Where to Now for India and Australia?

With the Test series now complete, and India not only having won but installed themselves as the #1 Test playing nation once again, and Virat Kohli completing what has been an ugly six weeks for him by declaring he now has no love for the Australian cricketers, we can only reflect on what has occurred and what lessons can be gleaned from it to ensure that Australian cricket goes forward in a positive – but not blinkered – fashion.

There is little doubt that if you had said six weeks ago that Australia would tenaciously fight for a 1-2 series loss, most Australian cricket fans would have thought that to be a fair result. Many pundits (myself included I can say without shame) thought that it would be a 0-4 whitewash given some of the selections that were being bandied around before it all began. To have seen Australia still in with a chance of winning the series with three days remaining was the most pleasing aspect of the tour. This however should not paper over the cracks that are still in this team, nor cloud the fact that three sessions of cricket cost the team their chance of a miraculous series victory.

In proof that statistics do not tell the full story, the Australians’ figures are defining. Matthew Renshaw was a salvation for Australia at the top of the order. Apart from his tough final Test match he was the man who batted out against the new ball and into the old ball. He faced double the amount of deliveries that his opening partner did, and his innings in those first three Tests both put Australia in a stronger position and saved them from disaster. Yet, Matthew Wade finished with a higher average, and Warner, whose series was abysmal and was completely out-thought and out-played by the Indians, finished only a few runs behind him. It is not a fair comparison to their respective worth to the team effort. The same can be said of the bowling. Steven O’Keefe finished on top of the bowling average and aggregate for Australia with 19 wickets at 23.26. But take out the 12/70 that he took in that 1st Test, and for the rest of the series he took 7 wickets at an average of 53.14. His economy was sound and he served his purpose as the second spinner, but it highlights the extra caution the Indians took with him after that breakout performance.

Along with Renshaw, pass marks would be awarded to Handscomb and Maxwell. They would both have hoped to have done better, but they look comfortable at the crease which is half the battle. While Handscomb appears to have a big future, it will be interesting to see if Maxwell is retained and given his opportunity to make number six his own. Though he was barely used for his bowling at all, surely he will be expected to work on his off spin to ensure it is a tool that can be called upon in the future, even in short spells.

Warner’s troubled series will haunt him for some time, and given his similar lack of success in Sri Lanka last year, will only give rise to claims he is a flat track bully. With very little sub-continent cricket likely for Australia in the next couple of years he at least has time to address this before their next engagements on those types of surfaces. Likewise Shaun Marsh, who was chosen specifically for this tour because of his form on the sub-continent. In four Tests he averaged less than 20 with the bat, and despite his match-saving innings at Ranchi, his place appears the most vulnerable. Having been overlooked all series, it appears inconceivable that Usman Khawaja will be ignored any longer, and must slot back into the batting line up. It may seem unfair that Marsh will be the only scapegoat from the batting line up, but surely he has played his last Test for Australia.

The bowlers, apart from a couple of sessions where they lost the plot a little, did a fantastic job in the circumstances. Mitchell Starc before going home injured, Josh Hazlewood and the returning Pat Cummins all toiled hard in unhelpful conditions. While they weren’t always on song and sometimes appeared to waste opportunities they kept running in hard and giving their all. Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe are probably flattered by their series returns, as both got one big haul in a Test and then only bits and pieces for the remainder of the games. While they never seemed as dangerous as their opponents, they probably exceeded expectations. The Indians, once they treated their bowling with respect after the 2nd Test, denied them the wicket taking opportunities they gave them in those first encounters, and thus put the pressure on them to force a breakthrough rather than gifting it to them. Ashwin and Jadeja did this much better than the two Australians could, which was the difference in the last two Tests.

Matthew Wade’s figures look better than one suspects he played, finishing with a batting average of 32.66 and taking 9 catches and 4 stumpings. Despite the continued feeling outside of the Australian team and selection panel that Wade is still not the best answer for the team behind the stumps, it would appear he has cemented that position. No one doubts his grit – just his consistency with gloves and bat. In tough conditions for a wicket-keeper, he probably didn’t make any more mistakes than anyone else would have.

For India, they can thank Rahul and Pujara for their consistency in getting the series victory. While the rest of the order floundered in a similar way to the Australians, Rahul’s consistency in getting fifties at the top of the order frustrated the bowlers, while Pujara did as he always seems to do against Australia, scoring runs with a fluency he seems to lack against most other nations. Saha and Jadeja made runs at crucial times in the final two Tests that helped to swing the balance of the match in India’s favour, and while they only really troubled the scorers on two occasions in the series, they were defining.

While Ashwin and Jadeja dominated the bowling, it was the pace bowling of Yadav and Sharma that proved edifying. Both were fast and aggressive, getting in the face of the batsmen and making decisive breakthroughs, or forcing the breakthroughs at the other end because of their bowling. Yadav’s 17 wickets at 23.41 was a triumph, while it is a travesty of justice that Ishant Sharma’s series figures were 3 wickets at 69.66. He was light years better than those figures suggest.

The two captains had polar opposite series in almost every aspect. Virat Kohli had scored a million runs over the Indian season leading up to this series, and was probably due to have a lean run. His 46 runs at 9.20 gave Australia to pressure the rest of the order. That he rose above this in the field with an increase in aggression and arrogance was done to inspire his team, when in reality his team were inspiring enough without it. His injury in the 3rd Test meant he then sat out the 4th Test, where his team won without him. Even though he probably won’t recognise it, it spoke volumes for the Indian team’s ability that they could win without him there, perhaps lowering his self-proclaimed God-like status. His running vendetta to chastise and demonise the Australians throughout would have been seen in a better light if he himself hadn’t been at least as poor in attitude and action. His final proclamation that he was no longer friends with the Australian cricketers at his final press conference only went to prove that he is incapable of copping the same amount of flak that he is willing to dish out. At a time when he was unable to deliver with the bat himself, it came across as sour grapes. Australian cricketers and supporters will not lose any sleep over his convictions.

Steve Smith just continued on his amazing way with the bat in this series. His first century of the series may have been littered with five chances, but his following two were practically chanceless, and he alone dragged Australia along in his wake to keep them in the contest. His 499 runs at 71.28 was one of the finest displays by an Australian batsman on the sub-continent. His batting feats were shadowed not only by his ill-thought checking with the dressing room about the referral of his dismissal in the 2nd Test, but with the constant on-field sledging battles and with questions over some captaincy decisions. The DRS referral episode should have ended with some sort of disciplinary action, whether it was a warning or fine or suspension, in order to assure everyone it was a one-off ‘brain fade’ but that it wouldn’t be tolerated. Kohli’s posturing afterwards and the lack of action made it look a lot worse than it probably was. And while at times there was little the Australians could do to curb the Indian batting, one felt that captains such as Waugh, Taylor or Clarke would have tried more to budge a partnership at times. His final words spoke of being apologetic for any actions he had made that seemed inflammatory or out of spirit with the game, and looked to have a drink with the victors and congratulate them on their win. Listening to both press conferences, you would wonder who won the series and who lost. Smith’s was the speech of a statesman, Kohli’s was the speech of a man who considers himself above others. In India, he probably is.

Some spoke at the conclusion that it was one of the greatest Test series ever played. That seems to get bandied around a lot when a team beats Australia (India 2001, England 2005, South Africa 2012/13). This was a fascinating series and an enjoyable one. But it is only seen as a ‘great’ one by some because of Australia’s defiance in not rolling over and handing India a whitewash, and that India had to fight every inch to gain the series victory. India will soon have to play cricket away from their shores again, and then we will see how good this combination really is. Australia has won plaudits, but unless they realise that the result does not confirm that the team they picked was the best available then they are no guarantee of victorious results in the future.

Australia Fail Final Examination as Series Loss Looms

One wonders, when the time comes that the Australian team and their innumerable support staff look back on this Indian tour, at what point they decide they lost this series that for all intents and purposes they should have won. Because the danger is that everyone will look back on the probable 2-1 series defeat in six month’s time and say ‘well, we expected to lose 4-0, so it’s actually a pretty good result!’

That would be shallow and foolish thinking on their part, but it appears their most likely course of action.

1. At 6/221 late on the second day, India should not have had a lead on the first innings. And yet, Jadeja’s slashing all series finally paid off for India, with his 63 getting India to 332 and an invaluable lead. Saha’s support again was dogged, but Australia’s inability in the first session to get those final four wickets cheaply was troubling. Still, it should have showed that the pitch was fine for batting on, right?
2. Right. And wrong. Because Yadav and Kumar came charging in from the outset, and using a surface that finally gave them something to use, they gave it to the Australian top order. They were aggressive and accurate, never letting up on the batsmen, who in their own ways caved for a final time on this tour. The Indians knew that if the top order crumbled, there was little resistance left down the bottom, and they did their job superbly. 
3. Dave Warner failed for the final time, and will be happy if he never sees the sub-continent ever again. Matt Renshaw completed a forgettable Test, with no runs and several dropped chances. Given his efforts previous to this his can be forgiven. Peter Handscomb fell again when set, though it was to a peach of a delivery. Though he has made only one score of note on tour he will have learned a lot and will surely only get better as a result.
4. Shaun Marsh played two dogged innings in eight in this series, which tends to be about his strike rate when it comes to Test cricket. Despite his efforts in saving the 3rd Test, there appears little doubt that he will complete his final Test match when today’s proceedings. I have thought that in the past however. But Australia needs Usman Khawaja in that top six, and he has to come back in somewhere. Glenn Maxwell found yet another way to be dismissed, triggered LBW not offering a shot, or at least only a half-hearted one. It was a disappointment, as once again he looked at ease at the crease. It will be interesting to see what the selectors think of his two Test matches, and whether he will be persisted with into an Ashes series in November.
5. Steve Smith’s shot to be dismissed was the real killer blow, the one moment that probably cost Australia any chance of winning this series. It is an unfair comment to lay at his feet given his amazing series with the bat, but both of his dismissals in this Test have lifted India and cost Australia. This fact alone emphasises how important he is to the Australian batting, and how average most of the rest of the order has been in his wake.
6. India was vociferous in the field, with a level of sledging that usually brings calls for retribution when Australia has been behind it. While the umpires intervened when necessary, it was an ugly look on TV, one that none of the commentators cared to discuss too much. This is not to say Australians were not involved, and have not been involved. One wonders how much further this will go before something NEEDS to be done to curb it. As always, winners will be grinners and losers will have to accept it.

