India vs Australia: “The match reminded me of when MS Dhoni rescued India from a similar position,” says Aakash Chopra

India vs Australia: “The match reminded me of when MS Dhoni rescued India from a similar position,” says Aakash Chopra
Australia celebrate a wicket

The Indian batting line-up was dealt a harsh reality check by a terrific Australian bowling performance that saw the visitors crumble to their lowest score ever in Test history – 36, at the Adelaide Oval. Beginning Day 3 with a promising lead of 62 runs and on a score of 9/1, India fell apart like a pack of cards as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins came up with one-wicket taking delivery after another.

Not a single batter in the usually solid Indian batting line-up could get any sort of rhythm going in the innings as the nature of the pitch and the tight bowling of the Aussie pacers made it very difficult to do so. In the end, India will have nothing but harsh lessons to take away from what will go down as an infamous day in Indian Test history.

‘Batting let India down big time’ – Aakash Chopra

MS Dhoni during his knock of 71 against England

Former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra spoke to ESPNCricinfo about India’s dismal batting performance and said, “After the first couple of days, if you’re ahead with a 53-run lead on a difficult pitch, that’s like having a session in the bag. So you can still have a bad session and stay ahead. But if you capitulate in one hour like that, then there is no way to rescue yourself.

36 is something you won’t associate with this Indian batting line-up. Yes, the bowling was real quality. But this is a 3rd day pitch and the first session and not the third session where it is supposedly difficult to bat on in day-night Tests. So it was the batting that let India down big time.”

Chopra then spoke about the importance of getting some rhythm and momentum going in such adverse conditions by recalling a knock by former Indian captain MS Dhoni against England in Manchester in 2014. India were down to 8/4 on Day 1 but Dhoni counter-attacked by taking on the English pacers hitting 15 fours en route his fighting knock of 71 runs. India got to a respectable 152 thanks to the now-retired Dhoni’s knock.

Aakash Chopra recalled this knock by Dhoni and said, “One thing that the match reminded me of is MS Dhoni’s knock in England when India was struggling in a similar situation to what we saw today. MS then started stepping out to unsettle the English bowlers. He got to a 70 and gave India a semblance of chance. Here you just saw an abject surrender. You’re trying to find a way but you really don’t have a plan. It was very disappointing to watch.”

India will face Australia in the second Test looking to put the disappointment of the effort in Adelaide at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day – December 26.

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