Another under 3-day Test and another massive win for India. Following their victory by an innings and 132 runs at Nagpur, India triumphed by six wickets at Delhi in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
These Tests had interesting similarities:
- Both these 5-day Tests lasted for only two and half days, India winning by big margins to lead 2-0.
- As this is a four Test series, India has now retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
- Spin king Ravindra Jadeja was made Person of the Match in both the Tests. He captured 5 for 47 and 2 for 34 in Nagpur, and 3 for 68 and 7 for 42 in Delhi. He also scored 70 runs in the Nagpur Test. Amazing all-round consistency.
A real “TEST” of character this match turned out to be with both teams having their moments.@MdShami11 was brilliant in the 1st innings. Axar & Ashwin’s partnership brought India back into the game and @imjadeja literally “TURNED” the match in our favour in the 2nd.#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/45BEJG8fpq
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 19, 2023
- Australians won the toss and decided to bat, both at Nagpur and Delhi.
- Australian batters flopped in the second innings of both these Tests; bowled out for 91 at Nagpur and shot out for 113 in Delhi, losing their last nine wickets for 48 runs in Delhi.
- In the four innings in this series so far Australia has totaled 644 runs for 40 wickets at 10 runs per batsman. In four innings India totaled 780 runs for 24 wickets at 32.5 runs per batsman. Thus the Indian bats have been twice as successful.
- The only centurion in the series so far is India’s skipper and opener Rohit Sharma.
- How’s this for a numbers trivia: at one stage on the first day of the second Test against at Delhi last Friday, Australia’s score was in a perfect numerical order from 1 to 6. Australia was then 123 for 4 with opener Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 56.
- The only consolation for Australia was when they led India by one run in the first innings of the Delhi Test; Australia 263, India 262.
- Lower order batsman Axar Patel shone with the bat; hitting 84 runs in the first innings at Nagpur and 74 runs in the second innings at Delhi. In both these innings he had valuable partnerships with Ravichandran Ashwin.
- Ashwin and Jadeja have been outstanding all-rounders in the series so far.
- Playing his 100th Test India’s Cheteshwar Pujara hit a four to enable India to win the Delhi Test and with it the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
My humble advice to Pat Cummins
You and your batsmen have to change mindset. You landed in India convinced that India will prepare spin tops and you will fail to score runs and lose. Yes, the pitches did take spin, but you have an outstanding off-spinner in Nathan Lyon and other young turners. As also world-class batsmen.
Remember how India’s skipper and opener Rohit Sharma attacked from the first ball he received. The Indian bats were not psyched as badly as yours have been.
And please, please tell your desperado batsmen not to reverse sweep as often as they do. To do so before your eye is in, is equivalent to committing suicide.