The series will be decided today by the lunch break, and it would take a miracle of massive proportions for Australia to snatch it. There will be a level of pressure on India if they lose early wickets this morning, and one suspects Pat Cummins will be the key to opening up that top order. Every edge or ball past the bat will be greeted by groans of dismay on the field, and cheers of substantial order from the crowd. If nothing else, it would be appropriate if Australia could make a fight of this final day to keep it in everyone’s minds that it wasn’t all one way traffic as it was expected to be a month ago.

When a Draw is a Win

What a pleasant feeling it is to be sitting here this morning, soaking up the glory of a battling draw in a Test match, defying the thoughts of most in seeing off the Indian bowling attack for the final day’s play in Ranchi. Those that suggest Test cricket is dying simply have no idea what cricket is about, and the five days of this Test have proved it is alive and well in at least some parts of the cricketing world.

1. Renshaw and Smith did exactly what they had to do. Their partnership was perhaps the toughest of the day, with Renshaw especially getting the ball jumping from the surface alarmingly one ball, and then dying lower the next. He was superb against Jadeja, getting forward and smothering or ball and watchful. He was dismissed to a ball that stayed low, but that he didn’t get fully forward to because of the smart bowling from Ishant. When Smith misjudged a ball from Jadeja in the following over to be bowled, the hard graft of over 90 minutes looked as though it may be going to be wasted.
2. Back at the conclusion of the diabolical tour to Sri Lanka last year, the selectors pretty much handed to the media two names that were ‘locks’ for the tour of India. In their opinion, Shaun Marsh was their man for the sub-continent after his century in Sri Lanka, and the uncapped Peter Handscomb whom they considered the best young player of spin in the Sheffield Shield was the other certainty to go on tour, and perhaps debut there. The selectors stuck to their guns. Handscomb was already entrenched in the Test team by then, and Marsh had returned from injury and was chosen despite a lack of form in the white ball game. In the five innings completed before this innings, both had looked assured at times. Handscomb had made five starts without going on past 25, while Marsh had made one score and several other lower contributions. Today was the situation that the selectors would have had in mind when they chose these two for this series. Handscomb and Marsh came together with half an hour until lunch and still 89 runs in arrears. That they weren’t parted until they had put together 124 runs and batted for 62 overs together is a testament to their efforts and to the vision of the selectors. This pair drew the Test match for Australia from a position that in the past they have lost. Handscomb broke his 25 barrier to finish on 72 not out, while Marsh, who continues to baffle and divide opinion as to his place in the team, made a dogged 53. He must crave consistency as much as his detractors do, and it is innings like yesterday’s that shows he can play at this level. Both were superb.
3. Much like in Australia’s victory in the 1st Test, the luck with umpiring decisions tended to run with them on this final day. LBW decisions referred to the DRS by India on both Handscomb and Marsh were judged to be ‘umpire’s call’ after Ian Gould had turned them both down, meaning both batsmen were reprieved, and India lost both reviews. This caused a similar conversation in the commentary box about ‘if it’s hitting the stumps it should be out’ and ‘you shouldn’t lose a referral if it shows it is hitting’. Those comments are for discussing on another day, but the upshot of it was that the ‘Gunner’ had given the batsman the benefit of the doubt, and the doubt was proven by DRS. On another day both may have been given, and the batsmen would have been out. Perhaps Gould’s focus was that the batsmen were working their guts out, and only deserved to be out if it was shown to be plumb (which he would have given out anyway). Kohli also burned one review himself, when a ball from Ishant to Marsh was shown to be pitching a foot outside leg stump, hitting him outside the line of off stump, and missing off stump by a foot and a half. So maybe that too played on the umpire’s mind. Whatever it was, those calls going Australia’s way helped enormously.
4. After the nervous thoughts of most before the Test had started, the surface at Ranchi turned out to be a dud. Certainly batsmen had to focus and concentrate for long periods in order to score on it, and bowlers had to be patient and give nothing away in order to try and snare wickets, but the horror that some expected never came to pass. Only 25 wickets could be pried out in five full days of cricket. You wouldn’t want to see too many Tests like this one, but it was riveting viewing for the most part. It will be interesting to see what is dished up for the 4th Test, where Inida must now win to reclaim the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

With three Tests down, and the series locked at 1-1, what lies ahead for both teams? Will Virat Kohli’s shoulder miraculously heal itself so he can field for more than one afternoon? Will Australia’s bowlers be able to recover after their mammoth effort here in Ranchi to do the same again in five days time? Will any changes be made to either team? Will Australia surprise and throw in Mitchell Swepson for the final Test? None of us really believed we’d be here one a Test to go and series still able to have all three results available. Test cricket is alive, and Australia has the chance to make a statement on the sub-continent that it hasn’t made for 13 years. I for one can’t wait for the next instalment.

Pall of Doom Hangs Over Australia's Chances

When it comes to predictability, especially in regards to a Test match played in India by Australia, Day Four in Ranchi probably upheld everything that you could have expected. India was behind the eight ball, struggling to contain whatever deficit they were likely to face to a minimum, before Australia went about increasing that lead in their second innings. Of course, what transpired was exactly the opposite, and not for the first time in the last 40-odd years of tussles between these two nations, the visitors are now in a precarious position.

1. For two sessions, Pujara and Saha held the Australian bowling quartet at bay, kicking away the balls outside their stumps, calmly prodding away those on the stumps, and when they felt comfortable enough they moved the ball for singles or twos. Starting the day 91 runs behind Australia, that deficit was still to be erased at lunch, but once they did post lunch, and the two of them still together, each run started stabbing at the heart of the Australian batsmen. In many ways it was as frustrating to watch as the Dravid/Laxman partnership 16 years ago, and as on that occasion the two batsmen were patient and took no outward risks, and just slowly built their partnership. It wasn’t until it was decided that quick runs were required that they both fell, for innings that neither will forget in the context of their careers.
2. Ravindra Jadeja once again delivered in circumstances that were tailor made for him. Firstly, with a lead already established, he came to the crease and could play his natural attacking game with no threat of damaging the team’s position, and in this carefree situation delivered the runs that the team needed. Then almost as if by divine proclamation he found spit and fire in the pitch that had been hidden from the Australians and delivered two wickets in the eight overs they had to face before stumps, including the one they would have wanted most in David Warner. The stars appear aligned again today for him to be the winner of this Test for India in such conditions.
3. The Australian bowlers can be proud of their efforts over more than two days in the field. On a track which has fooled everyone and offered almost nothing for the bowlers, the four Aussies stuck to their guns, and gave nothing away. There was practically no easy runs, and while thewicket was mostly docile they occasionally found a way to get through. Steven O’Keefe was magnificent for 77 overs over bowling, finishing with 3/199. Some would say he was negative in his line outside leg stump to Pujara, but given the partnership of 199 with Saha was through taking no risks, the tactics had to be to wear him down or be worn down. SOK stuck to his task well under the conditions. Hazlewood and Cummins were magnificent. It will be interesting to see, in light of recent ‘concerns’ over bowler workload, what will happen with these two for the final Test. Lyon was solid but unlike the other three tended to give those loose balls that allowed the batsmen to rotate strike.
4. How will the wicket play on Day Five? Day Four showed it was still placid, and to be honest perhaps the fact that neither Australian spinner was able to get much out of it is a concern, especially after what Jadeja did in four overs at the end of the day. I know I harp on about this, but I spent the day pondering what a wrist spinner may have gotten from this surface. A bit of variable bounce? A bit of turn by spinning with the wrist rather than the fingers? We’ll never know, but you can be sure that the way Day Four progressed will mean that Mitchell Swepson’s Test debut may be a lot closer than we thought a few days ago.
5. The massive holes in Dave Warner armoury are being exposed for all to see on this tour. After his dismissal last night, he is averaging 21.83 with a highest score of 38. In Sri Lanka last year he averaged 27.16. It will be more troubloing to himself than it is to us cricket tragics, and he will be more determined to find a way through it. His reputation is not in tatters, but the mental battle has been well and truly won by the Indian spinners. To be honest, if you were England at the moment you would have to contemplate opening with a spinner in the upcoming Ashes series on the back of this. With one Test to come, Warner will have two chances to put this all behind him and find a way to get his mojo back.
6. Finally, wasn’t it great to see Virat Kohli so excited about the fall of Warner’s wicket, that he decided to mock himself by holding his shoulder in ‘triumph’. I know it will be all happy times in India and it will be seen as a vindication that they are well on top. Surely the rest of the world currently just see him as a show pony who is trying to compensate for the fact that he too cannot seem to score a run against this bowling attack.

