In the third Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane, rain spared India from what seemed to be an impending loss to the Australians. In a number of cricket series in the past, teams have been rewarded with a series victory after being spared by the Almighty via rain!
The output is:Given their escape from the pit they had dug themselves into, maybe this Indian team also has a lucky streak. With two Test matches remaining, the series is now equally split at 1-1.
One believes that two very particular occurrences from the most recent Test match may have cost Australia the advantage. One was letting the Indian lower-order batters get away with it, which made it impossible to enforce a follow-on. Relief and rejuvenation were evident on the faces of the Indian coach and players after they successfully avoided the goal by passing the magic number.
After getting bowled out for 36 runs in the first Test match in Adelaide, the 2020–21 Indian team—the last one to tour Australia—went through a similar slump. India then put up a tough show to win the following one in Melbourne and draw the Sydney Test match. After the first disaster, it was impossible to predict that India would win the last Test match and series in Brisbane.
India’s bowling display in the second innings of the match in Brisbane was the second factor contributing to their increased confidence. The fact that India took 7 wickets for 89 runs was a significant boost to their bowling unit, especially after the first-inning performance, even if Australia was aggressive in their attempt to put up a total deserving of a declaration.
It’s now a two-man show between Australia and India. Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling for India and Travis Head’s batting for Australia. The series’ ultimate result is in the hands of these two exceptional cricket players. When it comes to India, Travis Head has grown to be a significant obstacle. He has already destroyed the Indian bowling attack in the Test Championship and the ODI World Cup finals, and it seems that he enjoys doing so. He seems to be the pivot around which Australian hitting is centered. The only thing on the minds of all Indian cricket fans is the hope that the law of averages would eventually catch up with them.
In contrast, every Australian batsman appears to fear the spinner Jasprit Bumrah. He is showing himself to be the greatest in the world, and batters are moving to his music. In the Indian bowling lineup right now, he seems to be a one-man show, so India will be hoping he stays healthy for the last two Test matches.
The Indian squad may rely on a successful past. They haven’t lost in Sydney or Melbourne in the last ten years. India has won both of their previous meetings in the renowned Boxing Day Test matches at the MCG. Jasprit Bumrah has been a tormentor of Australian batsmen at the Melbourne stadium in the past, and it seems that India thrives there. Nonetheless, the Sydney stadium has been a high-scoring location. In their last three Test matches against Australia, India has drawn each time. As was previously said, the final match ended in a tie, demonstrating the incredible tenacity and will of an Indian team. All Indian players need to be aware of this story.
Regretfully, India will lose Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the main designers of that performance. One was taken aback by the BCCI and the Indian cricket think tank’s decision to allow Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s and the world’s best off-spinners, to declare his retirement during the current series. Whether or not he made the final eleven, his presence and expertise were invaluable to the team.
Although his abrupt choice to resign and return home is something that everyone should consider, one can understand his displeasure and aggravation at sometimes being benched. There are rumors that the Indian dressing room is unhealthy and that a legendary artist is not respected. After playing 106 Test matches and taking 537 wickets for India, Ashwin definitely needed a more fitting farewell than a tearful speech to his teammates.
The fact that Gautam Gambhir was allowed to return by Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar could have given the Australian team the impression that things were not going well in the Indian camp. Excuses such as a knee injury, not being selected for the starting eleven, or having already contemplated retiring before the series are all meaningless. If the wickets in Melbourne or Sydney had turned out to be turners, Ashwin’s presence and the danger he would have posed to an opponent like Australia would have been quite worrisome.
Test cricket is just for experts who can score a lot of runs and take a lot of wickets. For hitters worldwide, the retirement of two such players—Indian Ravichandran Ashwin and New Zealander Tim Southee—will undoubtedly be a relief. One doffs one’s hat to two amazing cricket players and people.
Yajurvindra Singh used to play cricket for India. The opinions are subjective.
