Matthew Kuhnemann‘s extraordinary performance on the first day of the Australia–India third Test at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday will go down in cricketing history – he took a sensational five wicket haul, returning with figures of 9-2-16-5. Senior spinner Nathan Lyon backed him up with impressive figures of 3/35 from his 11.2 overs as Australia gained control of the match. This was an especially remarkable feat for Kuhnemann considering it was his debut match against one of international cricket’s toughest teams; the 20 year-old performed admirably and certainly left an impression on all watching spectators. The young Australian succeeded in setting a ball rolling – will this be followed by Australian victory? Only time shall tell!
The opening match of the Australia vs India Test series was filled with unexpected surprises. It all started with India winning the toss and deciding to bat, which seemed like a good idea at first. They were unable to take the initiative from this position, however, as the team was dismissed for only 109 runs in reply, a small total that surprisingly shocked not only India but also fans across the country. Australia then came in and took full advantage of the situation by reaching 156/4 by stumps on Day 1, putting them in an advantageous position of leading by 47 runs. This result shows just how unpredictable Test cricket can be; one minute you can be in control, and then it can suddenly slip away from you when you least expect it.
It was a difficult few days for India’s batting in the Nagpur Test, with only Rohit Sharma scoring a century to offer any real resistance. The rest of the team ultimately crumbled, succumbing to an embarrassing 33.2 overs before being bowled out without really putting up a fight. It is clear that India’s batting woes are far from over and they will need to find quick solutions if they hope to have any chance of winning this series. Perhaps changing their approach or relying more on insight and experience will help them break through this current lull and get back to playing successful cricket.
On Wednesday in Indore, many of the Indian batsmen appeared to have adopted a rather aggressive approach to batting on a pitch that was spinning regularly and keeping low at times. The Indians paid dearly for their audacity when captain Rohit Sharma took a gamble, dancing down the track to confront Matthew Kuhnemann only to be out stumped for 12 off 23 balls as he was beaten by the bounce and turn of the left-arm spinner’s deliveries. This incident offers a lesson in the importance of adjusting one’s approach depending on match conditions, so as not to fall into unreasonable risks.
Shubman Gill, who recently replaced KL Rahul in the Indian test team, had a short but eventful outing against Australia on Day 5 of the 4th test match. In just 18 balls he scored 21 runs featuring three boundaries and looked solid at the crease. Unfortunately for India, Steve Smith caught him in the first slip and Gill’s contribution was cut short. The left-arm spinner, who dismissed Gill, also went on to claim the wickets of Shreyas Iyer (0), Ravichandran Ashwin (3) and Umesh Yadav (17), denying India any chance of victory. It was a disappointing finish for Team India – though Saurabh Tiwari‘s stoic defiance gave them a glimmer of optimism.
Virat Kohli faced a daunting task at bat during the first Test Match against Australia. As a right-handed middle order batsman, he was up against the experienced Todd Murphy, who is renowned for his clever bowling variations. Kohli stood firm in the face of multiple deliveries, managing to score 22 runs in just 52 balls with two excellent boundary shots. However, eventually his fortunes changed as Murphy produced an exquisite spinning delivery that beat him in both pace and flight, causing an LBW that ended his innings. Despite the defeat, it was great to see such talent from Kohli still showcased on the international stage.
India’s run chase in their latest match looked bleak as the team found themselves at a worrying 82 runs from 51 overs still needing 19 more to reach the milestone of 100. It certainly was not looking like they would be able to do it. However, one man had something else in store — Umesh Yadav, who stepped up to the challenge and brought some special hitting to take them past the triple figure score. His brilliant display of 13 balls saw him score 17 runs with two sixes and a boundary, securing India’s victory.
A frustrating day for the Indian bowling unit indeed, as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel unfortunately failed to deliver in both batting and bowling departments. After failing to register a decent score with the bat, all three bowlers were unable to make a strong impact on opposition batsmen later in the day. It goes without saying that this was not what Team India had expected from the premier trio of all-rounders, who have delivered match-winning performances multiple times in past. The team will now be expecting an improved performance from the famed trinity when they take the field next time.
After a shocking batting performance on the opening day, there was hope that the Indian bowling attack would be able to do something to counter Australia’s dominance in this match. Fortunately, Ravindra Jadeja had other plans and he took all four wickets on which Australia had lost so far in their first innings, taking great advantage of the conditions at play. However, even with Jadeja’s brilliant bowling display, Australia were still able to put up a total larger than India’s own first innings score; this leaves India facing an intimidating 47-run deficit, and no doubt playing near the back of all their minds will be the knowledge of how poorly they performed with their bat.
Usman Khawaja proved to be the star of the match for Australia, powering his team’s innings with an innings of 60 from 147 balls. He kept the runs ticking over; pushing a total four boundaries in his duration on the pitch – allowing him to put together a solid 96 run partnership along with Marnus Labuschagne. His able performance created a platform upon which Australia was able build a strong lead and ultimately take the game. It was thanks to this strong foundation that his team was able to secure a positive result.
Marnus Labuschagne, the first Australian to be dismissed for fewer than 50 runs in his debut Test as captain, endured a difficult outing at the crease. He faced 91 balls before being removed by Ravindra Jadeja who sent him packing with only 31 runs on the board. In contrast, permanent skipper Steve Smith accumulated 26 runs from 38 deliveries with four boundaries to his name before he was unfortunately dismissed by the same bowler. Although both men experienced an unfortunate day in the office, Australia will no doubt take solace in Smith’s powerful batting display and hopeful look ahead to a much more victorious future under Labuschagne’s captaincy.
Australia’s fortunes in the match deteriorated rapidly as play resumed on day four. India’s bowlers had found their mark and three early wickets brought them back into the contest. Facing a mammoth task of remaining firm at the crease and rescuing their team, Peter Handcomb and Cameron Green stepped up to the plate. The duo held their ground magnificently on an increasingly difficult batting surface and put up a 126-run partnership. By stumps, they fought time successfully while keeping Australia ahead in the match with just more than 20 overs left to face.