The future of the series hangs on today’s result. Australia’s record in these situations is… rubbish. On a day when it looked as it would be Australia pushing for victory, now they can only dig in and hope to bat out the day for a draw. With two wickets having already fallen and a deficit of 129 runs still in arrears, only the most optimistic supporter would say they can survive without defeat. It is a great test for Renshaw, Handscomb and Maxwell to prove their batting powers, and for Shaun Marsh to prove he is worth persisting with. I hope I can sit here and write tomorrow’s summary as a huge positive for Australian cricket, and not the repeating disaster than hangs over this final day like a pall of doom.

Three Stories Highlight Fascinating Day of Test Cricket

The 3rd day at Ranchi was dominated by three individuals, whose own performances on the day showed the differing skills, temperaments and mental application that abide within the series. While two succeeded where one continues to live inside his own bubble, the tough grinding day of Test cricket has once again failed to give either side an advantage leading into Day Four.

1. Cheteshwar Pujara has played the tough mongrel innings that he seems to save for Tests against Australia. He batted through the entire day rarely looking troubled, and ensure the deficit was slowly but surely knocked away. His one moment was an LBW appeal referred to the DRS, where depending on your point of view, it could be said that the ball may have hit the pad slightly before his bat which would have led to his dismissal. The third umpire disagreed and he survived. He saw off the threats of Cummins and Hazelwood, he padded away O'Keefe's line outside his leg stump, and he worked Lyon away through the leg side with ease. It was a terrific example of the mental side of cricket, something that should not be lost on his teammates such as Vijay and Rahane who lost their wickets to rash shots. He remains on 130 not out, and is the Indian who is most control of whether his side face a deficit in the first innings, or possibly gain a lead.
2. Pat Cummins has returned to Test cricket, and picked up where he left off 6 years ago. He was managed well by skipper Steve Smith, given shorter spells and used as a strike bowler. You could see the difficulty of the situation, because Cummins was the one who looked like getting the breakthroughs and both he and his captain would have liked him to bowl more, but you could also see the tired walk back to the bowling mark through his fourth over of a spell, and you just knew he couldn't be pushed much further for fear of ANY injury occurring. This aside, he was truly brilliant in conditions that were in no way suitable for him. It was his sheer pace and effort that got him his wickets on the day - the brilliant ball to get Kohli and the effort balls to get Rahane and Ashwin. He now has 4/59 from 25 overs in the innings, and the only concern now is how he pulls up after that workload. It will be a familiar question for him over the next two weeks given his history. The supporting cast for Australia did their job on a thankless surface. Hazlewood was a metronome, while O'Keefe and Lyon both toiled with few troubles for the batsmen. Their time will come on Day Five if they are in a position to bowl India out in their second innings.
3. For a man who has taken it on himself to be the man to drag India to this series win, Virat Kohli had yet another unspectacular day. After spending most of the first two days inside the change room, he decided to make his presence felt when Australia lost their second DRS review against Pujara. While applauding vociferously (which must have been a strain on that poor injured shoulder) he deliberately moved out onto the balcony so that the whole world - and specifically the Australian players - could see him. One could see that as being provocative. No, certainly the Indian media ignored that, they were more concerned when Glenn Maxwell dived for a ball in the field in the same way Kohli had done to 'injure' his shoulder, and then 'mocked' Kohli by smiling and grabbing his shoulder. That was where the problem lay, apparently. And when the cropped photo of Steve Smith with 'his' hand on his shoulder when Kohli was dismissed (which was actually Handscomb's hand on his shoulder) Indian's went vitriolic. Until it was proven false, at which point they remained indignant without being apologetic. When it mattered though, Kohli failed again, edging Cummins to Smith at slip for just 6, and the Aussies were ecstatic. Despite not being able pry out the whole order, getting the Indian captain cheaply again would have made the beer at stumps worthwhile.

India trail by 91 runs with two days to play, and all three outcomes are still possible in this Test. Significantly it will be the Australian top order that is again under the most pressure today. Whether they start with a lead or not, they still have to ensure they do not collapse as has been their wont in recent times. They must have a lead of around 200 by stumps on Day Four with wickets in hand if they are to be in a position to push for victory. Anything less than that opens the door for India to sneak under their guard and steal a win that would be, from an Australian point of view, undeserving.

Even Day Leaves Test and Series in the Balance

Day One at Ranchi was an unfamiliar feel. The pitch played fine. Australia's number six scored runs. India's spinners didn't halt progress. Australia almost felt on top. Day Two ended with a much more familiar feel to the series, and while the result isn't set yet, there is an air of inevitability creeping back into the contest.

1. Glenn Maxwell. He got to that century that he craved, and the innings as a whole was terrific, and helped rescue Australia from a grim position to a good position. Today the runs he scored were more of the flashy variety that we are used to from the Big Show. He wasn't as secure at the crease, he was looser in his technique. His century was a flashing cut shot just wide of gully. He was dismissed a couple of overs later to a loose shot, but at least not an audacious one. We celebrate the innings, but await whether it is the start of something big or just a false dawn.
2. Steve Smith. Like yesterday, there is little that can be added. He batted through the innings to remain not out, guiding his team to a first innings total of 451 that was a necessity for Australia's chances in this match. 
3. It was Ravinda Jadeja who again forced his way through the batting order, finding the ball more grip and rip than on the first day. On these types of surfaces he shows why he is so successful, his accuracy depriving any runs being scored, and when the ball misbehaves he tends to strike. On the other hand, it was interesting to note the genuine lack of threat that was evident from Ashwin. Certainly the pitch was a major part of this, as was shown by the same lack of penetration by the Australian spinners. But with no success, the swagger was noticeably absent.
4. The return of Pat Cummins to Test cricket could not have gone too much better. He was swift, he was accurate, and he showed all the tricks he has learned in six years. To be honest, it was wonderful to watch. No matter what thoughts I may have had on selection issues leading to his recall, it was great to see that mop of black hair and steely blue eyes ripping the ball down the wicket in a Test match again. He claimed the only Indian wicket to fall, by mixing short balls and full balls and slower balls. Today will be a sterner test (no pun intended) but the opening spells were a terrific start.
5. I still believe Nathan Lyon is bowling too fast to be truly effective. Yes, his 8-fa in the 2nd Test would seem to show I don't know what I'm talking about, but that was a different surface. Surely here, where currently the only problem is the lower bounce of the wicket, it would be beneficial to try and beat the batsman in the air, giving the ball a bit of flight and variety in speed.
6. For the first time this series, the Indian batsmen must be licking their lips. Day 3 can be their day to show their fans that they are ready to seize the initiative back and put the Australians to the sword. Vijay and Pujara look set last night, and their middle order partners must be looking forward to batting on this surface. Without the threat of massive spin and variable bounce from the Australian spinners, the batsmen can again treat them with the disdain they tend to feel for them. If they cannot do that today, they will have some issues in forcing a victory in the time remaining.
7. Virat Kohli again did not appear on the field during Day 2. For some reason however, the injury he sustained to his shoulder on Day One has been deemed as an 'exterior' injury, which means he does not have to serve a time penalty and not bat higher than number seven in the order. This seems somewhat extraordinary, given the fact that he had to go for an MRI and that it is said that he has ligemnt damage. I don't recall any external ligaments on the human body. Once again, if this was anyone else would it be allowed? All it looks like from the outside is that the Indians have decided that their best chance to have their captain get back into scoring runs is to ensure he didn't have to field for a day and a half while Australia scored 450 runs, instead drinking tea in air conditioned comfort.

Not for the first time this series, today is set up to be a beauty, one that will be of great influence in this series. As an Australian, it could turn out to be tough as everything is set up for India's batting to dominate the day. However, the Australians bowling this series has continued to surprise, and if they can find a way to get into the middle order which hasn't fired in this series, then perhaps once again they can find a way to take the initiative. Pat Cummins taking 10 wickets would be a great start.

Smooth Surface Allows Smith to Sail on Calmer Waters

For all the talk before the match as to what the surface was going to offer in this 3rd Test match in Ranchi, it was still going to be obvious that batting first would be an advantage. From the moment the coin fell in Australia's favour, they then had to grind their way to a position of strength. They're half way there.

