Subhayan Chakraborty in Australia
Australia won the series against India 3-1, thereby reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after almost a decade. It was a series of hardcore cricket where Australia, for most of the rubber, dominated play. Despite winning the first Test in Perth, the Indians let the intensity fade, allowing one of the most dominant teams to make a stellar comeback.
It wasn’t an easy tour for the Indian team by any means. The performances were not consistently up to par. The seniors let the team down on almost all occasions, barring a few patches of brilliance on the gruelling tour, which lasted over 40 days. Jasprit Bumrah produced one of the most eye-catching performances, securing 32 wickets at an average of 13, earning the Player of the Series award despite being on the losing side. Meanwhile, the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket has now come into serious jeopardy. Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the modern-day greats, announced his retirement mid-series in Brisbane. KL Rahul’s initial promise faded after a strong start, while Shubman Gill failed to deliver as expected, raising questions about how long a rope he will be given to perform, especially in South Africa, England, Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian tour is for the tough; when things don’t go in your favor, any cracks can widen rapidly. That’s what happened in the Indian dressing room. Indian captain Rohit was dropped for the last Test in Sydney, and Gautam Gambhir’s credentials as Test coach have come under intense scrutiny. Tactical blunders were highlighted, and some players’ form became major talking points during the series. India was already under pressure after being clean-swept by New Zealand at home for the first time ever. The Perth win might have brought some smiles and hopes of a turnaround, but that now seems like a false glimmer of hope.
There were some positives, though: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s returns with the bat, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s emergence as a handy batting all-rounder, although he needs to significantly improve his bowling, and Bumrah’s exceptional performances. But they were far too few.
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Let’s start with Perth. India were bundled out for 150 in the first innings, but a combined effort from Bumrah (five wickets), Mohammed Siraj (two wickets), and debutant Harshit Rana (three wickets) ensured Australia folded up for 104. Under 38 degrees Celsius, the Indian openers, Rahul and Jaiswal, wore down the Aussie attack with a 201-run opening stand; Jaiswal scored 161 and Rahul 77. Kohli entertained with an unbeaten 100, and Bumrah and Siraj dismantled the Aussie lineup to help India win the opener by 295 runs. It seemed like the Indian team would go for the kill and complete a hat-trick of BGT wins, but the pink-ball Test awaited in Adelaide.
Under lights, with the shiny pink ball, Mitchell Starc demolished the Indian batting unit, taking six wickets. Nitish was the only positive with a counter-attacking 42-run knock. India were bundled out for 180. In response, Australia scored 337, thanks to Travis Head’s run-a-ball 140 and Marnus Labuschagne’s 64. Though Bumrah was on fire again, picking up four wickets, the other pacers leaked runs. Cummins took charge with the ball in the second innings, taking five wickets as India were bundled out for 175, with Australia needing just 19 runs to finish the job in 3.2 overs.
The third Test at the Gabba was drawn due to rain but it revealed that the Indian bowling unit was quite ordinary without Bumrah. He took a six-for, but Steve Smith and Head’s 101 and 152, respectively, helped Australia post 445. India managed 260, with Rahul scoring 84 and Ravindra Jadeja 77. In both Adelaide and Brisbane, Rohit’s decision to bat at number six failed. The Gabba Test ended in handshakes and the significant announcement of Ashwin retiring and heading back home.
Then came the Boxing Day Test at the ‘G. India had not lost at this iconic venue in their last three visits, so there was some confidence for a comeback. However, Australia introduced Sam Konstas to the international scene, who scored 60 off 65. Usman Khawaja and Labuschagne scored half-centuries, while Smith hit another ton. Bumrah was again the sole fighter with the ball, securing another four-for, but the Indian batting unit seemed to surrender until Nitish’s fabulous 114 and Sundar’s gritty 50 rescued them from embarrassment. Labuschagne scored another 70, but with Australia at 91-6, India might have felt victory was within reach until the Aussie tail wagged.
Cummins led from the front with a knock of 41, Nathan Lyon compiled 41, and Scott Boland scored 15, which formed a part of a last-wicket partnership of 61, as Australia finished with 234. The Indian batting unit collapsed again; Jaiswal scored 84 but found no support, leading to Sunil Gavaskar’s critique from the commentary box about Rishabh Pant’s dismissal, which effectively ended India’s chances. Australia won the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs, taking a 2-1 lead.
In Sydney, fans hoped that the typical slow SCG pitch would aid India, but the curator prepared a green mamba, yet India played two spinners. Rohit ‘opted out’ due to poor form, and India were dismissed for 185. However, the Indian pace trio of Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna put up a show, getting Australia out for 181. There were hopes, but also concerns as Bumrah left for scans. The Indian batting surrendered meekly, and if not for Pant’s whirlwind 61 off 33, they would have faced complete humiliation.
With just 162 to chase for Australia, India were without Bumrah in the second innings. Siraj and Krishna leaked too many extras and boundaries, making the chase straightforward for Australia. Head and Beau Webster finished the game in the second session of Day 3, clinching the series, something that Australia had chased for a decade. Sunil Gavaskar was notably absent from the trophy presentation, where Allan Border handed over the trophy to Cummins and his team.
The Indian team left the dressing room with heads down in disappointment, while the Aussies celebrated with their families into the late evening. It was a series of blood, sweat, and tears. Australia were clinical, while India, not so much.
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