Immediately after 36 in Adelaide, India made four changes for the second test underway in Melbourne. The visitors also had a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane who hit a new position at No. 4. So far, all the substitutions have had a positive impact.
What impact has Rahane had?
His captaincy – bowling changes, field placements, positivity and calm – was one of the reasons India was able to knock Australia out for 195 in its first innings. From Shane Warne to Virender Sehwag, everyone praised Rahane’s captaincy. But if India needed Rahane the captain on the first day, on the second day, they needed Rahane the batter even more, especially in the absence of Virat Kohli. The patron led from the front with a splendid century.
Rahane at no. 4 is very different from Kohli. The Mumbai hitter has a different approach to hitting. He’s old school and believes in biding his time and waiting to strike when the bowlers get tired.
“Give the bowlers the first session, the next two will be yours,” that’s Sunil Gavaskar’s mantra for test hitting. This is also still modeled after the ‘Mumbai Batting School’. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, Rahane hugged him.
He hit the fold with India on 2/61 and Pat Cummins in the middle of a fantastic spell. It soon became 64/3. Rahane took 17 balls to score his first run, but intentions were not lacking. His footwork was decisive. It reached its half century in 111 balls, while its 12th test century came with 195 deliveries – the hit rate was steadily increasing. He gave the first hour to the bowlers. The rest of the day belonged to him.
This was Rahane’s first overseas test 100 since his 102 against the West Indies at North Sound in August 2019. His away test average, 46.06, and eight hundred, comfortably surpasses his local test average, 39.28. This is a rarity in Indian cricket. Sunday (December 27) his century helped India gain a significant advantage in the test.
“He is one of those who leads by example. Hardworking, great work ethic, wonderful hundred this, ”Gavaskar said at 7Cricket. “Well deserved, it’s a sensational 100 Test Match under a lot of pressure as captain after what happened in Adelaide,” Ricky Ponting, Rahane’s trainer at Delhi Capitals, commented on the channel.
How did Shubman Gill do?
The replacement for Prithvi Shaw had a difficult period to hit on the first day. The rookie took some time to calm down, shaved a bit, but Gill landed some lovely shots during his hit. Gill, a strong back player, played the horizontal bat hits well. Both Cummins and Josh Hazlewood gave it some steamy moments Sunday morning, and finally Cummins got his wicket with a full delivery off the stump. But a 45 of 65 balls meant Gill kept the score going.
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What has been the impact of Rishabh Pant?
He replaced Wriddhiman Saha in his hitting skills and made a shocking contribution, if it was a cameo. Cummins was making the ball talk in his first spell, he had Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara within five deliveries, and at 116/4, it was anyone’s game.
After the drink break in the second session, Pant took on Cummins, collecting two and a pair of four in a row. It was then that the game began to change. A four from Nathan Lyon played a major role in eliminating roulette from the attack. In the end, he got a Starc delivery that was a little short and off the stump. But this is how the southpaw plays his cricket. Pant’s 29 with 40 balls and his 57-run fifth wicket berth with Rahane helped India take the lead.
What about Ravindra Jadeja’s contribution?
Eyebrows had been raised when Jadeja was hired as Kohli’s replacement. But the southpaw has improved his hitting to the point where he could now be considered a specialty hitter. The last dance before tea was a good example.
Starc made a back part of a length and Jadeja, on tiptoe, dropped it almost at her feet. It was a fascinating cricket game; something any top hitter would have been proud of. Jadeja’s 40 are not out and an unbroken 104-run partnership on the sixth field with Rahane threatens to take the game away from the hosts.
Did Mohammed Siraj have a good debut?
In the recent past, Indian seamstresses, save for Jasprit Bumrah, have staggered when they debuted overseas with tryouts. Jaydev Unadkat made his debut against South Africa at Centurion in 2010, which remains his only test so far. Pankaj Singh made his test debut against England at Southampton in 2014, and his international career came to a halt after two tests in that series.
Siraj stepped into Mohammed Shami’s shoes and tipped the scales in favor of India with the crucial lands of Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green.
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