A target of 444 to win the World Test Championship is as tough as it gets. When they came out to bat, India had two options. To try and get the runs, or try and bat out time. Sometimes, if you take the second option on board too quickly, it plays into the hands of the opposition because they can then have men in catching positions, and your chances of getting dismissed increase. As a team, you can feel stuck, with the opposition crawling all over you.
India took the first option, came out and played some shots. What that did was make Australia thinking whether they were over-attacking, and if they should save some runs. In the middle of this came that outstanding effort from Cameron Green at gully. The jury is still out on whether the ball touched the grass or not. My take on this one is a simple one. Once the on-field umpire has given the batter out, there has to be conclusive evidence that some part of the ball touched the ground for the third umpire to overturn the on-field umpire’s decision.
Clearly, Green had his fingers under the ball, but there was a moment when he sort of swivelled and many, myself included, felt the ball might have touched mother earth. But there were no conclusive images, and I am with Richard Kettleborough, the third umpire. Any of you that thought being a third umpire was a cushy job, think again. Richie Richardson, the former West Indian legend, is the match referee for this marquee game. I am sure that if there was anything more than what met the eye, he would have stepped in.
Even the usually sedate Pujara came and played some shots, and did not let the Aussie bowlers really hit their straps. That is what counter-attack does to you. Also the pitch had quietened down on day four, more brown than green, and with the day being a sunny and hot one, batting was easier than any of the other days.
Rohit Sharma was so good in his innings of 43, mixing caution with aggression. He did not flirt with anything outside off stump, with three slips and a close gully keeping him company. The moment they pitched short to him, he made them pay. He will be gutted the way he gave it away. Nathan Lyon’s first over of this innings, from round the wicket, and the sweep shot is a very risky one. With a fielder placed at 45 for the top edge, trying to play the paddle sweep had a lot more risk attached to it than benefits.
If Rohit’s was risky, Pujara’s shot or the effort behind playing it was baffling. It was very unlike him to play the shot he tried, especially after losing his skipper in the previous over. It was time to consolidate, with Virat Kohli on 0, but instead he had a brain-fade. It happens to the best, I suppose.
India lost all three wickets to loose shots. I include Shubman Gill in that, because he did push at a good-length ball. With the field that Australia had in place, there was always a chance the ball would hit the splice of the bat and go towards that highly populated slip-gully area.
The morning had followed a similar pattern. India came out all guns firing with the ball. Plans in place, lengths and lines in order. Marnus Labuschagne was sent back by a beauty from Umesh Yadav, and what made that ball extra special was that the previous one had jagged back in slightly. So when this pitched around the same spot, Labuschagne had to play for the ball coming in. Once it seamed away, his hands followed, which happens a lot.
The Aussies, despite losing Labuschagne, dug deep. Having a more than handy lead, they obviously had a target in mind that they wanted to set for India to chase, and a time frame in which to get those runs. Green, with 25 off 95 balls, played the sheet-anchor role, while Alex Carey was also careful to begin with. He finished with a very crucial 66 not out off 105 balls, but most of the run-scoring was in a late burst with Mitchell Starc, his partner-in-crime, who played a very good knock of 41 off 57 balls.
Starc was not at his best with the ball, but this effort with the bat will do his confidence a world of good. At least, that is what the Aussie management would be hoping for. The WTC will be followed by a full Ashes series, and that’s as big as it gets for the Aussies and the Poms. Reeling at 124 for 5, there was the possibility that India could have wrapped up the innings quickly. That’s what made those knocks from Carey and Starc so special.
So, what awaits us on the final day? Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were rock-solid with the pitch playing at its best and looking almost benign. Kohli played some delightful shots, as you have come to expect from him. In a run chase, if there is one batter in the world you would want in your team, that would be Virat Kohli.
The king of run chases could well be the man who wins India the WTC on Day 5, and he will need support from Rahane and the batters to come. It will not be easy, but it is not meant to be, and this game is still wide open. I see Lyon as the biggest threat. If his wickets column can be kept dormant, India will fancy their chances.