To say that India were beaten in the first Test would be undermining Australia’s effort. With the shocking defeat, India’s 19-match unbeaten run at home also came to an end. Mitch Marsh didn’t bowl but his second- innings knock of 31 and 56-run partnership with Smith was crucial.
Advertisement
Captain Steven Smith, dropped thrice, all off R Ashwin, was batting on 59 with Mitchell March on 21.
Lehmann also praised the performance of O’Keefe, who grabbed three wickets in one over on the second day of the Test.
“There’s always a first time (to chase a high target)”, India coach Anil Kumble said. He’s had a lot of success captaining the team in his own backyard and this is now his opportunity to really support his players and try and get the best out of them.
Australia have gone nine Tests without a win in Asia – losing their last seven – and O’Keefe said he thought he would be at home rather than playing a key role in trying to set that unwanted record straight.
“Right up there. We haven’t won a game here in 4,502 days”. Matthew Renshaw also rode on his luck to nearly replicate what he did in the first innings.
Smith, who missed out in the first innings after getting a start, made it count, scoring 109 runs off 202 balls.
Before lunch, Starc (2-38) pegged back the host with a double strike. He is an alumnus of the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide where he went with SS Das and Mohammad Kaif and played with the likes of Mitchell Starc and Nathan Hauritz. “When we got ourselves in the positions to win in Sri Lanka, we let the opposition get back into the game”, said Smith, whose side were whitewashed by Sri Lanka 3-0 past year. Steve O’Keefe was the hero of the day, taking six for 35. You can not play on such wickets where anyone runs in to bowl and takes wickets.
Rahul played an uncharacteristic shot and skied the ball to David Warner at long on off O’Keefe in the 33rd over.
Apart from KL Rahul who faced 106 deliveries, Murali Vijay (42), Cheteshwar Pujara (81), Ajinkya Rahane (76) and Wriddhiman Saha (15) looked unsure and could hang around for just over 200 deliveries in the match. It’s hard, though, to digest this massive loss because Team India were like an unstoppable runnaway train until a few days ago.
Four wickets down in eight balls.
1-Ravindra Jadeja became the first left-arm spinner to take 50 wickets in a cricket season. We’ve got to take it on the chin. The previous longest sequence had just four wins, a tie and a 12 draws. Left to them, our pitch curators know what needs to be done to ensure home advantage without making things so obviously loaded in favour of spinners.
“You’ve got to play the line and I certainly didn’t do that”, Kohli said.
Advertisement
“I would be surprised if India doesn’t bolster its batting at the cost of a spinner”, Shastri wrote, with batsman Karun Nair coming in for off-spinner Jayant Yadav appearing the most likely change.
