there in Adelaide. Every run is crucial on a challenging pitch. What were the millions of fans thinking at that point?
Long tail
Perhaps most significant are the extra runs that India will almost certainly miss out on. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja not only help provide consistency with the ball, but also vital resistance with the bat. India is a side that knows all about wagging tails, so why place so little emphasis on your own? You only have to go back as far as The Oval in September where Ravindra Jadeja scored an unbeaten 86 against England. Now, even with India batting beautifully after restricted to 8/2, there is always the lingering thought in the back of everyone’s mind that the tail is too long, and that Australia will take a good lead into the third innings.
India trail by 154 with seven in hand. Even match?
Yes, usually. Here, not quite.
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, both batting absolutely beautifully, have the pressure of having to get India as close to Australia’s total as possible on a challenging track. According to CricViz, Australia bowled well enough to take eight wickets instead of the three. Next in is Hanuma Vihari, with just one Test under his belt, followed by Rishabh Pant, more of a T20 specialist. When a game is likely to swing significantly with the fall of a single wicket, the home side is one with their noses in front in this instance.
Umesh Yadav is listed at eight. India will have to bat last on this pitch which will take further turn than what Nathan Lyon is already extracting. The cracks will likely open up more for the seamers. Can Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane score significantly tomorrow to help get India to a significant lead?
It is absolutely necessary. India, from an Australian perspective, picked the right combinations. However, from an Indian perspective, it is risky, and mirrors some of their other selection eyebrow raisers in recent times.
India will need to hope that their team selection doesn’t come back to hurt them. Otherwise, the Boxing Day Test will begin with the series locked up at 1-1.
Thanks for reading!
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Australia vs India 2nd Test: Will India beat themselves?
