The main run contributor — by a huge margin I might add — had been Virat Kohli, who lacked support from the top order had led to all kinds of problems for the team. While the bowlers were magnificent in South Africa and England too, India’s batting had been pusillanimous, lacking in strength of character.
Where the Test is headed should be clearer by the time you read this newspaper on Sunday. And from there aim to rewrite history. Thanks to Pujara’s virtuosity, India’s bowlers had some total to defend, which they did superbly, sharing the spoils. Of course, cricket is a funny game, one brief session of play can turn things topsy-turvy..Six of the top seven batsmen were out trying to dominate the bowling from the word go.Point I’m trying to make in this lengthy digression is that it is never easy to beat Australia in Australia: indeed, for India this has been so difficult that they have never won a series Down Under since the start of the rivalry in 1947-48!India being bowled out for 250 in the first innings at Adelaide after winning an important toss, therefore, seemed ominous.But I reckon if India’s batsmen can bat out two sessions and swell the lead to 300-325, they would put the team in a strong position to win this match.In 1977-78, for instance, Australian cricket was ravaged by the Kerry Packer circus and left with a clutch of young and untested players for the series against India led by Bishan Singh Bedi. That five-Test rubber was one of the keenest and most entertaining among the two countries, Australia finally prevailing 3-2 in a ding-dong battle that had fans in thrall.The only known faces were skipper Bobby Simpson, who at 42 was called out of retirement to help Australia tide over the crisis, and Jeff Thomson who had opted out of the Packer Series.The lead was nominal in literal value, but had enormous psychological importance, as play on Saturday was to show.Then in 2003-04, Australia were hamstrung by injuries to main wicket-takers Glen McGrath and Shane Warne (though the batting was at its strongest), and the series was squared 1-1. But Allan Border led a team of rookies to thwart the ambitions of Kapil Dev’s powerful Indian side.It wasn’t to be.
