India smash Australia to retain BGT, tighten grip on WTC final

The denouement was swift. Too swift, in fact. In 87 minutes on Sunday at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, fondly remembered by countless cricket fans as the erstwhile Feroz Shah Kotla, the Australian team lost nine wickets for 53 runs to be bowled out for 113.

If losing ten wickets in one session on the third day of the first Test in Nagpur was where Australia were shoved out of that match, then the morning session of day three in Delhi was eerily familiar. With a lead of 62 and Travis Head purring in his new role as opener, the visiting team would have expected to lose some wickets to spin on a track playing low, but also should have backed themselves to move to a position from where they could bury India and level the series. Like say, by marching on to a lead of 225 which, on a dicey surface and India’s obvious frailties against spin, could have been match-winning.

Instead, as soon as Ravichandran Ashwin found Head’s edge in the first over of the day, the remaining Australian batsmen began to panic. All out for 113 before lunch and shaking hands with their victors midway during the afternoon session. It made for stunning viewing, as batsman after batsman perished to their own insecurities. All Ashwin and his wrecking ball of a partner Ravindra Jadeja had to do was land the ball in front of the stumps; the jittery Australians found ways to get themselves out. On air, Matthew Hayden winced when describing Australia’s capitulation as “a disaster”.

Steve Smith, a terrific player of spin, seemed so unsure of what to do that he quickly resorted to sweeping. But this wasn’t the Smith we are accustomed to. The forceful sweep against Ashwin that brought about his exit on 9 was a strange kind of shot, almost as if Smith was frustrated at the prospect of batting for time. The panic, it seemed, had set in.

Marnus Labuschagne, ranked No 1 in Test cricket but who has scored over 73% of his career runs in Australia, came to the crease and immediately took to sweeping and reverse-sweeping. Quick to realise this, Jadeja pulled back his length and presto, here came the wicket. Criminally, Labuschagne went back in his crease and the ball, clocked at almost 100kmph, scooted under his bat to hit the stumps.

Matt Renshaw, only batting because of David Warner’s concussion, swept at five of the eight deliveries he lasted and was out to Ashwin on this very shot. The man who batted so wonderfully during Australia’s first innings, Peter Handscomb, edged to Virat Kohli at slip for zero. And what shot Pat Cummins played to be bowled first ball … Well, that only he can explain. That horrendous brain fade from Australia’s captain underlined just how big a letdown he has been for the team on this tour. Four wickets had fallen in 11 runs without a run scored.

Having looked on at this collapse from the non-striker’s end, Alex Carey proceeded to expose all three stumps and was bowled reverse-sweeping Jadeja. This was the third time in four innings that Carey has been out in this manner. He can keep saying that he’s going to back himself to play such shots, but surely a team’s plans cannot include such ridiculous attempts.

Jadeja, literally chuckling his way to the bowling crease, claimed the last five wickets, of which four were bowled, to end with his best Test figures of 7 for 42. Ashwin, who had triggered this manic session, had 3 for 59. Axar Patel, who can rightfully feel aggrieved for not being adjudged Player of the Match for his pivotal innings of 74 the day before, was not even required to bowl.

Set 115 to retain the BGT, India lost four wickets including the needless run out of Rohit Sharma for 31 off 20 balls, but kept their wits to finish the job well before the scheduled tea interval. The way their spinners have tormented Australia’s jittery batsmen in successive matches, and particularly on the third day when pace has not been required, might yet prompt India to drop one of their two fast men for a batsman come the Indore Test match. Because in each of their three innings so far, India have been let down by too many batsmen. How often can they rely on Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar to bail them out?

In less than six days, Rohit’s team retained the BGT and tightened their grip on the World Test Championship final. Australia are still on top of the WTC points table, but this loss has slashed their percentage tally to 66.67% and India have moved to 64.06% while increasing the gap on third-placed Sri Lanka (53.33%). After the Delhi Test, only these three teams remain in contention for the WTC final on June 9 because the result has pushed South Africa out of the race.

India can secure their place at The Oval by winning the Indore Test that starts March 1, while a win for Australia will seal their passage. On the basis of what we’ve seen in successive matches in this series, the Australians have a potentially insurmountable challenge ahead of them.