New-look Australia hoping to put pressure back on India as third Test begins today
INDORE: A new-look Australia are hoping to "slow things down" and "apply themselves enough", in the words of captain Steve Smith, in order to put India under pressure in the third Test. The hosts, who have again prepared a "dry pitch" which Smith felt could be amenable to some serious turn, are hoping to play with fire one more time and not get burned.
Amid all the doom and gloom and self-recrimination which has followed Australia's dramatic collapse on the third morning of the Delhi Test, it is wise to recall that India were 139/7 in the first innings at the Kotla after Australia had made 263. Take away the Indian lower order's stubborn resistance and the story could have been very different for Australia, who will be boosted by the return of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc for this Test.
Starc is a straight swap for Cummins while Green will likely replace Matt Renshaw. Add the three spinners in the mix, some unpredictable bounce and turn and it is clear there will be no free lunches on either side, as India captain Rohit Sharma is all too aware.
"That's the beauty of all the pitches we are playing in," Rohit said. "It can happen to us as well, not just them. I was talking to Rahul bhai (coach Dravid) the other day and I told him in Nagpur I played close to 200 balls and I never felt that I was set. Because when you are playing on pitches like these, it takes one ball to grip a little more than you expect, or just one ball to keep a little low, and you're out.
1/10:3rd Test: India set to go for the kill against Australia
IANS
2/10:3rd Test
<p>India face Australia in the 3rd Test in Indore from Wednesday and yet again one of the biggest talking points is the pitch at the Holkar Stadium.</p>PTI
3/10:Varying properties of the soil
<p>It is becoming increasingly exasperating for visiting batsmen to read the pitches in India, the varying properties of the soil from one venue to another, the extent of wear and tear.</p>PTI
4/10:Advantage India
<p>This leads to the kind of crippling doubt and injudicious strokeplay that has blighted Australia’s campaign so far in this series.</p>PTI
5/10:Under-cooked pitches
<p>These supposedly undercooked pitches have sometimes failed to serve up the expected diet of poisonous turn and toxic natural variation. </p>PTI
6/10:The pitches
<p>But the pitches have controlled the narrative, sometimes even undermining the efforts of India’s excellent attack. </p>PTI
7/10:Spin-friendly home conditions
<p>Such surfaces have been the focal point, along with the precise, penetrative and relentless attack, of India’s complete domination and mastery of spin-friendly home conditions. </p>PTI
8/10:Mastery of Indian bowlers
<p>The mastery of Indian bowlers has meant the top order has often had to sacrifice its hunger for big, easy home runs in the quest for victory. </p>IANS
9/10:Home streak
<p>India have won 15 consecutive home series in a streak stretching back to February 2013 and are leading 2-0 in this four-game series heading into Indore. </p>IANS
10/10:Formidable task for Aussies
<p>The Aussies are up against a formidable Indian attack which knows how to intelligently exploit home conditions. </p>PTI"On pitches like these you are never in. It is the same for us as well. What happened to them can happen to us. There have been talks about how we need to be mentally on the ball, every ball that we play. We cannot take it for granted. We cannot take it lightly. We need to keep that discipline going."
That means X-factor spinners Ashwin and Jadeja will do the heavy lifting once again but as Rohit said, "Ashwin and Jadeja know that you just keep it there and try and create that pressure and let the pitch do something for you. That doesn't give us any guarantees that we are going to roll them over in one session."
India do have a lot to play for, with not only a World Test Championship Final berth but also the series and the No. 1 rank at stake.
Australia, then, must shed the sense of fatalism and adapt, something Smith has already sensed. He talked about his team's stubborn penchant for the sweep on the variable bounce of the Kotla as a mistake but also backed some of his men to play that shot again here, on a different surface.
"We don't have to play at such a high tempo, risky tempo. Because we had them where we wanted them, and we just rushed. We've got ourselves into some good positions but not really been able to take advantage. Hopefully we can rectify that here," Smith said.
As Mike Tyson famously said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." For Australia, it will be all about avoiding a collapse against a relentless Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar. That means more pressure on Smith and Labuschagne to bat long. India, meanwhile, must sort out whether to back Shubman Gill as Rohit's opening partner and drop KL Rahul.
Gill turned up for nets again on match eve, the third day in succession here. Is that an indication he might get a game, especially with the struggling Rahul having been relieved of vice-captaincy duties?
Rohit revealed nothing. "I said after the last game as well when we talk about players going through a tough time, anyone with potential will be given enough time to prove themselves. Being vice-captain or being not vice-captain doesn't actually tell you anything. We want to keep it interesting for you guys."
