It is said that a week is a long time in politics. The same seems to be true of test cricket too. Just last week India won the opening test at Adelaide in the ongoing four-test series in Australia. It was a superb win which won the team a lot of appreciation. The cricket at Adelaide was enthralling and Australia made India work hard for its victory. There was even talk of a first-ever series victory in Australia.
Barely a week later India lost the second test in an abject manner the operative word being abject. Having been stung by defeat in the first test, that Australia was going to come back strongly in the second test was a given. Then how did India surrender so meekly?
Kohli, as usual scored a superb century in the first innings, his sixth in Australia. But there was little else from the other batsmen. But that India did not make Australia sweat for its victory is what is more surprising.
The Indian team management has been getting the team selection wrong with depressing regularity. It happened in South Africa, it happened in England and it happened again in Perth. Whether India would have won had Ravindra Jadeja played is a matter of conjecture. But surely once it was known that Ashwin was going to sit out the match due to the injury his automatic replacement should have been Jadeja. In the last test Jadeja played, at the Oval in summer against England, he scored 86 and took seven wickets. He must surely be wondering what more he needs to do to get into this team.
Sunil Gavaskar has already said that he is baffled by the “selection blunders” and if India goes on to lose next two tests the roles of Kohli and Shastri need to be assessed. After losing the third test at Melbourne and the series 1-1, Sourav Ganguly’s team in 2003-04 fought hard and almost won the last test at Sydney. Will Kohli’s men get inspired by Ganguly’s men?