First match India, with Kohli, in the team, trounced. All out for 36 in one innings. Now they have won in Brisbane after we declared. And this after Kohli went home for the birth of his child and they lost most of their top line bowlers. Meanwhile we were nearly at full strength.
The last time we lost at “the Gabba” was in 1988 against the Windies with – Malcolm Marshall, Patrick Patterson, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh forming the Windies’ attack.
Bloody impressive.
fentonsteve says
Even I’ve played for teams where 36 all out would be considered poor form.
dai says
I was once playing in a national cup final (one of 3 in a row), a 40 over game. We struggled when batting first and only made 101, I was pretty sure it was not enough, however we then bowled our opponents out for 29. An extraordinary day, you can find all the details in Wisden *
* possibly.
garyjohn says
Australia didn’t declare, they were bowled out both innings. That said, superb effort from India but a disastrous series for the home team. Racism in the Covid limited crowd, classless sledging from behind the wicket, Steve Smith described as a savant by his own coach and D Warner found out.
Watch now for more heads rolling than during. la Terreur.
Junior Wells says
Stand corrected. Yes bowled out.
Slug says
Terrific sport. This is why Test cricket is so much more satisfying than the 20/20 thrash fest.
Rishabh Pant was sensational but that was a truly magnificent team effort from a severely under-strength India team. To clinch the series at the Gabba, Australia’s fortress since time immemorial, and to chase down a very big total against hostile bowling, is jaw dropping. Chak De!
I have long felt that the Ashes has pretty much become a fight over a comb by two bald men, and that the real target for both England and Australia is India. They are world number one for a reason.
deramdaze says
What a game.
I couldn’t quite understand why Australia let India get so many relatively easy singles and 2s with around 5-10 or so overs left when it was clear that their only chance of not losing was to crowd the bat and try to bowl the Indian team out, something that in the end they weren’t that far from doing.
I’m not sure how the Covid violations stacked up, but the Indian supporters (all of them – not just a few) were going crazy!
dai says
Was going to post about this. Have been watching avidly from Canada, because of the time difference I did not see the conclusion but apart from the day-night test have generally been watching first 2 sessions each day in comfortable evening viewing.
A simply staggering achievement, one of the greatest ever in test cricket. I think the bowling attack in the final test had previously only played 1 or 2 tests between them, and the team had only 3 players left from the 1st Test. At times they looked to be down and out but they always fought back with incredible courage, typified yesterday by Pujara, hit at least 10 times including twice on the helmet, he just got on with the best Boycott like display since the man himself (who was scared of fast bowling). And to come back from the ignominy of 36 all out also shows immense fortitude.
Australia’s much vaunted bowling attack only functioned at 50% all series (Cummins and Hazlewood), likewise they only seem to have 2 genuine test class batsmen at the monent (Smith and Labushagne), the captain let himself down in Sydney by dropping 3 or 4 catches and then engaging in ridiculous, pathetic, humourless “sledging”. There will be much soul searching there.
Junior Wells says
Paine will not forget his “can’t wait to see you at the Gabba” comment for a longtime. Nor will India.
dai says
Yes. Langer also declared him “best wicketkeeper in the world”, looks like he missed a clear stumping chance also in the final innings.
My declaration above about their achievement was not just this game, but winning the whole series effectively with a B team.
Martin Hairnet says
Out of interest @dai what platform are you watching the cricket on in Canada? I know Willow tv offer live streaming in North America. I wouldn’t mind paying a subscription to access live Test cricket, but I’m not sure it’s even possible here in Spain. The Iberian peninsula is hardly a cricketing nexus. There’s the VPN route and all that, but not sure I want to be arsed.
dai says
DAZN has home English tests plus others, also all Premier League matches plus rugby, snooker, NFL, darts etc. They did not have this series so I had to resort to underhand means.
dai says
Also thought most Brits in Spain had satellite dishes to pick up UK TV but maybe that doesn’t work any more?
Martin Hairnet says
A new satellite with a narrower footprint was launched about seven years ago, and it screwed things up for receiving UK tv via satellite in Spain. You need at least a 3m dish now to pick up the signal in the south – not feasible. Everything’s via internet now.
dai says
Yes, I heard about that. I used to be able to get UK TV in Switzerland with a pretty small dish (80cm)
Lodestone of Wrongness says
A friend said crichd is the way to go for all sport. Ad Blocker essential (unless you really do want to chat to the charming young lady from Rumania)
dai says
Appalling website. I would not use it.
count jim moriarty says
On what basis do you recycle the urban myth that Geoffrey Boycott was scared of fast bowling?
dai says
His absence from Test cricket at the height of Lillian Thomson (sic) and the first wave of fearsome Windies pace bowlers. I admit he came back, maybe he worked on his technique.
Met him once, he was much nicer than one might imagine.
Dodger Lane says
I thought he was there when the great West Indies team were at their peak. One of his anecdotes, after being baited by Aggers, is facing Michael Holding’s opening over. He didn’t see the first 5 balls, the 6th sent him back to the pavilion.
