IND vs AUS: India, who are currently playing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, are looking to fancy their chances to see themselves off to the third consecutive WTC final.
India won the opening BGT game at the Optus Stadium in Perth when Indian bowlers wreaked havoc in Australia and earned India’s greatest-ever victory on Australian soil. Following India’s iconic 295-run victory, the hosts came from behind and earned a 10-wicket victory at Adelaide.
Now India is in a tough spot as they have dropped two places to the third spot on the WTC standings. India, now in the quest for their first WTC final, will have to secure victory in the BGT with at least a 3-1 margin.
After India batters failed to dominate in the pink-ball test at Adelaide, even the likes of pace bowlers, who were the real stars at Perth, failed to enhance their role over the Aussie batters.
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Bumrah emerged as the Player of the Match at Perth
Jasprit Bumrah, who also captained the Indian side at Perth in the absence of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, helped the Men in Blue secure a massive win with his unique bowling antics.
After India got out in the first inning for a score of 150, the bowlers bounced back by dismissing Australia for just 104 runs as Bumrah picked a 5 in the innings.
Later, when Indian batters scored runs in their second innings, as Jaiswal and KL Rahul initially set the tone with a huge opening stand and were followed by Virat Kohli’s stunning resolute, the Indian bowlers with full confidence once again had their go at the Aussies before securing the mammoth win.
On this occasion, Bumrah was well assisted by pacers in a supportive role, which included both Mohammad Siraj and debutant Harshit Rana, who made a big impact on his first-ever test match.
Indian bowlers had no answer for Travis Head’s onslaught at Adelaide
Next in the second test at Adelaide, when India once again failed to score runs in their first inning, Mitchell Starc continued his form with the pink ball with a 6-for.
However, this time around the day didn’t go as desired for the Indian bowlers, as Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne put on a stunning resilience to see off Australia to the end of the day.
On the second day of the Test, Travis Head gave it back to the Indian bowlers as he scored 140 runs from just 141 balls. Head scored runs against every Indian bowler, including Bumrah, only until Siraj got him off with a yorker, but until then the carnage was done.
Harshit Rana was the biggest flop among Indian bowlers in the first inning, while India was troubled to pick wickets at regular intervals while also not being able to exert pressure on the opposition as he kept leaking runs at one end.
Who can be the 3rd pacer picked for Gabba?
Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, who is now back and performing in the nets, are seemingly confirmed for the India playing XI at the Gabba test.
While Akash Deep has been recently seen as India’s most often picked third pacer, Harshit Rana, owing to his high pace, was considered to be the first preference on the Australian tracks.
With no decision made by the NCA or the BCCI over Mohammed Shami travelling to Australia, Akash Deep, known for his swing bowling ability and sublime accuracy, can be the choice for the coach.
However, Prasidh Krishna, who was stunning as India’s third pacer during the practice games played in Australia against Australia A, has an acute pace and can toil the batters for runs. Krishna can be the most ideal pick among bowlers, with Morne Morkel also liking pace on the tracks of Gabba. Krishna, with his lanky physique, can often be seen hitting the deck hard.