1. What to do about the Flat Track Bully? Once again David Warner has been found out on a surface that isn't an Australian road. Today he was so confused he bunted a little full toss back to the bowler! His mindset is completely shot. He is at his best when he is being positive without being over aggressive. So far this series we haven't seen that at all. The mental game here has been well and truly won by India.
2. what happened to Matt Renshaw? His finest asset in his short career to date has been his constant leaving of the ball outside off stump. It is what has made the bowlers bowl to him. He was terrific early, and looked set to make a huge score. Then Yadav returned and began to reverse swing the ball that was about an hour old, and Renshaw lost his mojo and started stabbing at it outside off, eventually culminating in his wicket. Let's hope it is a one off, because he greatest asset so far has been his patience. We don't need the Warner Factor to start rubbing off on him.
3. Shaun Marsh again managed to disappoint. His typical series of one big contribution and then several non existent ones appears to be right on track. So too Peter Handscomb who got his fifth straight start only to fall when he should have been set. Both will be disappointed. One wonder, on this surface, what Usman Khawaja would have achieved. It looked to be perfect for his play...
4. So here is the conundrum. Glenn Maxwell's selection on tour and then for this Test goes against everything that selection should be. Or at least that's what I've written here for the past week. And yet, today Maxwell showed that he can bat, and that he can bat to the conditions and the fate of the match. Everyone knows he can bat, but it is the constant flurry of unorthodox shots that eventually leads to his downfall that pisses off the Australian public. But today, they were all shelved. He defended well. He pushed for singles, He rotated the strike. When the ball was in his zone he launched it into the outfield - but safely. He played the perfect foil for his skipper at the other end. It wasn't until he was on 74 that he deigned to try a reverse sweep, and very nearly lost his wicket. Then it was put away until stumps. In essence, it was the kind of innings that we sort of knew he was capable of, but were unsure if it would ever happen. It's a day he should be proud of. What comes today though is the next chapter. All that good work is ruined if he doesn't push on in exactly the same way today and makes good on the selectors faith in his ability.
5. There's not really much more that can be said of Steve Smith. Whereas he had the series' only century before yesterday, he had effectively been given five lives in that knock. Yesterday it was flawless apart from one french cut. 5000 Test runs, 19 Test centuries, but most importantly once again he has stood up as captain of his country, after all of the vitriol of the past week, and lead the way by getting is team into a position of strength. His serious demeanour when acknowledging his teammates on reaching that century indicates he isn't finished yet.
6. Just to note - once again, not one Indian applauded Smith's century. And not one word was mentioned about this lack of acknowledgement. If that's the way it is, fine, but don't go screaming to mommy if the Aussies show the same lack of respect when an Indian reaches that milestone.
7. Interesting to note that once there is little help in the wicket, it is the Indian seamers that come to the fore and not their spinners. Yadav was superb again yesterday, with excellent reverse swing, and Ishant solid. The two spinners toiled and bowled the majority of the overs, but without that doctoring effect were less than effective. How the surface plays over the next 3-4 days will be interesting indeed.
8. What is with Virat Kohli? Did anyone really think he could have damaged his shoulder in the way he tried to dive and field the ball? The fact that he was off the field for more than half the day, and left Rahane in charge, lessened India's impact. It will be interesting now to see where he is allowed to bat if he doesn't take the field today.

Australia couldn't have asked for a better day than yesterday. And while one of the combatants was unsurprisingly at the forefront of the battle, it was Glenn Maxwell's contribution from 4/140 that has gotten Australia to within sight of a 450 first innings total. Few people would have seen that coming 24 hours ago.

Cummins Selection Proves Selectors Don't Need the Sheffield Shield

So here we are again. Discussing the reasons - or lack thereof - behind the decisions of the Australian National Selection Panel (NSP). Not since the days of Andrew Hilditch's reign as Chairman of Selectors have we come across so many decisions that appear so baseless on form and so relying on other factors. We have reached a point where despite the overwhelming credentials of the four men who make up the NSP, the question has to be asked as to whether they are adequately performing their job to the standards that are expected of them.

The selection of Pat Cummins to replace Mitch Starc for the final two Tests in India goes against everything that should be a part of the natural selection process in regards to picking Test teams. And yes, I know I say this a lot, and I know I have absolutely nothing to back my claims that I know how the job should be done, and these four are obviously know their job. But this constant and consistent ignoring of any kind of form in first class cricket and the Sheffield Shield, which has been the proving ground for Australian cricket for 125 years, is just infuriating. If I was a first class cricketer at the moment, I would be furious, and I would be reconsidering what I was doing. It just doesn't seem to matter any more how many runs you make or wickets you take in our premier first class competition, because that is just being ignored. Completely. Because apart from Matt Renshaw and Pete Handscomb, every other player who seems to get a call up these days is getting judged on white ball form, and not red ball form. And it is a joke. I honestly don't care how much these four tell me "he's got talent" or "he's got that x factor" or "he can change a game in a session". Because that's all I'm hearing about why guys get selected. Whatever happened to "well, he's scored 2000 runs in the last two seasons at an average of 70. That's good form" or "He's taken 100 Shield wickets in the last three years at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 48. That's an impressive stat". Nope. It's got nothing to do with how many runs or wickets you have anymore, it's all about 'he can change the game in a session'. Of course, the fact that he's done that once or twice in fifty games doesn’t matter, just the fact that he CAN do it.

I sound cranky? You better damn well BELIEVE I'm cranky. Picking players in rep teams because they know your father or they saw you score 50 against their son's team or they bowled your son out happens in country cricket (the South Coast especially). It should NOT be the basis of selecting the national team, and this is getting really scary.

Mark Waugh has been especially cautious when speaking about Pat Cummins this summer. He has always spoken of the programme that has been set out for him, and each step has been carefully designed to ensure he doesn't break down again. All summer, as intimated by Waugh, it has happened as he said. There is no doubt he was being built up to play against England next summer. Now, out of the blue, that carefully prepared programme has been thrown out of the window.

Meanwhile, form bowlers around the country are left scratching their heads. I said this earlier, but it is worth mentioning again. This season, Chadd Sayers has taken 50 wickets at an average of 18.60. He is at the top of the wicket takers list this season in the Sheffield Shield. Last season, he took 32 wickets at an average of 27.78. That is a good form line. Also this season, Chris Tremain has taken 37 wickets at an average of 18.24. He is third on the wicket takers list this season in the Sheffield Shield. This week he also scored his maiden first class century. Last season, he took 36 wickets at an average of 21.05. That is a good form line. I watched Tremain bowl against NSW at the SCG in a Shield game in November on a surface not unlike what is being delivered in India. He was dangerous. Tall and quick. He wouldn't be out of place.

Neither has been chosen. How do they feel this afternoon? Disappointed? Gutted? Cheated? How about all three? Instead, a guy who is a very talented bowler but has played only one first class game in 6 years in suddenly on the plane to India, and given the record of this selection panel very likely to play his second Test match next week.

Like all Australians, I hope Cummins succeeds. If he plays I hope he gives the Indians curry. I'd be happy for the four members of the NSP to sledge me over social media if he does. Even though that will prove the NSP was right in many people's eyes, I still will not believe it justifies the complete ignorance of the form of the Sheffield Shield competition and its participants. Who is to say that Sayers or Tremain would not succeed in India? More importantly, would they play in front of Hazelwood and Bird anyway? Should Cummins?

Today the NSP with its four current members was reaffirmed for the forseeable future. Trevor Hohns becomes Chairman (again) and with Lehmann and Chappell will select the Test and ODI teams. Mark Waugh joins Lehmann as sole selectors for the T20 side. Why?! What reasons can there be that we have one member of the panel who ONLY selects the T20 team, a team that plays half a dozen games a year?! This is madness, completely and utterly.

Sadly, I don't think this is the end of my ranting over selections in the Australian Test team, rightly or wrongly. We have tough times ahead by the feel, and the only people who have the ability to change that, but will accept no responsibility for their actions, is the NSP.

Starc Injury to Cause Selection Consternation

JUST IN: Aussies rocked by Mitchell Starc injury bombshell: https://t.co/PjkWihXGlj #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/YPKttsuWfd

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 10, 2017

Just so this is out there before the actual decision is made - there are only two possible options for the National Selection Panel (NSP) to make when it comes to who is going to replace Mitchell Starc in India.

No, it is not Pat Cummins and it is not James Pattinson.

This season, Chadd Sayers has taken 50 wickets at an average of 18.60. He is at the top of the wicket takers list this season in the Sheffield Shield. Last season, he took 32 wickets at an average of 27.78. That is a good form line.

This season, Chris Tremain has taken 37 wickets at an average of 18.24. He is third on the wicket takers list this season in the Sheffield Shield. This week he also scored his maiden first class century. Last season, he took 36 wickets at an average of 21.05. That is a good form line.
I watched Tremain bowl against NSW at the SCG in a Shield game in November on a surface not unlike what is being delivered in India. He was dangerous. Tall and quick. He wouldn't be out of place.

One of these bowlers must be the choice to go to India. Why risk either Cummins or Pattinson for the sake of two Tests. Their aim must surely be to be ready for next season's Ashes contest. Take either Sayers or Tremain, and give them the chance to be around the squad and experience Test cricket.

*now waits patiently for NSP to completely fuck up another selection call*

Selection Idiosyncrasies Haunt Australia's Chances

The Mitchell Marsh fiasco, and the selection bungle that followed, is as much to be concerned about as any of this other childish back and forth in regards to the DRS controversy still being played out in India. It is much more at the heart of what still cruels Australian cricket in their hope to return to world dominance.

Mitch Marsh was chosen for the tour to India, more on previously identified talent than performance. He wasn’t the only one (yes I’m looking at you Glenn Maxwell), but his selection came further under the microscope this week, when he was sent home from the tour with a damaged shoulder. Yes, this is apparently the same shoulder that was injured during the January ODI series against Pakistan that meant he was under a cloud to tour. Something that was never mentioned again until the recent Test finished. This surely raises the question as to whether he was fully fit at any time to perform the duties asked of him as an all-rounder in the Test team. As it was, he bowled a total of five overs in two matches. What would have happened had he had to shoulder (no pun intended) a larger burden with the ball? Would he have been able to do it? And if he didn’t would the support staff or selectors have taken the blame for that? It seems a rather big risk to make, given that he hasn’t been contributing anything worthwhile with the bat. Can the selectors fully justify the decision to play Marsh at all, let alone if he is carrying an injury? It is yet another example of the mixed messages the panel is sending to players.

And it continued with the decision to send Marcus Stoinis as Marsh’s replacement in the squad.

No one can disparage what Marcus Stoinis did in that one ODI innings in New Zealand. It was a terrific knock, which fell just short of leading Australia to victory. It should be noted however that it was played without pressure on his back, as the unlikelihood of a victory allowed him to free his arms and swing hard. The boundaries were also very VERY short, such that even if he hadn’t been striking the ball so well, they would have managed to clear the boundary. The wicket was also flat and the white balls were no longer swinging. Everything was in his favour – and he took it, admirably – but the conditions are nothing like he will face in first class cricket, and certainly not in a Test series in India.

This is where Australia’s selection policy must one again be brought to bear. The figures as presented by Brydon Coverdale are significant.

2016-17 Shield runs: Henriques 659 at 65.90, Cartwright 520 at 37.14, Wildermuth 501 at 35.78, Stoinis 172 at 15.63

Australia pick Stoinis.

— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) March 8, 2017

And again, when Chairman Trevor Hohns came out and said that the selectors went for whom they considered the strongest bowler, Brydon was on board again with a logical response.

Australia have taken 40 wickets in two Tests, Marsh bowled 5 overs in total and there's an 8-day rest between Tests. But yeah nevermind. https://t.co/iTkD1SO1qe

— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) March 9, 2017

Which poses the question once again – why are players being chosen in Test squads on form in shorter form cricket or on past form and not current form in first class cricket?

George Bailey was chosen for the 2013/14 Ashes series on the back of scoring a thousand runs on the concrete roads and small boundaries that make up an ODI tour of India. Everyone likes George. He’s the kid who is always smiling and you really want to succeed, but just never quite makes it. And he smiled all the way through that five Test whitewash on home soil. Yet by the end of the series it was shown that his feasting of attacks against deliveries that are gun-barrel straight on flat decks wasn’t able to be transferred to the Test arena, despite his crowd pleasing effort in taking 28 runs off one James Anderson over in Perth – perhaps his most memorable innings. But the experiment of picking a player on one day form came to an inevitable end.
Other players have come and gone in the same fashion for pretty much the same results. Glenn Maxwell has been tried before, and within a week we will likely see him tried again. Xavier Doherty couldn’t convert one day frugalness to Test match success. Ditto Michael Beer. James Faulkner got one Test as a fill in and hasn’t threatened since. Any number of other players could be put forward as examples. Let’s face it – how did Sam Haezlett get chosen on that ODI tour of New Zealand? And how does Usman Khawaja go from averaging 50 in the home series Tests to missing out in India? Stoinis may not play a Test in India, and no one doubts his credentials, but surely form, and the CORRECT form, should be the leading category in selection in the national team.

The selection bungles came thick and fast in the recently completed home series as well. Joe Burns couldn’t regain his place at the top of the order for the first Test against South Africa. He was brought in to replace the injured Shaun Marsh in Hobart, and was wiped out like the rest of the team in that shambles of a Test match, before being shown the door once again. Likewise Joe Mennie and Callum Ferguson. Mennie had form from the previous season on his side, and yet after one Test where he bowled in one innings he was immediately discarded like a piece of rotten cheese. And Ferguson was chosen as much for his maturity and past record as he was for anything else resembling current red ball form. His two innings both ended badly, and again like Mennie he wound up on the garbage heap. Whatever happened to giving a player a chance to find his feet? If every player in history was treated the same way… we’d have lost some greats. It was confusing and abhorrent to watchers and supporters, let alone what the players thought about it. Chadd Sayers kept getting picked in the 12, and then staying as 12th Man. Given his season in first class cricket, surely his form warranted a chance on the field. Hilton Cartwright was chosen out of the blue in both the ODI team and the Test team. He finally got a chance in the final Test as the all-rounder to help burden the load of the bowlers, and got four overs while scoring a respectable 37 with the bat. Not good enough to go to India though, even as a replacement for the man who replaced him in the team. What the hell is going on?!?

Then take the selections after this, for the Adelaide Test against South Africa. The selectors chose Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson to debut. Renshaw was green, but was averaging 45 in first class cricket, and came off a century and a half century in the Shield game against NSW. He has since proven to be worth his weight in gold. Handscomb had scored a double century against NSW as part of his season tally. He too has been a standout. Both of these players were chosen ON form and IN form. Maddinson’s form was shaky, averaging in the low 30’s, while the man who everyone (well, I did) thought would be selected was Kurtis Patterson, who was also IN form and was averaging in the low 40’s. Maddinson was unable to do what his other two debutants did and score runs immediately, though perhaps circumstances could be mentioned. What should be mentioned was that the selectors gave him THREE Tests (not ONE) to find his feet. When he was unable to do so, he was moved aside for Cartwright to get his opportunity. Maddinson has since gone through a publically tough time following his sacking, though he has now returned to first class cricket, hopefully a better cricketer who will get another chance down the line. One wonder though what would have happened had Patterson been given his chance, ON form and IN form. Maybe we would already have our number six established in the Test team, and wouldn’t even be speaking of this.

And let’s not forget the wicket keeper. Peter Nevill was unceremoniously sacked as keeper after Hobart, with his batting cited as the reason for his being dropped. There was no one who challenged him as being the best keeper in the country, yet now he wasn’t good enough to be in the Australian team. Matthew Wade was reinstated. Wade was generally regarded as the ‘least confident’ keeper in the country. Yes, I should have written ‘worst’. But his batting was what got him back into the team.
When he was dropped, Nevill was averaging 22.28 in Test cricket. This season in the Sheffield Shield he has scored 529 runs at 58.77. When Wade was chosen again, he was averaging less than 20 in Shield cricket. Since his return to the Test team he has scored 118 runs at an average of 14.75. he has also averaged at least one missed chance with the gloves per Test. And yet, there appears no pressure on his position. Indeed, it appears he will be offered one of the highest contracts by Cricket Australia for the next season. This is Selection Criteria Gone Mad.

What is the point of all of this? It is to highlight the inconsistencies in the selection of players for the national team, and it continues with Marsh’s injury and Stoinis being selected over other candidates. It will come again if (when) Glenn Maxwell plays in the 3rd Test, when Darren Lehmann was quoted just three months ago as saying “how can you select someone in the Test team who hasn’t scored a century in over two years?” Well, it’s more than two years now, and he still hasn’t scored a century. But he’s on this tour, and probably about to get another Test cap. If he does, then you can probably expect to hear more from me then.
It is a new world for cricket. Players look to be selected more on instinct and potential than they ever have before. Some players seem to get a hundred chances to perform while others are cast aside after barely a fleeting glance. It can’t be a good way to instil confidence in the teams that are affected if players are always looking over their shoulder the second they get selected. I know it’s easy to say being an armchair critic, but ask Mitch Marsh and Peter Nevill how they feel about their respective selection stories and I think you will find where the truth lies.

India Squares Series as Old Frailties Return

In a somewhat disappointing development – unless you are Indian – the Australian cricket team managed to slip back into the status quo in regards to their batting on the sub-continent, unable to chase down 189 in the fourth innings for victory in the 2nd Test. The surface played its part, but not to the extent that it dictated the match. The bowling was good, but not great. In the end, the nervy prodding bats of the Australians accounted for more wickets than anything else.

1. At the start of play, Australia would have accepted the 187 lead they conceded to India. It was more than they would have liked to be chasing, but probably less than they could have been, had it not been for the fire from Starc and Hazlewood in dismissing the middle and lower order. Hazlewood’s six wickets was another great effort from an ever improving bowler, while Starc’s burst with the new ball was as erratic as ever but produced the initial breakthroughs that started the final push.
2. Like the first innings, partnerships were always going to be the key to an Australian victory. A little over 20 for each wicket would win them the game, but reality was that 40 for each of the first five wickets was needed, and not to rely on the tail to make up any difference. In the end, Australia did the former almost perfectly, losing wickets at 22, 42, 67, 74 and 101. However, with the last five falling for just 11 runs, it showed once again that Australia’s top order needs to do more if they are to stay in this series over the next two Tests.
3. Once Warner had burned one of the referrals it was always going to be tough on the next person to use one. If they were wrong and wasted that final precious referral, and later on it could have saved someone, the pressure brought to bear would have been enormous. It ended up costing Shaun Marsh his wicket, when he and Smith were unable to bring themselves to refer his LBW decision. The fact he offered no shot didn’t help his cause, and the batsmen went with the umpire. Unfortunately, the decision was possibly the worst one made by the umpires for the whole Test, and the ball was missing the stumps by quite a margin. The question that will always be asked is would a referral have changed the course of this match? If Marsh had stayed, and Australia remained at 2/67, how deep could they have taken it? Given the batting that followed these two, the question probably remains moot.
4. The flashpoint has come, with Kohli accusing the Australians of cheating in regards to referrals. It’s a long bow to draw, but there is little doubt Smith looked to the dressing room following the shooter he received in front of the stumps to be dismissed LBW. It is against the rules to do so, and Nigel Llong moved immediately as Smith turned his gaze to indicate that was it and no referral could be made. Good umpiring. Kohli came up and made his scene once again, visibly making himself seen by all Indians as the one running the show in the middle. He has been actively doing it all Test match, ensuring everyone knows who is in charge in this series. They have a right to be incensed at any perceived help the opposition may be getting in this regard from the dressing room. Kohli's suggestion that Australia has been systematic in rotting the DRS has as much evidence to back it up as anything Donald Trump says. If it was the case, then surely the Aussies would have been looking for help from the dressing sheds in regards to Shaun Marsh's LBW. It's rubbish Kohli you corkhead. But let the umpires deal with it.
5. While Smith underplayed this and all other incidents, Kohli in his press conference decided to go the other way, inflaming it all and making sure everyone knew that once again it was the Australians who are the cause and root of all evil. No one believes the Aussies are angels, but I think we can see positive proof that they are not acting alone. There is no doubt he is doing this to unite team and country. He’s done it too. How he handles himself for the rest of the series will be interesting.
6. Australia have only one reserve batsman in their team, but will he play next Test? Surely the Mitchell Marsh experiment has expired. He has bowled 5 overs in this Test, and scored 13 runs. Australia needs a specialist batsman in the team in order to score the runs required to give the bowlers their chance to win. Usman Khawaja was rather unfortunately cast aside prior to the 1st Test, and surely should be reinstated, but I really don't think you can play him and Shaun Marsh in the same batting line up. However, if you have that same bad feeling that I do, it would not surprise to see Glenn Maxwell batting at 6 in the 3rd Test. Not that this alone will save Australia. Warner is still all at sea against Ashwin and Jadeja. Handscomb looks confident against the spin but is unable to break free after making a start, and both he and Renshaw seem to get themselves out rather than the bowlers doing that job. There are still battles to be won within that top order.
7. I could speak about Matthew Wade, but what is the point when he is the only option Australia will use.

