There might be a reason why the venue for the final Test of the India-Australia series was shifted from Chennai to New Delhi. And, it might well be Capital punishment for the tourists.
Sometime during India’s tour to Australia last year, it was reported that Virat Kohli had gone up to David Warner, while the latter was punishing Indian bowlers, and told him that when he would tour India, his average would drop. The statement then meant weakness and even abject surrender on the part of the Indians. But, just over a year later, it has come true. Warner is averaging 31.31 in six innings in the series against a healthy 44.44 when India had toured Australia in as many innings, And, that has been the story of the series so far as it heads to a climax at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium starting Friday.
A new look Australia have struggled on the field and even off it while the Indians have smiled as they’ve found out that winning combination and made minimum possible changes to the side, in fact just three, seniors Gautam Gambhir (before the series), Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh.
They had known before the series that only two of the top seven batsmen had experience of playing in India and if they kept their heads in place, they would go ahead and win a series. What was important was that they were thinking right.
Prior to the Australia series, India had played against England and lost at home. They had won the first Test match of the series but went down 2-1. After going 1-0 up, captain MS Dhoni had been vocal of rank turners, perhaps a reverse 4-0 was on his mind or perhaps he and the team were a little overconfident. And, may be that led to their undoing.
Though the Englishmen played good cricket, had a better batting and bowling line-up than the Australians — having the experience and the pedigree — but complacency has been a team’s undoing in cricket many a times and so the present 3-0 advantage can be a case of lesson well learnt.
India are cashing in on the vulnerability of the opposition’s inability to read the spin off the hands or even from the pitch. Be it Ravichandran Ashwin’s guile and flight or Ravindra Jadeja’s marginal-spin-wicket-to-wicket line. Pragyan Ojha’s addition in Mohali and his four wickets has added variation. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been refreshing for the hosts with his skidding deliveries that have taken the batsmen by surprise. His six wickets have all been top-order ones which have meant advantage India.
Then, the young batsmen have applied themselves. Murali Vijay is on the back of two big hundreds, Cheteshwar Pujara keeps going on, Shikhar Dhawan’s been a debut wonder while Virat Kohli has a hundred and an unbeaten 67. In seniors, Dhoni has a series changing double-hundred and Sachin Tendulkar, for a change has India’s lowest total among batsmen, even if it is 81. So bowlers are taking 20 wickets in every match and batsmen are scoring close to 500 runs in innings that matter. For now, everything’s fine.
With Dhawan out, Ajinkya Rahane after having waited for over one and a half years, could make his debut as the other opener.
On the other side, The Kangaroos have dropped players, suspended them and even had an injury which has meant that they’ve not had a crux of players in the final eleven. Nathan lyon has been in and out, so have Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson which has made the bowling department wobbly. If the top-order has been given the leverage of a few matches, they’ve not lived up to the chance. There only hundred in the series has been by number five Michael Clarke while the next best is 99 by a number nine batsman in Starc. Openers Ed Cowan and Warner would have learnt by now what there captain would have meant he has time and again said that ‘in India if you’re in, stay at the wicket’. Now though it’s become too late.
If there have been jokes on Phillip Hughes, his 6, 0, 19, 0, 2 and 69) would complement them. With Shane Watson coming in, he might sit out of Delhi Test if Clarke, who is still suffering from back spasms which makes his participation doubtful, plays. If captain stays out, Usman Khawaja could be given a go ahead or Maxwell could come in as an all-rounder.
While the Indians would be looking forward to putting a lid on a mixed season with a win saying all’s well that ends well, the visitors have shown improvement in their last match and would want to take that elusive one with them because since 2004, the Australians have not won even a single Test match in India. After Mohali Test, they’ve played nine, lost seven and drawn two.