The first match of the series Down Under, everybody will agree, was a triumph for Test cricket. But India will rue their laxity in concentration and purpose that allowed Australia to pull off a sensational 48-run win. With victory within grasp, India’s batting caved in unexpectedly, inexplicably. There was some bad luck with the umpiring no doubt, but in my opinion, it was senseless batting in the post-tea session on the last day — a mix of false bravado and panic — that was the bigger setback.
To lose 8 wickets for 73 runs and in just 19 overs betrays a somewhat delinquent approach to a task. True, batting on the last on a wearing pitch is never easy. But with the bowlers and fielders totally subdued by Kohli and Vijay, the road seemed clear — only to see the remaining batsmen lose their heads. Where India lost focus and composure, Australia were rewarded for holding their nerve, perseverance and deep desire to win.
One can’t be overly critical of a young team playing overseas under a first-time captain that had fought so hard and magnificently right through the match. But well-deserved accolades and well intended commiserations can’t alter the scorebook. Fact is India are no one-down instead of being one up. This will come to bite the players, as it should. It is not often that India have found themselves in such an advantageous position overseas in the past few years. A win here would have mean getting over a psychological hump, as it were, which was squandered.
The challenge to overcome this will now become greater. The Aussies have sensed a vulnerability about the Indian team which they will seek to exploit in the remaining matches. Is there a remedy to the situation? There is. But apart from quick regrouping and hard work in the nets, it also requires some serious soul-searching and self-disciplining. As a contest, the match was gripping, as a spectacle stirring. The flavour and texture which defines the thrill, romance and vicissitudes of the five day format were in evidence right through, with sudden twists and turns in the last session when every result was possible, climaxing in a sensational win for the Aussies.
Phil Hughes’s unfortunate death had left the sport soaked in sentimentalism when the match began. But by the time it ended, everybody was left raving about the glory and joy of Test cricket, memories of the tragedy receding rapidly. Wherever he is now, Hughes would have been delighted. It was also a game flush with outstanding individual performances by batsmen more than bowlers given the nature of the pitch, of course, as six centuries over the five days would testify. From all these two performances stand out Nathan Lyon’s 12 wickets and Kohli’s two centuries.
Lyon’s was a tireless, virtuoso display on a pitch where the bat dominated. Classically orthodox, he flighted the ball fearlessly, and with astute variations in line and length probed the batsmen continuously. He may have just come of age as a match-winner. Despite not being man of the match and finishing on the losing side, Kohli was for me the Test’s outstanding performer. His second inning century was a tour de force. He defended with aplomb and counter-attacked with vigour, almost snatching an improbable victory.
While some of his tactics in the field could be questioned (he perhaps overbowled Karn Sharma in the second innings), Kohli’s involvement in the game and his players was intense and total, the body language strong. The fact that he made two centuries shows that the pressure of captaincy only made him do better.In many ways, this could be a turning point in his career. In sport you are neither born great nor can greatness be thrust on you: it can only be achieved.Kohli is pounding hard on the doors of the hallowed pantheon where the greats of the game reside.