The positive at this point of the tour is that most of us expected it would be 2-0 India, whereas the series is level with two Tests to play. India will now be confident of rolling on, arrogantly believing they are a better outfit in these conditions. They’re right of course. Australia needs to tweak its team slightly, but again must find a way to break free of the bowling. It was always going to be the team’s toughest task in this series, scoring enough runs to win. Batting first is such an advantage too that if Smith can win the remaining two tosses then perhaps it could be the advantage the team needs.

India Finds Its Feet to Take Control in 2nd Test

It has taken until the sixth playing day of the series, but finally India has put itself into a position of strength, negotiating a dodgy surface through the late afternoon to have a handy lead with wickets still in hand, and the advantage of not having to bat last.

1. Australia’s tail battled hard during the morning session, but the dismissal of Starc and Wade within an over brought the innings to an end with the tourists lead standing at 87. That number is never a good one, but in this match it was a vital statistic.
2. One still wonders why Kohli stuck with Ashwin for so many overs, and handed Jadeja less than half of those? Ashwin’s 49 overs brought figures of 2/84 while Jadeja’s 22 brought 6/63. Yes, Jadeja took down the tail in quick succession to inflate those figures, but apart from Warner it was the left armer who picked up the top order wickets. Ashwin’s frugalness with runs helped to force the issue with Australia, and the pairing of Ishant and Yadav bowled wonderfully well, but one wonders would a lead have been achievable if Jadeja had been given a bit more leeway. Easy to say from the lounge chair.
3. India predictably went hard early to erase the deficit, and with their own share of luck managed to do so. They hit the lead for the loss of two wickets, surely something they would have happily accepted on starting the innings. Whereas the Indian seamers had been tidy but perhaps too wide of the stumps to get full measure for their efforts, Australia’s pace duo failed to take in those lessons, and also found themselves too wide of the mark. This allowed the freedom for deliveries to race through the field – middle and edged. As such the quick flow eased the early pressure on the batsmen.
4. Australia missed some chances here, where in Pune they seemed to snaffle everything. Pujara was missed twice, both extremely tough chances early on, but they now look costly. Wade missed another chance, which no doubt the team spin doctors will put down to the tough conditions rather than the average skills of the keeper. Amongst this, Smith took another screamer, this time at slip to dismiss Rahul. Whether it is enough to offset the tough chances missed is yet to be determined.
5. Virat Kohli. Now let’s say this straight up. He was unfortunate to be given out by Nigel Llong LBW in the first instance, with bat prominent in the mix of pads. He was then unfortunate that third umpire Kettleborough felt there was insufficient evidence available to overturn the decision. To the letter of the law, this was correct. But honestly, does anyone really think that this ‘pad first, bat second, you are out’ law is a good one? If you took the pad away in this instance, surely the ball hits bat. In other instances if the ball hits pad and then deflects to hit bat, and if the pad were to be taken away then the ball would NOT hit the bat – I can get on board with that. And of course, if Llong had gone the other way, and Australia had reviewed, it would have remained not out. Would anyone have really complained about that? Yes, Kohli was unlucky and technology did not resolve the issue. To me it looked not out, and if an Australian had been given out in that way I’d had been livid. But anyway – piss off Kohli.
6. Pujara and Rahane have done the job India needed once erasing the deficit. They have battled and scrapped and forced each run, knowing each one of those runs is one Australia now has to find. It was tough, grinding cricket, and Australia’s bowlers, for the first time this series, started trying too hard to get wickets instead of bowling to plans to execute those wickets. They began looking at the increasing lead, and went harder to get wickets, rather than try and ignore the scoreboard and bowl to plans. That will need to change today if they are to stay in this match.

India leads by 126 runs with 6 wickets still in hand. While some will suggest the match is still at an even keel, the scales have tipped inexorably in India’s favour. Whatever their lead ends up being from this point, it will be a mountainous task for the Australian batsmen. Whereas their cautious play in the first innings was admirable under the circumstances, batting the same way in the second innings will play right into India’s hands. They will need to be positive, and keep the runs ticking over, because sooner or later the surface will come into play to try and extricate their innings. In many eyes India already have enough, but will be eyeing a 200 lead as their minimum. From there, it will take some special innings from the Australians to retain their series lead come Wednesday.

India Plays Aggression Card as Aussies Dig In

It’s a tough old time going on in Bengaluru, where the sleeping Indian giant was forced to wake up and try and take the upper hand against an Australian team that is creating more of a fight in this series than anyone thought imaginable. Especially the Indians themselves. And so the stakes were raised in an effort to change the course of proceedings.

1. For all the reports suggesting that this pitch would not be doctored as was the one in Pune, it looks like it has all been a basket of falsities. The surface here at Bengaluru mightn’t be turning as violently as it did during the 1st Test, but it sure is changeable vertically. In the first session alone, at least four deliveries from Ishant and Yadav practically ran along the ground, getting ankle high. This is in the fourth session of the match that is supposed to extend to fifteen sessions. The Indians constantly threw their hands to their heads in anguish at not getting through the batsmen with this variable bounce, but how will their batsmen feel if (when) they are dismissed in such a way? They celebrated Mitch Marsh’s wicket with a shooter as though the bowling was the winner. I wonder how they will react if it happens to one of their own today. The surface is a disgrace, but once again nothing will be done about it because it produces ‘good Test cricket’. That’s fine on days four and five. Not day two.
2. The niggling (read sledging) was turned up today, and it was India who forced the issue. There was no doubt from the first ball that their intent was to get under the Australian players skin. That’s all fine, certainly if you listen to the ex-players in the commentary box. But where is the parity? The second Australia go down this kind of path they are lambasted by the media. No one in the media has breathed a bad word about this yet. All I’m after is consistency. I don’t like the way Australia bullies opponents in this way, and am all for it being brought to bear when it goes over the top. As long as the same is the case of other nations then there should be no problem.
3. India’s use of the DRS continues to astound. They blew three reviews yesterday that were not even close to being out, and complained every time their appeals were turned down by the umpires. In the heat of this environment, both Illingworth and Llong have been superb, unflappable. Shaun Marsh was plumb LBW to Ishant, but no ball was called, and the video proved it to be correct. Wonderful decision. Then an obvious inside edge was missed or ignored by India who reviewed the not out LBW decision. Wasted review one. Then Ashwin was adamant that Wade got a glove to a ball to first slip, and the review again proved the umpire correct. India once again have no reviews left until the end of the innings. Ludicrous, and possibly significant.
4. More important than any individual’s score yesterday was the partnerships. Half a dozen partnerships of 50 would get Australia to 300. They didn’t but most were significant – 52, 30, 52, 26, 3, 57, 17*. There has been no roll on of wickets, denying India the momentum they crave. It has gotten Australia a lead of 48 valuable runs. They need to double that somehow, but yesterday’s effort was of grit and determination, something we haven’t seen from an Australian team in this situation in some time.
5. Matthew Renshaw. Another dogged half century, most of the time with a smile on his face. He fought hard, and wasn’t perfect, but just kept fighting hard. It is fantastic to watch. His only downfall at the moment is when his concentration does snap. In Brisbane and Melbourne against Pakistan, and in the First Test as well, out trying to take down a spinner. It looks as though he decides he is going to take the spinner out of the attack, and he’s not going to stop until he succeeds – or fails. It was great bowling from Jadeja, completely out=thought his younger opponent. Renshaw will only learns from this, but he had done his job again.
6. Cometh the hour. Shaun Marsh was handpicked for this tour for just the situation he walked into. Two wickets down, he was the one to guide the middle order through the rough and make sure it didn’t collapse. And he succeeded here where he failed in Pune, with 138 runs added for four wickets before he fell. It wasn’t pretty, and he saw through reviews and no balls, but he looked the most in control of the Australian batsmen. It’s a job he will have to continue in the second innings if Australia is to win this Test.
7. Wade and Starc. How important is their duet going to be this afternoon? If they can both get away they may get the fifty extra runs Australia craves – or more! But let’s not be greedy, let’s get that 100 lead and see what we can do with it. Matthew Wade is so overdue for runs. Let’s hope he cashes in today.
8. Did anyone else feel dirty about putting our hopes in Marsh and Wade yesterday? It felt so unnatural after bagging them for weeks/months/years. Still, it is the lesser of two evils, the other being India succeeding in this Test.
9. Ishant and Yadav bowled brilliantly yesterday, with the only possible error being they didn’t bowl at the stumps enough. With the variable bounce in play, surely targeting the stumps was their best form of attack. Surely they will learn from this.
10. Ashwin got Warner yesterday with a beauty, and then finished with 1/75 from 41 overs. His tactics have again been questionable, bowling consistently outside the leg stump to the left handers. On a dodgy wicket, surely around the wicket, attacking the stumps, and using the variable spin and bounce to your advantage would have been a better option. Not that I’m complaining.