Dave Ross says
There is a clip of that over out there. Just wonderful…
Here it is. That run up…
dai says
Which is why he subsequently took a break?
Tiggerlion says
I witnessed his hundreth hundred at Headingley 1977, his second test after his break. Thommo was in the bowling attack and he scored 191. Not bad.
duco01 says
Richard Thompson was in the bowling attack? No wonder Sir Geoffrey scored 191. I can hardly imagine the beret-wearing master guitarist being able to make one nip back off the seam.
hubert rawlinson says
Having seen Thommo play cricket, I believe he’s quite a good player, though to be honest I know nothing about the game.
count jim moriarty says
He was there when Dennis Lillee came on to the scene. He was there when Jeff Thomson left it. I’m not Geoffrey’s greatest fan (the BBC benched him at least 5 years after he became a tedious parody of himself), but to accuse him of being scared of anything on a cricket field is utterly perverse. The fact is that at the time he stepped away from test cricket, he was dealing with the death of his mother and the internal politics at Yorkshire CCC. The bowler that discomfited him at the time he stepped away was not a quick, but an Indian left arm medium pacer.
dai says
He may not have been scared of them in a physical way but I am sure he also wanted to protect his batting average …
count jim moriarty says
You say that like it’s a bad thing…
Nothing wrong with a red inker.
Dodger Lane says
Indeed so, very impressive to score 300+ runs in the 4th innings.
A silly question, possibly.
Why has The Gabba been so impregnable ? Is there any reason for this ? The English team always seems to get itself in a lather about this ground and almost seem to write it off. Obviously 2010 was the exception. I always thought Perth (the fast pitch) and Sydney (the oiks on the hill) were the grounds to fear.
Do we have such a ground in England ? Now, it’s all about Edgbaston, but Trent Bridge also has some claim to a ‘home ground’ .
dai says
Headingley used to favour the “English type” seamers but that isn’t necessarily the case any more
Junior Wells says
Perth has lost its venom from the days of Thomson and Lillee.
Sydney is typically a turning pitch and the ball tends to whizz around a lot at Brisbane favouring the quicks.
But Sydney didn’t turn that much and overall the Gabba was relatively placid. It hosted lot of Aussie Rules footy over winter maybe changing things. And the MCG is moving towards drop in pitches so I don’t know what assumptions can be made about them.
Martin Hairnet says
Slight tangent, but there is some great cricket chat to be had on Youtube. Sky did a series of lockdown zoom calls with David Lloyd, Botham, Paul Allott and others. There was a lovely Bob Willis tribute.
Dave Ross says
Sky’s cricket coverage justifies my subscription on it’s own. All their documentaries are great. Nasser in Mumbai, Nasser interviewing KP, Being Monty Panesar and one on why so few Asian children make it to the top in England to name a few. The lockdown shows you mention were an absolute lifeline for a cricket nut like me. All coverage is exceptional
Moose the Mooche says
Monty Panesar was on Uni Challenge over Christmas. Looking fairly stunned, he didn’t answer a single question, perhaps thinking of the Denis Thatcher quote about staying quiet. I sympathise.
Dave Ross says
He does seem to be struggling with what to do next. The curse of the professional cricketer. The documentary looks at why it all unravelled so quickly. That lies with Shane Warne and Monty’s sensitivity. It’s a sad tale…
bobness says
I noticed that. Said he was doing some kind of broadcasting course (at Loughborough, whom he was representing). He’s going to need to get used to being in front of the camera more if he’s to make a go of that.
Stunning performance by India. Aussies rolled over when they should’ve almost walked it home, and took it (rather predictably, sadly) badly. Leopards, anyone?
Junior Wells says
@bobbess.. Aussies rolled over … did you watch. They hammered them rekenrltkessly, so many edge or skied balls landed safe and, critically, some were droppped.
But rolled over – gimme a break.
chiz says
It’s a shame Australia have slipped so quickly back into traditional Australian cricketing values – racism, cheating and sledging. For a couple of years they managed to rise above it, but now Smith and Warner are entrenched again it’s starting to creep back.
You have to worry for England in India next month…
dai says
Racism was from the crowd, not the team, the cheating part seems to be unproven. Smith does seem to have some strange things going on his head, autism?
Junior Wells says
@Dai , it was pointed out in a focus on a player, one who had a father die while over here, a bowler, maybe Bumrah, that he was the son of an electric rickshaw driver.
In days past only those from the right schools would be considered for development. Now they are casting the net wider and deeper.
garyjohn says
Mohammed Siraj. Sloppy work Junior, please see me.
Junior Wells says
Sorry Sir, yes Sir, that’s him, big bloke with a man-bun.
garyjohn says
And of course Siraj is Muslim, so your main point about net widening is apropos. 7/10.
Sitheref2409 says
And, as was pointed out, playing a lot of India A cricket.
