Travis Head guides Aussies to victory in Indore Test of BGT Series
They lost an early wicket and then exploded into brilliance. To score a dozen fours, which is 48 runs, was a sign of how Travis and Marnus were ready to go for the kill.
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IND vs AUS 3rd Test in Indore
Australia showed no mercy to India, winning the third Test by nine wickets in the BGT Series with a measure of comfort at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Friday. Chasing a modest 77 for a win on a track where there was assistance for the spinners, the Aussies showed they were not going to make a hash of the chase. Down and out after two losses in the Nagpur and New Delhi tests, this reversal for India has definitely infused more life in a series where the hosts have already retained the trophy.
The way Travis Head (49 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (28) batted with aggression was a revelation, putting to rest their ability to tackle the Indian spinners. They lost an early wicket and then exploded into brilliance. To score a dozen fours, which is 48 runs, was a sign of how Travis and Marnus were ready to go for the kill.
After a long gap between the second and third Test, the general impression was the Aussies were done and dusted. More so, skipper Pat Cummins went back home due to personal reasons. David Warner also returned with an injury. Stand-in skipper Steve Smith showed acumen and agility on the field to pilot an Aussie comeback which has infused fresh life in their campaign.
The first ten overs were a bit watchful, especially after R. Ashwin consumed Usman Khawaja off the second delivery. Thereafter, it was a case of how the Aussie batters, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, launched a counter-attack. There was initial hesitancy but once they overcame it, Head was aggressive. It is this difference in approach between India and Australia which mattered in the third Test where the underdogs showed more skill and will to go for the kill.
For all the die-hard fans in Indore and those watching on television and tabs, Australia chased with no pressure. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had to come up with something brilliant to rip through the Aussie. That was not to be seen on a pitch which was pathetic. To call it Test class would be a lie, for the dust and powder flying even in the morning session on Day 3 was a sign of how badly it had been prepared.
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Travis Head and Marnus Labsuchagbne showed how to play the spinners well
Agreed, spin is India’s weapon. But the way the Aussie spinners, led by Nathan Lyon and his young support cast grabbed the chance in the third Test was defining. Mind you, the Aussies were complaining about the surface before the first Test. The Kotla track, in New Delhi, also had low bounce. However, Indore has prepared one of the worst pitches which should ensure it does not get another international match for a few years.
There are regular Test centers in India, one with tradition and the template to produce good pitches and good cricket. Indore has been a huge let-down, and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association will have to hang its head in shame for producing a crap pitch. This was the worst advertisement for any form of cricket. Worse, India lost the Test which means the reversal will hurt.
Plenty of aspects, from an Indian point of view, will come under the radar. Skipper Rohit Sharma has led minus imagination in this Test, and the batters have come a cropper. Had it not been for Cheteshwar Pujara hanging in so doggedly on Day Two, India would have been further embarrassed. Rohit Sharma, the centurion in the first Test, will have to put on his thinking cap and plan how the batting order can fire. In the first two Tests, it was the lower order which had fired — Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar Patel. They did not perform in the third Test and it exposed how the Indian batting top order was so fragile.
Back to Head and Labsuchagbne, they showed how to play the spinners well. There was initial worry but to grab the opportunity and whack boundaries was pleasing to watch. If anything, the Indian batters, barring Pujara, have looked novices against spin on tracks at home. There is a worry over Virat Kohli’s lack of runs in Tests, his last century coming three years ago. He did show application, but one expects big knocks from the former India captain. Shreyas Iyer has also been a poor replacement for Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order.
One man who will be given a “pass certificate” is wicket-keeper KS Bharat. His glove work has been decent. To expect him to score 40 runs or more is not justified.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)