Yesterday was the most important day in this series so far. Still, before that the first day of the Test was. And now, Day Three becomes the most important day of the series so far. Australia’s eventual lead will dictate just how difficult India’s task is, which in turn will dictate how difficult Australia’s task is. The surface will be all encompassing, and the will of the bowlers, batsmen and fielders at critical mass. This Test has so much more ahead for the spectator. We couldn’t have wished for a more exciting and nerve racking series.

Lyon Roars as India Capitulate Again in 2nd Test

It really is too early to start jumping up and down and punching your fist in the air in celebration, but after what happened in Pune last week, the first day of the 2nd Test in Bengaluru could hardly have gone any better for Australia than it did. One can only wonder what has happened over the past couple of weeks to have brought this huge turnaround in fortune for both teams, but with so much cricket still left nothing can yet be taken for granted.

1. For India, the first hour and 59 minutes was just what they would have expected. Kohli won the toss and batted, subjecting Australia to batting last on a pitch that once again looks unlikely to last five days. Then, despite the loss of Mukund early, India was 1/72 with two balls remaining before lunch. The session was theirs. Then Pujara fell to Lyon, and lunch was actually 2/72, and Australia would have felt at parity.
2. Seriously, as a leader, Virat Kohli has failed in all circumstances yet again. He was overly cautious where all season he has been confidence personified. It cost him his wicket, shouldering arms again (somewhat inexplicably) when a positive shot would surely have been the better option. Then having made that fatal error, he then  made an arrogant error, pulling a Shane Watson in referring a decision simply because he is the team's Number One player and he therefore feels they are there for his personal use. It was an abhorrent decision, which was only exemplified that by the time the referral was completed and the umpire about to confirm his dismissal, Kohli had already left the field. Just a complete shambles in every aspect. The problem of believing your own infallibility.
3. At 5/174 India was still in a position to push for a 250-300 score with Rahul at the crease and Ashwin, Saha and Jadeja capable of hanging around and scoring runs. But again the tail crumbled to spin, and with very little idea of what to do against it. Losing 5/15 to complete the innings was a triumph for Australia to once again restrict the Indian first innings to under 200.
4. While India's batsmen suddenly began treating Steven O'Keefe's bowling like hand grenades after his 12 wickets in Pune, Nathan Lyon reaped the rewards at the other end. There is no doubt he is bowling better here than he was in Australia. His line is much more off-stump heavy, and the extra pace he bowls at normally is helping him here whereas at home it is a hindrance. The overspinner especially is getting good bounce and natural spin on these wickets. Like O'Keefe in Pune, Lyon here just couldn't STOP getting wickets. They kept being handed to him, and once he got on that roll against the tail, he decimated them. Like SOK, this was the day Australia's supporters have been waiting for from Lyon. For all the talk of his GOAT (Greatest of all Time) status, he has rarely single-handedly taken control of a Test match for Australia. The second innings is yet to come, but perhaps we are finally seeing it. It was a wonderful display of off spin bowling on the first day.
5. Matthew Wade. Oh dear. Well, Brad Haddin told him before he went to India that it didn't matter how ugly he looked, he just had to get the job done. Four byes through his legs, a fumbled stumping off Lyon that he managed to recover from in time to get Rahane, and a neat stumping off O'Keefe to get Nair showed all aspects of those words. There is still no confidence in ANYONE about Wade's keeping. Except that now he is in the 'inner circle' of the team, he will be impossible to dismiss. We can only hope his batting is just as impregnable today.
6. Handscomb and Warner both dropped tough chances in the field, but neither proved too costly. Rahane dropped Warner last night in the sixth over before he had made double figures - he had to dive but got two hands to it. How costly will that chance be?

Australia start the second day at 0/40 chasing India's 189. What a huge day of Test cricket awaits us. The wicket is already staying low, with one ball Renshaw faced last night almost running along the ground. The ideal is obviously for Australia to not have to bat again, because chasing anything over 100 batting last could be a nightmare. The Australian batsmen will need to be cautiously positive, and not get bogged down. Steve Smith, with five lives at Pune, will need to ensure he doesn't give a sniff of a chance today as luck can only last so long.

Once again, though, Australian's can only exclaim... "How good is cricket!"

Aussies Up 1-0 As India Capitulate to "Average Second Spinner"

As an Australian cricket tragic, the Test match that concluded against India yesterday was one of the most amazing victories in my lifetime. Others have been just as satisfying (every victory over England for instance), but for sheer unadulterated pleasure at the unlikelihood of the win it was excitingly magnificent.

There is no doubt that Australia had the lion share of luck, but most of it was through India's errors than major umpiring errors or lucky shots or such things. If India could catch and use the DRS they would have been a lot closer, but it was not to be.

1. Steve Smith was dropped four times, and an LBW given not out when India had no reviews, but his resilience through this and the spinning tops sent down by Ashwin and Jadeja was incredible. If anyone deserved some fortune it was the Australian captain, and his innings helped pave the way for the unassailable lead that was attained. And, given all of the rubbish the Australian team seems to receive when they appear arrogant on the cricket field, it was interesting to see that NOT ONE Indian cricketer applauded his century or acknowledged it in any way. All your own doing, corkheads.
2. India's openers did a Watson and burned both of their reviews early, and ludicrously. It's no wonder they don't want to use it, because they have no idea how to use it.
3. Steven O'Keefe. The Test match that dreams are made of. It is justification of Cricket Australia taking him away from white ball cricket to play Grade and 2nd XI red ball cricket, and of O'Keefe himself seeking out left arm spinners with Indian experience. Everything has worked for him, and no matter what anyone thought of his selection, he has proven himself worthy, and that his first class record is no fluke. It is wonderful to see hard work bring rewards, in the same way that is did for Renshaw with the bat.
4. How wonderful was it to see Kohli bowled not offering a shot, and then stand there as if he was W.G.Grace, expecting to be allowed to stay at the crease because, after all, he is Virat Kohli. Get off the ground corkhead.
5. Was Shane Warne in charge of deciding the Man of the Match? How do you get 12 wickets and not be player of the match? Honestly. I hope Mitch Starc at least bought SOK a beer.

It has been a great Test for Australia, to lead the series 1-0. There is still so much hard work to do. India will (probably) not field so poorly again. India will (probably) not bat so poorly again. Australia will likely not get the rub of the green so much again. Batting first was a massive bonus that we can't expect will happen again. There are still big question marks about the Marsh brothers and the wicket-keeper. This win will not guarantee a series victory.

But my goodness, Test match cricket is never so sweet than when you kick the arse of an opponent who thought all they had to do was doctor the pitch and turn up and they would win.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!!

Warne Gets SOK Shoved Down His Throat as Aussies Dominate

Not in our wildest dreams could anyone have predicted what happened on Day 2 in Pune. Some of it, such as Starc being dismissed in the first over of the day, having Australia being dismissed for 260... yes, that was predictable. But trying to negotiate the rest of the day's play would have broken a crystal ball.

1. The Australian quicks did exactly what they had to do at the top of the order, busting through with pace and guile. Hazelwood's dismissal of Vijay was just brilliant, the away swinger to the keeper. Then Starc, fast and short at Pujara, before the wide tempter to Kohli drew the edge. Brilliant and inspiring from the fast men when it was needed.
2. Rahul's shot was a match changer. In control with 64, and India had regained balance at 3/94, his complete error in judgement was ill thought out, and gave O'Keefe his first wicket in India. It was the moment that India's world exploded.
3. India lost 7/11 in their own backyard. Completely ludicrous. Suddenly O'Keefe and Lyon were unplayable. What happened? The wicket? Panic? Arrogance? Whatever it was it was beautiful to watch.
4. Steven O'Keefe take a bow. What a wonderful reward for persistence and patience. He has been derided publicly by such 'experts' as Shane Warne who has named every other spinner in Australia as more deserving of a spot in the Australian side. Through it all SOK has never once taken the bait to respond, he has been humble in interviews and respectful of the chances he has been given and of the help his teammates and captain have given him. His First Class record, better than any other spinner in Australia, is proof that he could bowl and deserved his chance, and he was rewarded yesterday for it. He himself admitted it will be tougher in the second innings against the Indian batting line up. But today was his and will always be his. Thumbs up.
5. Australia's catching is the difference. Handscomb took three pearlers, Warner and Starc two great outfield catches, and Smith the one to close the innings. Brilliant. On the other side of the coin, Smith has already been dropped three times in his fifty, two of which should have been taken. If any of them had been caught Australia could already have been all out. Costly.
6. Handscomb and Renshaw were both impressive with the bat again, despite their dismissals. They looked the part on a tough batting wicket. Good signs. Shaun Marsh not so much.
7. Ashwin always looked dangerous on this wicket, and is probably the early key this afternoon. If Smith and Marsh can see off the first hour then 400 lead is still possible.

