Awesome Aussies clinch Border-Gavaskar Trophy in style
And so it ended, at 11.28 a.m. Adelaide time, India's second successive 4-0 clean sweep overseas; this is a team that achieved great things — even if it might have fallen short of greatness — but the pity is you wouldn't know it from these eight Tests.
Australia needed less than an hour on Saturday to wrap matters up. Resuming on 166 for six, India's lower-order nudged the score up to 201 before folding. There was a wicket each on Saturday for Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon. But so well-knit has this bowling unit been, particularly the seamers, that it doesn't seem to matter who takes the wickets. They just keep coming.
The mini-session was an illustration of why Australia has had such success this series. Michael Clarke had spoken before the fourth Test of his side's quest — to treat it not like a dead rubber, but like a fresh Test that needed to be won at all costs. His team responded with the intensity the task demanded.
The bowling was disciplined, but not lacking imagination. The deliveries that had Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma nicking behind would have troubled any of the top order. They landed in awkward areas, asking two fundamental questions of a batsman's judgement — front or back foot? Play or leave? They also moved just enough, testing his skill. The fielding never let up, not even with victory so close.
Confused
From India, the cricket remained, at least in part, confused. Zaheer Khan batted like he should have all series, if he was to bat at nine, above Ishant. Instead of swiping at every ball, while withdrawing outside leg-stump, he chose his moment. But it wasn't Zaheer's batting that lost India the Border-Gavaskar Trophy; it was the failure of the top six.
And that's the most unsettling aspect of these eight defeats: while the sixth batsman, Virat Kohli, was — along with Umesh Yadav — the most heartening story of the tour, the other five, who must rate as perhaps the best collective India has put together, didn't come close to batting to potential.
They had their moments, yes, but isolated moments, however luminous they may be.
The batsmen left the bowlers next to nothing to work with. While the bowlers aren't above criticism, they more than outdid the batsmen, showing at stages in Melbourne and Perth that they can attain world-class penetration, especially if the conditions conspire.
Accuracy
Umesh, Ishant and Ashwin struggled with consistency, with stringing an over of six threatening balls together.
Accuracy is both a physical and mental skill, and they'll have to find a way to quickly improve if they want to regularly bowl sides out.
They'd have been better bowlers, however, with runs as collateral, or a more imaginative captain.
The catching will haunt India. This side was never going to be the flashest of ground-fielding units, but solid catching had played a vital part in its rise to No. 1. When Rahul Dravid dropped Michael Hussey off Ashwin on the third evening of the first Test, it was a point of inflection in a contest that had until then been extremely close.
Where does all of this leave Indian cricket? The administration needs to ask itself two simple questions. Does India want to be the best Test side in the world, which entails winning consistently both home and away? And is this the all-consuming priority?
Straightforward path
If the answer to both questions is yes, the path is reasonably straightforward. Not simple, but straightforward. There is the short term to deal with, a batting transition that must involve the greats not distance them, but the long term mustn't be lost sight of.
Gather India's finest cricket minds, allow them to independently discuss the issues that need discussing: pitches; domestic structure; scheduling; positioning of the formats; player-development; the importance of experiencing county cricket in England.
These have been written about and discussed several times before. The ideas are out there, many of them sound, some needing refinement so they are suitably nuanced.
The difference this time has to be commitment and execution. England and Australia have shown how things can be turned around.
For all the criticism it receives, the BCCI has proven to be incredibly successful once it puts its collective mind to something.
A long-lasting, dominant Indian Test side, with a back-up system to ensure the inevitable cyclical downturns are swiftly overcome, must be its primary ambition; nothing less.
Scoreboard:
Australia — 1st innings: 604 for seven decl.
India — 1st innings: 272
Australia — 2nd innings: 167 for five decl.
India — 2nd innings
G. Gambhir c Haddin b Harris 3
(18b)
V. Sehwag c Ponting b Lyon 62
(53b, 12x4)
R. Dravid c Hussey b Harris 25
(71b, 3x4)
S. Tendulkar c Cowan b Lyon 13
(34b, 2x4)
V.V.S. Laxman c Marsh b Lyon 35
(88b, 4x4)
V. Kohli run out 22
(62b, 2x4)
Ishant c Haddin b Harris 2
(12b)
W. Saha c Haddin b Siddle 3
(20b)
R. Ashwin (not out) 15
(31b, 1x4)
Zaheer c Warner b Hilfenhaus 15
(18b, 3x4)
Umesh c Haddin b Lyon 1
(11b)
Extras (lb-3, w-2): 5
Total (in 69.4 overs): 201
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Gambhir), 2-80 (Sehwag), 3-100 (Dravid), 4-110 (Tendulkar), 5-162 (Laxman), 6-166 (Kohli), 7-166 (Ishant), 8-170 (Saha), 9-193 (Zaheer).
