IND vs AUS: Australia crushed India by 10 wickets in the second Pink Ball Test at Adelaide, leveling the five-match series 1-1 at Adelaide Oval in a quite dominant display of cricket by the Australians. This match is the eighth straight win Australia has had at this venue under the auspices of the Pink Ball Test, where they retained their unbeaten record while playing in this day-night format.
The Indian cricket team suffered defeat at a time when they had hopes of trying to make something out of the game.
A Disappointing Morning for India
The third day of the match started with Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy at the crease. India, being behind by a huge margin, had a glimmer of hope in the form of Pant and Reddy mounting a recovery. But this hope was short-lived. Pant, who is known for his counter-attacking style, tried to accelerate India’s scoring rate from the very first over. But the Australian bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc, had set him perfect for the fall.
He consistently bowled on the leg stump line and outside off and drew Pant in with enough uncertainty to force him into a defensive shot. A well-placed ball on the line induced a forced shot from Pant and caught him behind, falling to Starc’s precise bowling.
With Pant gone, Ravichandran Ashwin needed to stabilize the innings with Reddy. Ashwin batted hard and was dismissed caught behind on a beautiful delivery from Pat Cummins. India was in grave trouble, and now it completely rested on Nitish Kumar Reddy to take India back into the game.
A Failed Counter-Attackin IND vs AUS
Reddy, who had been the bright spot of the series till now, knew that India’s only hope of survival was through counter-attacking cricket. But the pressure and the quality of Australian bowling were too much. Harshit Rana, coming in after Ashwin, could not contribute much and got out without scoring a run. This left little option for Reddy than to attack, hoping some aggressive strokes would take India past Australia’s total.
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But the counter-attacking move backfired for Reddy. Pat Cummins had anticipated Reddy’s aggressive approach and had a fielder placed on the back boundary for the ramp shot. On a bouncer, Reddy went for the shot but the fielder in the deep easily completed the catch. Reddy was visibly disappointed knowing that his shot choice had let him down at the crucial juncture.
With the last two wickets falling, India had managed a paltry lead of just 18 runs, which was easily overtaken by the Australian openers. The Australian team won the game easily and leveled the series 1-1 with very little effort in the chase.
Australia’s Bowlers Shine
In the second innings, Australia’s bowlers were clinical. Pat Cummins was the standout with five wickets and was a total nuisance to the Indian middle order. Scott Boland also did his part, taking three wickets, and Mitchell Starc’s two wickets put the finishing touches on India’s misery. The Indian team could not withstand the Australian pace attack as all 20 wickets fell in just 81 overs.
The Batting Woes of India
The Indian batting has been a concern throughout the game. They failed to produce any substantial partnerships except one fifty in the first innings. Neither of the innings had enough partnership, which exposed India’s tail and made them vulnerable against the Australian bowling. Throughout the game, India was able to produce only one fifty-plus partnership, which sums up the inconsistency and vulnerability of Indian batting.
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This is a setback for India and a resurgence for Australia
It has been a very important loss for India, especially considering their hopes to get into the World Test Championship (WTC) final. India now hopes that they will be able to win the remaining three games of the series for them to be able to proceed to the final. Well, with the Australian side back on their feet, it becomes very tough for India. Even if India wins all three remaining matches, they will depend on other results to qualify for the WTC final.
On the other hand, Australia has revived its hopes of making it to the WTC final with this crucial win. Having leveled the series, they are in a strong position to capitalize on India’s slip-ups. This victory not only boosts Australia’s confidence but also reaffirms their dominance in the Pink Ball Test format, particularly at the Adelaide Oval, where they have been nearly unbeatable in recent years.
In conclusion, this match was a tale of missed opportunities for India and a showcase of Australia’s clinical performance. With the series tied at 1-1, the next few matches promise to be crucial in deciding the fate of both teams in the World Test Championship race. For India, the road ahead is tough, and they have to find solutions to batting issues and adapt to the pink ball to have any hope of recovering in the series.
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