Over the length of a series, cricket teams often surprise themselves by hitting rock bottom occasionally. They drop catches, they don’t get the DRS right, they struggle on wickets prepared for them, their much-touted strengths — batting or bowling — desert them, the captain’s judgement sometimes lets him down personally or where the team is concerned.
These mistakes spread out over a whole series of 20 or 25 days, often do not matter. They may even go unnoticed, uncommented on.
Somehow, India managed to work all those cock-ups into a single concentrated period of just three days in Pune. To pack so much inefficiency into such a short period is nothing short of epic.
To watch a captain who has scored a double century in his last four series let a ball go and watch it crash onto his stumps was surreal.
To watch a team which had not lost in 19 previous Tests rush to its doom with such inevitability was even more so.
Recent examples of India struggling at home on turning tracks might have made it seem a contemporary problem. But even decades ago, when wickets were prepared for the famed spin quartet, opposition spinners accepted the gift gratefully.
Australia won 3-1 in 1969-70, off spinner Ashley Mallett taking more wickets than any Indian spinner. Lance Gibbs, Derek Underwood, Iqbal Qasim have all won matches for their countries on pitches designed for Indian spinners.
Post-Pune, there has been a measure of chest-beating among cricket fans in India who swing between emotional highs. On the one hand, they expect India to win every match they play; on the other hand, they expect India to lose every time.
If India have a bad day at the office – like they did in the first Test – fans have an even worse day in theirs, seeing ghosts everywhere and reading non-existent meanings into everything. Perhaps this is what keeps the sport alive in the country, this deep involvement and remarkable ability to swing from emotional highs to lows without any conscious effort.
All of us are entitled to a bad day at the office. But when you have such a bad day that you accidentally shoot your colleagues, set fire to the furniture, swallow the computer and leave all the taps running, then it requires rare maturity to leave things as they are, and fall back on what made you successful in the first place.
In India’s case, these elements include skill, self-belief, and a level of fitness unattained by teams of the past.
What should India do now? The answer is simple: Nothing. Both skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble know that what made the team successful will not drain away with one defeat.
Perhaps there was an element of complacency, perhaps there was a lack of respect for the opposition, perhaps the team bought into the 4-0 hype, perhaps the wins against England came too easily, perhaps there was an illogical faith in what many call ‘momentum’, an overused and ultimately meaningless word in competitive sport.
India have to believe that the Pune defeat was an aberration. Any other interpretation would only make it more difficult for them as the series progresses. They cannot see demons in the tracks, unplayable deliveries in the hands of O’Keefe and Lyon, an overall loss of form or motivation among themselves.
When he was captain, Kumble was fond of telling his players that they should focus on what they can control — their own game, attitude and approach — and not fret over what they cannot, like the weather or toss or playing conditions.
Judicious use of DRS
You can control your DRS calls, for example, and not use up the quota in the first six overs.
Wicket-keepers and non-strikers have important roles to play here. Bowlers always believe every appeal ought to be upheld. It is the nature of their job.
Some referrals seemed to indicate that there was a lack of understanding about the LBW law. Perhaps the team needs a classroom session with an umpire.
There is a lesson for India in Steven Smith’s gritty second-innings century. It went against the Indian aesthetic. It was not pretty, there were no ooh-making or aah-inspiring strokes.
From an early age, Indian batsmen want to appear visually pleasing, and would rather play a perfect cover drive for no score than nudge the ball to the boundary. Smith averages over 60 in Tests. Australian efficiency over Indian flair.
Any one of the mistakes India made in Pune could have led to a defeat. If you are going to make them, it is best to get them out of the way by making all of them in one match. The Bengaluru Test will answer the crucial questions: will Australia carry their new-found confidence through the series? Will India see Pune as an aberration and find the rhythm that made them the No. 1 team?
No immediate surgery is required. Suddenly from the expected washout, we have a challenging series on our hands. Can’t really ask for more.