Australia is 4/143, a lead of 298 with 6 wickets in hand. Another fascinating day awaits us in Pune. I for one cannot wait.

Renshaw Runs and Starc Smashes to Start Series on Par

Day One in Pune probably went as well as could have been expected for Australia, and if you had asked most people at the start of the day would they have accepted a score line of 9/256 at stumps, they would have said yes. A number of talking points arose.

1. Allan Border savaging Matthew Renshaw for retiring ‘ill’. It was harsh, and straight out of the old boys textbook, and certainly tough on Shaun Marsh who had to rush out to bat 15 minutes before lunch. But really, hard cheese. In this day of over burdening the ‘duty of care’ in the workplace, what did it matter? Border’s point was valid, but if Renshaw had been dismissed as a result of staying at the wicket, how would that have helped Australia’s cause? Move on.
2. Renshaw’s brilliant knock. For all the talk before the series that he should not play, he proved to be the rock. I thought he was magnificent, and it took an unplayable ball to get him out too. In completely foreign conditions, he played as good an innings as you could wish to see. It wasn’t a century, but it was great viewing. Well played young man.
3. The top order. Once again Dave Warner had done the hard work, and then hung his bat out to dry to play on. He’ll be dirty. Shaun Marsh got tangled up and bobbled the ball to leg slip. The jury is still out on his effectiveness. Peter Handscomb was dismissed in exactly the fashion that we all knew he would over there, LBW on the back foot. He looked good, but with his technique you would put money on him being dismissed in that fashion in every innings he plays in India. Then Steve Smith threw his wicket away, having grafted for over 90 deliveries. It was the same thing he did in Sri Lanka. Both he and Warner need to stop these types of dismissals repeating time and again if Australia is to be any chance on the sub-continent.
4. Mitch Marsh and Matthew Wade. Both looked as bad as their recent form suggests. All at sea, with no real idea how to stop the onslaught that was coming at them. The fact that they have been retained in this team for so long now for no result means that they are stuck. Both are free flowing batsmen in other forms of the game, which suggests that they need to play their natural game in order to score runs. However, because there is now so much pressure on their positions in the team, if they get dismissed playing that way, they will be lambasted and the pressure intensifies even more. To be honest, I have no brief for either of them, but the only way for them to succeed now is to show positive intent at the crease against this attack on this wicket. Better to go down fighting than with a whimper. In the second innings they need to attack, get down the wicket, hit the ball hard, because if they bat like they did yesterday again, they will go just as meekly.
5. Mitch Starc is the perfect example. There is no pressure on Starc to make runs because he is our opening bowler, so he can play the way he does best, with aggressive intent. When it comes off, like yesterday, he is applauded. When he fails, well, he’s just there for his bowling anyway. Marsh and Wade probably need to go in this direction if they are to save their careers and help Australia fight back.
6. The pitch. When Ravi Shastri says at the toss “I have never seen a pitch like this in India” you know there is something wrong. Ashwin opened the bowling, and the other spinners weren’t far behind. Despite this, it was Umesh Yadav that finished with the best figures. It looks bad, but the positives are that it won’t get any better.
7. Ashwin and Jadeja bowled well, but only finished with two wickets each. Australia showed they could be played, if you used your feet to go right forward or right back, and played straight, as Warner did against Ashwin at his most dangerous.

Everyone knew this was going to be Everest for Australia. Today will give a better indication of what the series holds. The batsmen showed promise without delivering the 400 the team needed as a first innings score. Now the bowlers must show they can restrict the Indian batting while getting the dismissals required to get through to the tail. Another fascinating day awaits.

Six and Seven the Keys to Aussies Indian Chances

It’s just over a week now until the Test series between India and Australia begins, and you would be hard pressed to find a single person who honestly believes that Australia has a snowball’s chance in hell of winning a single Test let alone the series. Nothing in the recent history of the cricket of either nation leads you to believe that anything can change that. 

In the 18 months since India played in Sri Lanka, they have played only one series away from home, a 2-0 victory in the West Indies. In that time they have played 17 Tests, winning 13 of them. They have been ruthless on home wickets prepared to exploit the relative strengths of their chosen players, and the disposal of New Zealand, England and Bangladesh has now led them to be at a peak for this coming series.
Australia on the other hand has more or less confirmed its flat track bully status at home, apart from being badly shown up by a more committed South African team in November, and also being completely obliterated in Sri Lanka by a team that has barely won a match since that series on overseas wickets. Concerns? Oh yes, yes indeed.

So how does Australia combat what is to come? How can they restrict the Indian batting line up to gettable totals, as well as finding 20 wickets in doing that? And how does our batting line up combat the threat that spin and reverse swing will throw at them on wearing wickets?
The selectors have almost shown their hand, in the selection of a number of players who they would consider to be all-rounders, of which precisely zero of them have shown they can be considered as such, which again raises a dangerous problem. In the Australian season, it appeared for a while that the ‘all-rounder’ position had finally been cast aside. Mitch Marsh simply was not scoring enough runs or taking enough wickets, and was moved aside in favour of a specialist batsman at number 6 in Nic Maddinson. Unfortunately for Maddinson he was unable to take his chance (a discussion that should be raised in a whole other argument about selection decisions), and with further concerns about the workload of Australia’s fast bowlers (yet another discussion point), the selectors fell back to their old viewpoint and decided to replace the specialist batsman with a different all-rounder in Hilton Cartwright. The folly of this was shown in Sydney, when the chosen all-rounder bowled a total of four overs for the match, and then wasn’t chosen for this tour. So how did he help the ‘overburdened’ bowling cartel? It seems strange that this discussion has not been further investigated.

In this touring squad, the selectors have resurrected Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, as well as budding all round candidate Ashton Agar, and given the selectors poor poker faces, it would appear one of them will be Australia’s number 6 come next Thursday. That is the first cause for concern, because it means that our selectors will once again risk weakening the middle order batting in an attempt to give the team another bowling option. The question is, does this help or hinder the team’s cause of winning on the sub-continent? Overall, Mitch Marsh was not terrible in Sri Lanka, but he made three starts with the bat without going on to a big score (not on his own there), and the overs he bowled and the very few wickets he took did not provide as much help to the bowling attack as may have been expected. No one expects a world beater every match with bat and ball. But if you bat at 6 surely you have to average 40 with the bat to be considered worthy of the position. Marsh isn’t doing that. Agar is still a work in practice, someone who may be worthy of that title in coming years. If he is chosen it is a gamble. Stranger yet, Coach Darren Lehmann said only a couple of months ago that you couldn’t pick someone in the Test team if they hadn’t score a century in two years – referring to Glenn Maxwell. And yet, he has now chosen him. X Factor? Z Factor I’d have said. Maxwell was not asked to bowl in the recent one day series in Australia, instead Travis Head was the go-to man. What does that say about his bowling, if the captain shows no confidence in it? Does that mean he is now a batsman, and a batsman alone? What on earth is going on here?

This article though is not to disparage those that have been selected and not selected, but to put together the best team we can with what is in India. No doubt the selectors will go with Mitch Marsh. It fits with their logic at the moment.

If it was me, I’d play brother Shaun Marsh at 6. Surely the top 5 must remain as to what finished the Australian summer – and that is even with the ridiculous notion that the selectors will dump young gun Matthew Renshaw for Marsh at the top of the order having just made a century in his last Test – and slotting Shaun Marsh in at 6 gives the batting some stability on paper. It means that only four frontline bowlers will be chosen, but it is what needs to be done. If Australia cannot score enough runs for the bowlers to bowl at, then it doesn’t matter how many bowlers you take in.

The bowlers pick themselves. Starc and Hazlewood will lead from the front, with Lyon and O’Keefe doing the donkey work. Starc bowled beautifully in the final two Tests in Sri Lanka, and something similar is what he will need in India. Hazlewood showed in Australia that he is improving his reverse swing, and that will be vital in India. And while no one would show complete confidence in our current spinners, they have the chance here to show that they are up to the task and can do this at the highest level in the toughest conditions. Mirroring their counterparts in Ashwin and Jadeja would be high on their agenda.

The series could well hang on Matthew Wade. Much has been said of his keeping and batting, in comparison to every other keeper in Australia. He cannot afford to miss any chance that comes his way, be it stumping or catch. Every missed chance will not only give the batsman a reprieve, it will add even more pressure to his own psyche. His batting will also be paramount. The selectors made it a priority that the keeper must score runs when they dropped Peter Nevill. If they are consistent, they must apply the same to Wade if he cannot manage to make a serious contribution with the bat in this series. If he has a clean series with the gloves and makes runs with the lower order, he will solidify his position in the Australian team. If he cannot, then he should be shown the same exit that Nevill was.

Australia are massive underdogs. Sometimes that can work in your favour. It would be a stunning turnaround if Australia managed to win the 1st Test, but you never know. If Warner and Smith can dominate, if Khawaja and Handscomb can find their feet, if Starc cracks the top order, and if Lyon and O’Keefe can spin webs, then maybe this isn’t the dead loss most of us believe it is. Whatever happens, it will be fascinating viewing.