This four-match series was never going to be easy for Australia. But not many would’ve thought it would be such a nightmare for the number-one-ranked Test team. In the first two matches so far, India completely outplayed the Aussies in all departments. Is there still a way for them to make a comeback?
Australia has looked like an unbeatable team at home. They even did well in most of their away matches too. However, the challenge that India poses is surely not what they have been up against thus far.
The pitches were always going to be spin-friendly. From conditions to pitches, everything was supposed to be in favour of the hosts, and Australia must have known it well before taking the flight to India. Then why have they looked clueless in the first two matches?
Cricket is a lot about mind games, too. It seemed the Aussies were a bit too drawn away by the pitch debate. In order to overcome the spin threat, they probably lost the plot. At the end of the day, no matter what the surface offers, the fight has to be fought with a bat and a ball.
After a horrible outing in the first Test at Nagpur, one hoped that Australia would have learned a lesson. They did seem to have improved as they took a narrow 1-run lead in the first innings. The initial attacking display in the second innings got everyone thinking. They were in control. The only way they could have lost the Test was by giving it away themselves.
And guess what? They did exactly the same. From being 82-2, they rattled out on a meagre 113 runs. The pitch did help spinners, but was it so unplayable? Not at all. There was enough for batters too, which Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne had already displayed.
Now, with two down already, what’s the way out for Australia to make a comeback? If you ask me, they need not do anything extraordinary. If they just go back to the basics, they could do much better than what they have done so far.
It’s not that Australian batters lack technique, maybe spin-play needs a bit of improvement, but it has more to do with their mental state. Most of the batters got out to straight deliveries or simply by throwing it around. They need to find a way to not be over-aggressive or too defensive.
Bowling has already been disciplined, it is just the batting that Australia has to improve. Both Indore and Ahemadabad pitches wouldn’t be easy to bat on but if Australia goes with a positive mindset, we might still get to see a good couple of Test matches.