Dave Ross says
In the past India were always capable of posting a score but pace bowling and fielding let them down, not so now. They have been coming up on the rails and now have a definite edge in all departments. They’re first 11 is frightening, these were their 7th, 8th, 9th choice bowlers. I read a comment today from an ex Indian player about the importance of the IPL in learniing about playing under real pressure. It’s such a competitive competition. Gill and Pant are IPL superstars. They seem able to take lessons from.the short form and adapt it to the longer form. I’m not crowing too much about the Australian loss as we go to India next. It is fantastic for the game that India are where they are. This series will ensure test cricket continues to thrive after Covid. It is the best sport bar none…
dai says
India have always underachived pretty much, with a population of 1.4 billion (56 times that of Australia) and with cricket easily their no. 1 sport then they should be the best team in the world. I am guessing they never had the facilities to consistently be at the top of the sport.
Dave Ross says
You’re right. Better facilities come from the IPL money. They got their franchise cricket so right…
Junior Wells says
@Dai , it was pointed out in a focus on a player, one who had a father die while over here, a bowler, maybe Bumrah, that he was the son of an electric rickshaw driver.
In days past only those from the right schools would be considered for development. Now they are casting the net wider and deeper.
bobness says
Thus proving that the game can go from T20 to test if you have the right attitude.
BFG says
I’m going to be slightly controversial here but I think there are more parallels between 20:20 & Tests than often thought. Both forms can turn on a sixpence for different reasons. Pressure can build in tests via good bowling & plans which can deliver quick wickets. T20 pressure is built by time but can still trigger wickets. Batting under pressure in T20 is similar to Tests but one area of difference is dogging out your wicket, a Collingwoodesque scratchy 40 – 50 is often valuable in the Test context. Plus most successful T20 batsmen play proper shots & can adapt with the scoop shot etc. Bowling needs to keep it tight in T20 so the similarities are there, rather more so than the more formulaic 50 over game (World Cup Final excepted) I just love cricket which makes me a bit of a rarity, hailing from the Glasgow area!
Dave Ross says
I’ve just watched the highlights. It absolutely confirms that the win would not have happened without T20. Gill and Pant played some extraordinary shots with no fear. Pujara’s was an old school test knock. Get the combination of the two forms right and anything is possible. Another thing I thought was that after lunch when Gill really got going there was a 5th afternoon Headingley hangover feel about Australia. For it to happen once is ridiculous, twice with the same captain and bowling attack? Either way what a sporting event it was…
dai says
T20 can help in a run chase, but we can also see evidence of players getting out to deliveries that they should have left. The fields set in test cricket are also completely different. There were actually very few T20 type shots that I witnessed, just superb batting. In order to get in a position to win (100 needed off 20 overs) India batted with great concentration, technique and especially fortitude. Australia had plans but I think failed to adapt to what was happening as the game slowly moved away from them.
Junior Wells says
Adam Gilchrist used to play those sort of shots pre T20. There have been plenty of swashbuckler over the years.
Sitheref2409 says
Just to be a bit contrarian: its equally obvious that without the classic Test grind of Pujara, all the fancy T20 shots would have been for nought.
56 from 211 balls, an innings for the ages. He, quite rightly, has taken all the headlines for the moment.
dai says
Yep. More interested in protecting his wicket than himself.
Dave Ross says
Absolutely agree. My point was more about the approach to chasing 328 on a 5th day. 10 years ago a win wouldn’t have been considered. It’s an attitude shift as much as ability or different shots. As I said the combination of that fearlessness allied with Pujaras dogged refusal to be shifted was an unstoppable combination.
dai says
Yes, that is probably true. Shane Warne on the commentary thought it was on if they got to tea with not too many lost wickets. And they could then chase 150 or more in the final session. Not too many commentators agreed with him. Also the Gabba wicket seemed to get easier to play on rather than the way it normally behaves on the 5th day.
Sitheref2409 says
Best day’s sport in many a long while. I’ve seen the whole series, as well as the last NZ/Pakistan match, and India and NZ must be the two best sides around.
Pujara’s knock was incredible, and should be the stuff of legend. I didn’t get off the sofa between lunch and tea.
As I have remarked elsewhere, that match should put the nail in the 4day test match idea. A whole series came down to the last hour on the fifth day of the last test. It was so good, my American wife was engrossed, and has been across the series.
dai says
And the previous test was almost as good, also lasting 5 days.
deramdaze says
The above point about 20:20 and Test Cricket was interesting.
My first thought when 20:20 started (about 2005?) was “Well, that’s the spinners done for.”
Not true, they’ve been the most valuable players.
It’s far more nuanced than I’d imagined it would be.
That said, I’m up at 4 a.m., O.K. maybe 6 a.m., to catch the Second Test tomorrow!
Dave Ross says
Absolutely. The standard, control and skill of the spinners, especially wrist spinners is astonishing.
Regarding the test matches I feel incredibly fortunate that there are 16 more test matches for England this year. Not so for the players living in bubbles. It seems the ECB are aware and made some sensible selections for the tour of India.
count jim moriarty says
The squad announced is only for the first 2 tests. Presumably there will be some comings and goings for the last 2. Jos Buttler is leaving after the first (presumably he’ll be back for the white ball stuff).
Freddy Steady says
Oh I do love Test Match cricket. That’s all.