won the first Test against Australia
by eight wickets, the same margin that they defeated England in the
first Test in Ahmedabad before going on to lose that series. Mirror looks at how the Indian team fared in the problem areas that they faced ahead of the Chennai Test.
Opening conundrum
For the first time in his career Virender Sehwag’s career-average has dipped below 50. The new pair of corrective glasses hasn’t brought him much luck. He has already lost his ODI spot and it’s going to be mighty interesting to see whether he recovers his Test form. He tried to get a start in this Test, careful not to go for any big shots, which in itself said much about his state of mind, and desire, but unfortunately, for him, he couldn’t quite do it.
It feels odd to say this after just a Test but time is running out for M Vijay. Gautam Gambhir’s shadow will engulf him if he fails in Hyderabad. Vijay has found it difficult to pace himself in international cricket. He either tries an all-out attack approach or retreats to stoic defence. In this Test he couldn’t find the middle ground also. He fell in both innings trying to be coyly aggressive.
The Tendulkar question
Has he ever hit a six in the first ball of a Ranji game let alone a Test? Those two successive sixes in the second innings, and more importantly that well-composed 81 in the first will have eased the worries after failures against England and New Zealand at home. Playing domestic cricket has clearly helped and so has that slightly open stance that he has adopted here.
Virat beats Kohli
He wasn’t a problem but in the last three series - against Australia, New Zealand and England - he only scored a hundred in the last Test. In West Indies, in 2011, he said he had hyped up Test cricket too much in his mind and could barely breathe. In Australia, in 2012, he had to prove to himself that he belongs at this level. Against New Zealand and England, he said he was too eager to perform and slipped up as a result. So, one was curious to see how he would start against Australia but he sparkled with his composure and has won the battle over his own mind.
Ashwin sorts out himself
The problem wasn’t his carom balls for rarely has he ever over-used them in Tests. The problem was how he was bowling his stock ball - the offspinner. His action makes him reliant on his clever fingers and wrists and if the body alignment at release goes wrong then the problems start - he drags the ball shorter and pushes them to middle and leg. By his own admission, he worked on that - with help from his coach Sunil Subramaniam, and rectified it. It was pleasing to see him landing so many balls on that nagging length outside off.
Harbhajan Singh puzzle
Having been chosen over Pragyan Ojha, has he done justice on such a turning track? The honest answer has to be NO. He was pretty poor in the first innings, and couldn’t overcome his nervousness about the occasion. MS Dhoni said Harbhajan was much better in the second and that he was happy with the lengths Harbhajan bowled. Nothing much will change in Australia’s team combination for the second Test a lot of left-handers will play - and will that help Harbhajan to get another go?
The Ravindra Jadeja issue
He bowled as well as he has ever done, especially in the second innings, but it’s his batting that remains a concern. Is it good enough for Tests? Can he play, and score runs, against the likes of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle? But the indications are that he will play in Hyderabad. Dhoni has said that Jadeja has to improve his batting but believes he has the talent to do so.
Ishant Sharma Chugs along
Usually Ishant Sharma manages to produce one good spell in a day but in the Chennai Test, he couldn’t produce a decent spell. The pitch, of course, wasn’t conducive to him and so he will get away without much blame. With no great contenders for his spot in the squad he will remain safe.
Is Bhuvi suitable for tests?
It’s something that’s not been answered in Chennai. He showed he can bat but that we already knew. He didn’t swing with the new ball, which was a surprise. He managed to get the ball to move with the shiny side with the oldish ball but his lack of pace made it ineffective.
With Dhoni suggesting that he is highly unlikely to go in with three regular spinners plus Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar will get another game in Hyderabad. It’s the venue where he famously handed Tendulkar his first duck in domestic cricket. So let’s see whether that proves his inspiration.
Opening conundrum
For the first time in his career Virender Sehwag’s career-average has dipped below 50. The new pair of corrective glasses hasn’t brought him much luck. He has already lost his ODI spot and it’s going to be mighty interesting to see whether he recovers his Test form. He tried to get a start in this Test, careful not to go for any big shots, which in itself said much about his state of mind, and desire, but unfortunately, for him, he couldn’t quite do it.
It feels odd to say this after just a Test but time is running out for M Vijay. Gautam Gambhir’s shadow will engulf him if he fails in Hyderabad. Vijay has found it difficult to pace himself in international cricket. He either tries an all-out attack approach or retreats to stoic defence. In this Test he couldn’t find the middle ground also. He fell in both innings trying to be coyly aggressive.
The Tendulkar question
Has he ever hit a six in the first ball of a Ranji game let alone a Test? Those two successive sixes in the second innings, and more importantly that well-composed 81 in the first will have eased the worries after failures against England and New Zealand at home. Playing domestic cricket has clearly helped and so has that slightly open stance that he has adopted here.
Virat beats Kohli
He wasn’t a problem but in the last three series - against Australia, New Zealand and England - he only scored a hundred in the last Test. In West Indies, in 2011, he said he had hyped up Test cricket too much in his mind and could barely breathe. In Australia, in 2012, he had to prove to himself that he belongs at this level. Against New Zealand and England, he said he was too eager to perform and slipped up as a result. So, one was curious to see how he would start against Australia but he sparkled with his composure and has won the battle over his own mind.
Ashwin sorts out himself
The problem wasn’t his carom balls for rarely has he ever over-used them in Tests. The problem was how he was bowling his stock ball - the offspinner. His action makes him reliant on his clever fingers and wrists and if the body alignment at release goes wrong then the problems start - he drags the ball shorter and pushes them to middle and leg. By his own admission, he worked on that - with help from his coach Sunil Subramaniam, and rectified it. It was pleasing to see him landing so many balls on that nagging length outside off.
Harbhajan Singh puzzle
Having been chosen over Pragyan Ojha, has he done justice on such a turning track? The honest answer has to be NO. He was pretty poor in the first innings, and couldn’t overcome his nervousness about the occasion. MS Dhoni said Harbhajan was much better in the second and that he was happy with the lengths Harbhajan bowled. Nothing much will change in Australia’s team combination for the second Test a lot of left-handers will play - and will that help Harbhajan to get another go?
The Ravindra Jadeja issue
He bowled as well as he has ever done, especially in the second innings, but it’s his batting that remains a concern. Is it good enough for Tests? Can he play, and score runs, against the likes of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle? But the indications are that he will play in Hyderabad. Dhoni has said that Jadeja has to improve his batting but believes he has the talent to do so.
Ishant Sharma Chugs along
Usually Ishant Sharma manages to produce one good spell in a day but in the Chennai Test, he couldn’t produce a decent spell. The pitch, of course, wasn’t conducive to him and so he will get away without much blame. With no great contenders for his spot in the squad he will remain safe.
Is Bhuvi suitable for tests?
It’s something that’s not been answered in Chennai. He showed he can bat but that we already knew. He didn’t swing with the new ball, which was a surprise. He managed to get the ball to move with the shiny side with the oldish ball but his lack of pace made it ineffective.
With Dhoni suggesting that he is highly unlikely to go in with three regular spinners plus Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar will get another game in Hyderabad. It’s the venue where he famously handed Tendulkar his first duck in domestic cricket. So let’s see whether that proves his inspiration.
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