Australia Bowling O M R W
Harris 19 5 41 3
Hilfenhaus 11 2 35 1
Siddle 14 5 47 1
Lyon 21.4 4 63 4
Hussey 2 0 3 0
Clarke 2 0 9 0
Keywords: India's tour of Australia
Comments:
May as well stop sending cricket and other sport teams overseas, they are just a national disgrace. "Fighting spirit" has never been Indian forte and entire team performace depends on one player and if he gets out fast the entire team collapses. In Olympic sports when one ever gets a brass medal, Netajis are at the airport to pin a medal on his lapel ! Our "Sports Ministry" should just stick with proven Indian sports like Gulli Danda and playing marbles. They would not have to compete overseas.
Many good ideas. For these to take form, place and effect, the collective minds, body and efforts have to transcend: BCCI player contractual commitments and promises, indian player culture (read player over and above the game), ego, fan culture (read acute bias), hero worship, exrtaneous influence ie sponsorship, IPL recognition, disregard for the game that pays and pays plenty to entitled ones but starves general cricketing individuals, agenda from interested and vested parties and many similar items which take away the genuine quality of the game of cricket. Easily said but to reflect and root out undesirable elements will be very hard. Best of luck in the efforts to many amongst us who have the nobility to help out in the cause of better future for test cricket and the game in general. Also it is perhaps not a bad idea to copy some principles from other nations if it provides betterment in Indian cricket, including ideas from masters in the field all over the world.
Being lived in Australia for more than 25 years and a serious follower of the cricket, I will tell you that it is not easy for any visiting team to focus on the game with 100% as the media will bombard them with negative writings (most of them were created by media). That is why we can't watch the best from the world's best ( whatever the team). So, I urge Indian fans to cool down and support the Indian team especially in crisis time like this.
I really did not expect India to win even a single test in Australia but what surprised me is there is no fighting spirit in the team which is lacking. Even if we managed to draw the last test it would have been a good note. They pushed us to a thinking where Indians are surprised when Clarke picked up to bat again rather than to give follow on as Indians , we are sure that they will not score more than 250. But I seriously do not expect any major changes in the team, we will play IPL, Sehwag and others will blast in that series, Indian fans will be happy there ends the story.
It was surprising to find every Indian batsman with the exception of Kholi trying to deflect every ball through the slip cordon despite being set with an umbrella field. Our fearless captain was wriggling his wrist at every ball with an exaggerated off spin action as if magically whipping the balls over third man. It was shameful to watch the field crowding the God (Tendulkar) when an underrated spinner was bowling. What is our coach doing? If the guys are such great ones how come they are not able to self correct? Dated players continuing in Indian team is not the players' fault but the fault of frenzied masses and rating hungry media that prop these fallen heroes. Time we bring about professional outlook to play where the current form should alone be the yardstick for selection.
Agile fielding, good technique and consistency in performance are qualities to look for in a cricketer. Brand Dhoni is being promoted aggressively by BCCI and the media. An indifferent wicket keeper and very poor batting capability. Lacks both footwork and consistancy. He does not deserve a place in the team, yet he is being constantly praised as a captain. The captain is supposed to lead his team. This captain is not even on talking terms with players like Dravid and Laxman. He is constantly decrying them in Public. Dravid is still the best player in the team, yet he is being sigled out for retirement just because he has not scored centuries in every match. His average is well above the players who are favourites of BCCI like Tendulkar, Gambhir, Sehwag and Dhoni. Politics has been the bane of Indian sports and has surfaced its ugly head in BCCI also.
What a dismal performance. It started in Melbourne where with some fight and spirit we could won that game. The whole series would have a different fervor. The Indian bowlers were not given a chance , there was no pressure on the opposition to face a huge total and when it really mattered they failed to perform. We need strong characters like Harbajan, Sreeshant and Kohli to intimidate the australians. This team just laid there and took it. Kohli should have batted up the order, Sehwag should have batted down. We should have 2 spinners. Tendulkar is again in the one day side that is going to put added pressure on the team , especially if he gets out early or if hangs around longer to get the century painstakingly. The lack of willingness to change is of concern. Good luck team India, try something new.
It was a painful experience watching the Indian cricket team getting ground into the dirt in Australia. None of the middle order batsmen -let alone the openers- had any notion of playing to win a match. All of them were in state of euphoria borne out of such arrogance and indifference that seemed to broadcast the message " Been there, Done it. Nothing more to prove". But please don't blame the players. After all, they were here on a junket arranged by BCCI which had no knowledge of the preparedness and professionalism of the Australian team. Indians are brainwashed enough to believe that they have the invincible cricket team in the world made up of such veterans as VVS, Dravid, the Swashbuckling SHEWAG and Captain Courageous DHONI. All tired old tigers with no fight left in them. Please don't tell me that politics and connections had no part to play in the selection and subsequent debacle of the Indian team. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the same tigers go out on prowl again!