India Hit Back To Crush Australia In Melbourne By 8 Wickets, Level Test Series 1-1!

India have come back in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test Series with a resounding victory in the second test in Melbourne today, defeating Australia by 8 wickets. A sweet revenge for the debacle in Adelaide, striking back with the same victory margin. But for the specter of 36-all-out the visitors could perhaps have won the first test too. And, the specter loomed large again today when two Indian wickets fell for 19, chasing a paltry victory target of 70 runs. Fortunately, the Starc-Cummins-Hazelwood threat did not become a reality again as captain Ajinkya Rahane, the hero and the player-of-the-match, joined debutant opener Shubman Gill who continued to be confident and as solid as in the first innings. The victory came in the 16^thover and the Test Series is now one-all with two tests to follow.

 

We mentioned in our last post on cricket that the top-form Indian bowlers just needed that much support from the batsmen to not allow the opposition snatch a sudden-death victory. Rahane along with Jadeja, Gill and Pant ensured that. It had been an incredible performance of the bowlers, continuing from the Adelaide test, to get the visitors out for 195 and 200 in the first and the second innings on their home turf. More so, because the hosts won the toss at the MCG, elected to bat first and obviously aimed at putting up a commanding total in the first innings, with India to bat last. Jasprit Bumrah with 4 scalps, Ashwin with 3 and Siraj with 2 never allowed the Aussies to get a foothold at any stage of the innings. Perhaps, the consistent failures of Steve Smith contributed largely for this, and the Indians should well be wary of him in the remaining two test matches.

 

Captaining the team in the absence of Kohli, Rahane finally bloomed in this tour and led from the front in all spheres of the match: restored full faith in Ashwin, arguably the top spinner of India at the moment who, unfortunately, would perhaps have been rested in the first test but for the injury of Jadeja; made strategic bowling changes giving the bowlers longer overs at a stretch and intelligent field placements; made the huddles much more interactive; and of course, scored that superlative century of 112 runs in the first innings allowing his team to take a crucial lead of 130 runs. His performances as the captain give a powerful argument in favor of having a split-captaincy regime for the shorter and test formats for Team India too. His leadership in the remaining two matches would be crucial for this.

 

There are a few concerns too for the visitors: consistent failures of Mayank Agarwal as an opener and Cheteshwar Pujara yet to prove his mettle; the place for Hanuma Vihari is also in question. If Rohit Sharma does join the team from the third test Mayank can be replaced seamlessly; else, KL Rahul who has been in top form in the shorter games should get a much-awaited look-in.

 

Team India has ended an unprecedented year of 2020 with a rollicking victory and should immensely look forward to starting the New Year with promise and high spirit. The third test match starts from January 7, 2021, the decision about the final venue is yet to be taken. The match was originally scheduled in Sydney, but the outbreak of cases of the mutant COVID-19 strain in the region favours Melbourne being retained as the venue for the third test too, a rare feat of having back-to-back tests at the MCG. Meanwhile, attendance of crowds at the MCG is capped at 30 thousand per day which is set remain in force for the upcoming match too, if Melbourne gets it. 

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia Destroy India Batting In Adelaide Pink-Ball Test To Go 1-0 Up!

Ashwin's Laugh of  Frustration?

Australia have won the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Series defeating India by 8 wickets inside three days in Adelaide which had been the first ever d/n pink-ball match between the two teams, and the hosts lead the series 1-0 with the second Test starting on the Boxing day, that is from the 26^th of December in Melbourne.

 

Last night at stumps it had been advantage India with a lead of 53 runs that seemed to be crucial and 9/1 as the night watchman Jasprit Bumrah saw off the day successfully. A very exciting third day’s play was anticipated with the Indian batting depth promising to score sufficient runs to corner the hosts who would be batting last. However, the very first hour of the ‘morning’ session destroyed India batting thoroughly as the visitors ended up with the their lowest ever test score of an unbelievable 36, the previous lowest being 42 against England in England in 1974. It was not simply that the Aussie pacers bowled incredibly well and were unplayable. They did bowl furiously dot on length and seam no doubt, but as skipper Virat Kohli pointed out later on there was a lack of intent on the part of the batsmen. Four wickets fell at the score stuck at 15 for over half an hour, and it was all over when Kohli too followed suit at 19/6. It had all been edges outside the off stump flying behind to the wicket-keeper or the slips. Not a single ‘famed’ batsman showed a resolve to stick on and score runs.

 

It was actually a great opportunity lost, because even a total score of 150 would have been competitive for the Aussies batting last. The Indian pacers and the lone spinner Ashwin bowled very well in the Australian first innings restricting the hosts to 191 despite all the fielding lapses and gave their team a lead of 53 precious runs. In the Indian first innings too, the total could very well have crossed the 300-mark had skipper Kohli not been run out under very unfortunate circumstances. A repeat of the Adelaide match in December 2018 when India won by 31 runs was a distinct probability this time too. But it was not to be.

