Australia brace for Jasprit Bumrah impact in day-night Adelaide Test

Forget Adelaide 2020 and that aberration that was 36 all out. Yes, it was not long ago that India were bowled out for 46 – their lowest total at home – by New Zealand in Bengaluru, but the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting December 6 in Adelaide pits a steelier visiting team against Australia. And the main difference is the absolute hold over Australia’s jittery batting lineup that Jasprit Bumrah currently has. 

Missing Rohit Sharma, India were led by Bumrah in the series opener in Perth and pulled off a scarcely believable victory after 17 wickets fell on the opening day. Bumrah was front and center of India’s 295-run win at Optus Stadium with eight wickets, five of which came as Australia’s top five capitulated in 10 overs to the master pacer’s wiles. And now, under pressure and with player concerns, Australia’s struggling top order must contend with the top-ranked Test bowler under lights at Adelaide Oval. 

No matter where your loyalties lie, Bumrah versus Australia looms as a potentially series-deciding contest. 

More than his 10 wickets from three prior pink-ball Test matches – at a terrific 14.50 apiece, mind you – it is Bumrah’s development since the tour to Australia in 2020-21 that sets him apart from all others. He was superb then before he missed the Brisbane game, but after two injury setbacks the 30-year-old has gained so much that today he has no peer when it comes to Test cricket. 

Just look at how he had Australia’s batsmen, from the debutant Nathan McSweeney to the veteran Steve Smith, hopping and swaying and generally in confusion as to how to counter his bowling in Perth. And now in Adelaide, with a pink ball in his hands, and bowling from twilight into the night, Bumrah’s threat will be amplified. 

In comparison to the traditional red ball, the pink ball has swung in the air and nipped off the deck more exaggeratedly as floodlights have started to come on in the evening. This makes decoding Bumrah and his quirky action tougher, with Travis Head jokingly commenting this week, when asked how to cope with the fast bowler, that none of his team-mates were “coming to me for batting tips, that’s for sure”. 

And let’s not forget that in January of this year, West Indies pulled the floor from underneath Australia’s feet thanks to a stellar performance from fast bowler Shamar Joseph. 

India look unlikely to change their pace attack, which means Nitish Reddy remains the fourth seam option. Ravichandran Ashwin could get the nod ahead of Washington Sundar, but the latter’s batting appears to be valued more. Also, Ashwin did not feature in India’s rain-hit tour match versus an Australian PM’s XI in Canberra. 

The bigger focal point is where India will bat Rohit, who dropped down to No 4 in the tour game and made three runs from 11 deliveries. Common sentiments are that KL Rahul must open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal after featuring in India’s first Test double-century opening partnership, and Shubman Gill’s 50 in Canberra looks to have settled the debate over his availability. Rohit has not batted in the middle order since 2019, but if the team wants Rahul to open then the captain will have to slot in after Virat Kohli. 

Rahul was asked about his batting role before the match and replied by saying that he had been told what his position is, but that he was under instructions to not reveal anything. The cloak of secrecy has been pulled tighter by the Indian team management. 

Australia, missing Josh Hazlewood, have replaced him with Scott Boland whose home Test record is stellar, albeit with a small sample size. Six Test matches, 28 wickets at 12.21 each is impossible to ignore with Hazlewood – who claimed 5/8 the last time Australia met India under lights at Adelaide Oval – out injured. According to Nathan Lyon, who addressed the media on Wednesday, Mitchell Marsh will bowl in Adelaide, if need be, despite concerns over his fitness after he bowled 17 overs in Perth.

Lyon himself anticipates spin to play a role in Adelaide as the Test progresses. He cited a recent Sheffield Shield match at the venue, during which South Australia’s legspinner Lloyd Pope bowled his team to victory over Victoria with six wickets. 

Australia have won 11 of their 12 day-night Test matches – their only loss came earlier this year when Joseph stunned them in Brisbane – and they now brace for impact from Bumrah under lights in Adelaide. 

Lose, and Australia will be 0-2 down in the five-Test series and needing a miracle to win the trophy that India have defended since 2017. Win, and Cummins’ team will be level on 1-1 heading to the Gabba, which could potentially change the tone of the BGT. A cracker awaits us in Adelaide. 

India likely XI: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rohit Sharma (capt), 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar/R Ashwin, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj 

Australia XI: 1 Nathan McSweeney, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland