In less than a year India will tour Australia for five Tests but the positive vibes of their last two series Down Under have suddenly vanished into thin air. Instead, there’s concern and apprehension about Rohit Sharma’s team’s ability to pull off another memorable heist.
This may sound a bit far-fetched but the events in the opening Test in Centurion does spell hope for Pat Cummins’ team. On a lively pitch which offered bounce and lateral movement, India looked to have gone into the Test with just two pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
The remaining two, debutant Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur in his 11th Test, never lived up to expectations, failing to derive seam movement or capitalise on the uneven bounce. This meant the batters, especially Dean Elgar, put it beyond the visitors on the second day itself.
While it was known Mohammed Shami wouldn’t be available, neither the team management nor the BCCI took enough steps to acclimatise the players to the conditions. The Board dilly-dallied in offering the Rahul Dravid-led support staff an extension which contributed to the insufficient preparations.
The planning suffered, and so when Rohit’s men took the field in Centurion, they hadn’t done enough homework to counter the Proteas. The BCCI may have made the millions, courtesy IPL, but they still lack a professional set-up needed to nurture the team.
“Bumrah didn’t get the support but that happens... didn’t happen the way we would have wanted,” Rohit reasoned after the match.
There’s no doubt that Rohit’s team has failed to meet the high expectations following their exploits in Australia. In 2020-21, India won with an attack which had a combined experience of four Tests in Brisbane. Injuries to Bumrah, Shami, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had forced the think-tank to rely on rookies like T. Natarajan and Washington Sundar.
Three years later, India don’t have a substitute for Shami. The likes of Prasidh and Shardul lacked the intensity and control needed to survive on foreign shores.
Being wary of the team’s batting has allowed Shardul a long rope in every format of the game. However, there’s no scope to hide one’s limitations in Test cricket.
Since Johannesburg 2022, where he took 7/61 in the first innings, Shardul has claimed only seven wickets in as many Tests, a perfect portrayal of his dismal performance. Yet Rohit continues to trust his skills.
There was too much hope riding on Prasidh, playing a first-class match in 21 months following his back surgery. Switching from white ball to red ball isn’t always easy since not everyone is a Bumrah.
Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey will continue to be in focus. It wouldn’t be surprising if India decide to try Mukesh Kumar in Cape Town. But what should be more worrying is the lack of options. The Board needs to make an introspection.
Green, too, an ‘option’ as opener
Melbourne: David Warner may have endorsed Marcus Harris as his successor for opening slot in Tests, but Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said they are considering a lot more options while Cameron Green is also in contention.
Warner will retire from Test cricket after the third and final game against Pakistan in Sydney from January 3.
There have been a lot of debate as to who should replace Warner at pole position with the names of Harris, Green, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft doing the rounds.
“Davey’s not a selector. I remember back when he endorsed Matt Renshaw, so I think the next one will probably be Cameron Bancroft and then Cameron Green, and he’ll have all bases covered,” McDonald was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“All options will be considered. We’re not going to make the decision until the deadline, which will be the West Indies Test (in Adelaide from January 17). Green, as a discussion around who are the best six batters, has definitely been in the conversation.”
PTI