 

The hosts added more humiliation to the visitors by making a perfect mockery of the target of 90 by romping home in style and in good time. Wade and Burns scored freely to build a partnership of 70 runs before the former was run out. Burns scored a half century and he was the only wicket claimed by the Indian bowlers, namely Ashwin. For the hosts Cummins and Starc captured 7 wickets each in the match while Hazelwood got 4 scalps. In totality, the pink ball did not display any special favors for the seamers with some the commentators saying that in a pink ball the seam remains visible for the batsmen which is an advantage for them.

 

As the Indian skipper Kohli goes home, probably two days in advance now, the upcoming test matches pose a huge challenge for Team India. Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal and the would-be stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane continue to fail miserably despite their active participation in the IPL, and their replacements do not look practical at the moment. Either of KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma could replace Kohli for the next three Tests. However, KL Rahul could be seriously considered for replacing Shaw with Rohit included in the team. Cheteshwar Pujara, the hero of the 2018-19 Series and taken out from the wilderness of more than a year, has performed reasonably well in the first innings and is going to be the key for the next matches. The bowlers are in top form and eager to go for the kill, only the support of the batsmen can make them win matches. 

The Life Shiner!

My most used pair of shoes needed a polish very badly. The shoe-color container dried up long back. In the prolonged lockdown period, it was not possible to visit a shoe store and could not order online as well as it was not an essential item. Even after the unlock had gradually widened I didn’t think of venturing out due to the transport hassles. Instead, I started looking for a shoe-shiner shop on my customary evening walks, but found that most of those shops were yet to reopen. Even that lone shoe-polish guy sitting on the roadside with a box was missing.

 

On my walk that evening I changed my normal route, and started looking closely around as I walked on. Luckily, on a solitary corner of a by-lane that branched off to my left from the main road I found a shoe-shiner shop. I marched towards it feeling like a victorious commander. But as I neared my target I had to stop on my tracks. A lady, well clad in ordinary clothes, was sitting there bent over something that she seemed to be stitching.

 

It was an unusual sight. In my lifetime I never encountered or saw a lady shoe-shiner. Now, I hesitated even to ask her if polishing was done there, forget about getting my shoes polished by a woman. Not done, I just thought.

 

Seeing me standing there uncertainly the lady looked up at me and asked what was the matter. Her matter-of-fact tone assuaged my escapist mood, and so I had to answer her,

“Is shoe polishing done here?”

“Yes, sure!” she immediately offered me the pair of rubber slippers that served as an interim arrangement to wait upon.

 

I started taking off my shoes, albeit unwillingly and feeling somewhat ashamed of myself, handed the pair to her and stood on the slippers. And looked around rather sheepishly.

 

She got busy with the pair expertly and dexterously. Presently I heard her murmur something. As if prompted by my still apologetic mind I immediately asked her if anything was the matter. The lady shook her head ever so slightly, and with an imperceptible smile, perhaps, still immersed in her work. Not happy with her response, I leaned towards her and asked again, “Any problem, behenji (sister)?”

 

This time she did look up at me, but indicated something that I failed to understand. She got back to her work and murmuring, now, it could be called chatting.

 

Then it dawned on me. She had been talking on her mobile phone all the time, even before I approached her. But I failed to detect the phone or the headphones anywhere around her, even under the numerous folds of her dress starting from the head covering. Perhaps, she resorted to the discretion to all her tasks smoothly and simultaneously, not taking the risk of shooing off or distracting the potential customers. She must be taking full care of her home and all members of the family while doing the job not exactly cutout for her, I decided. And my mind raced.

 

Hard-working ingenious people! nothing can ever bog them down, not even the most distressing times like the lockdown and the drying-up of all sources of earning. Nothing can ever derail them from their life struggles, howsoever hard, painful and hopeless at times. Instead, they’ll carry on with full-family spirit or the community spirit, helping and complementing each other in all kinds of odd jobs, and most significantly, go on enjoying the small pleasures of life and the joy of togetherness. No job is lowly for them, any work is just work, and work is always worship for them. Not like us, the cantankerous, delicate and the ever-complaining lot! Getting panicky and wanting to escape at any inconvenience or at the slightest hint of a problem!

 

I in my mind saluted her indomitable spirit and the love for life, and in fact, I wanted to bow down to her in true admiration. But that would be more embarrassing for her than for me if at all, I decided again.

She finished her work and handed me the pair back. I very much wanted to pay her more than the bill, but decided against it instantly. They always have the great asset of self-respect, and know how to keep it.

I resumed my walk happily and in a very positive frame of mind, humming a good tune cheerfully.