India deserve all the accolades coming their way for the excellent manner in which they have levelled the series at 1-1, barely a week after their debacle in Adelaide. This would have to count among the great Test victories, and will be spoken of many years from now. Full marks to Ajinkya Rahane and his team for bouncing back so magnificently.

Tim Paine took the right call to bat first, even though the temptation to put the Indians in to bat would have been there. I remember Ricky Ponting and I were captain and vice-captain when we decided to put England in to bat after an England batting collapse in the preceding Test, in 2005. The England side managed to fight it out and went on to win. Every Test is a new script and Paine was right in putting his men in.

Full marks to Ajinkya Rahane for inspiring his team to bowl and field in a way that kept Australia under the pump. The Melbourne Test reinforces the problems that Australia have been having against India in their recent encounters. The hosts have crossed 300 only once in the last series as well as the first two Tests against India. In fact, they have touched 200 only once in the three completed innings so far.

The Australia support staff and team think tank would be aware of this and must be working out a solution. David Warner would be back in the side, which should be a big boost to the batting. The Australian batsmen did well last summer against Pakistan and New Zealand, so the quality is there. When Warner gets together with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, it will add depth to the Australian batting. It is now the Australian team that has a few selection headaches as they go into a break before the next Test.

This is not to take anything away from the Indians who bowled magnificently in the last Test and continued in the same vein in Melbourne. Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and debutant Mohammed Siraj were brilliant, and to have Ravindra Jadeja in the XI ensured a quality fifth bowler to add variety to the attack.

All eyes were on the Indian batting and to the credit of the selectors, they had the courage to make changes, changes that implied that they did not get things right in the first Test. They took some bold calls and each one worked well.

Shubman Gill made the most of his debut and truly looked the part as a Test opener in both innings. It is early days yet, but he certainly is extremely good to watch with his array of drives. Jadeja’s inclusion, too, was an inspired change that truly paid dividend when Yadav had to limp off after three overs.

Very often, when a leader or crucial player leaves, the entire team becomes aware of the need to pull together and ensure that they do their bit in the changed scenario. Whether it was Bumrah advising debutant Siraj or Ashwin from mid-on egging on the bowlers, Ajinkya Rahane and his men were animated and visibly involved when they fielded.

Shortly after India’s win, I called home to discuss the match with my son who said Rahane looked like a guy one would want to embrace warmly because he was so devoid of ego and aggression and ready to deflect praise and credit. He has always been a quiet, likeable and self-assured kind of guy, and his batting in this Test exuded confidence and good choices. He always seemed to have a well-thought-out plan both at the crease and when he was leading his team.

The Telegraph

There was some conjecture about where the next Test is scheduled, thanks to the evolving Covid-19 situation, and by the time you read this, a decision would have been taken. In all likelihood the teams will go to Sydney as planned, with a tightening of the bio-bubble protocol for the teams.

In the interim, it is Australia that now needs to look inwards and course correct. A word of praise for Cameron Green who was very impressive in this Test as well as for the Australian bowlers, who were impressive once again, even though several chances were spilled. The return of Warner will be a boost to the side, and in some ways the Indians too will want to face a full-strength Australia side, now that they have discovered winning ways.

For the visitors, doing well against a side that comprises both Warner and Smith will take away the asterisk that accompanies the win they achieved here a couple of years ago, when both these senior pros were out of action.

Gameplan