ADELAIDE: This was not what India would have remotely thought of when they woke up on Saturday. This was supposed to be the day, where they were to take total control of the Adelaide Test. Instead, they ended up with their lowest-ever total in Tests 36-9 (Mohammed Shami retired hurt) as Australia inched closer to a 1-0 lead in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Over two days, Virat Kohli & Co had built so much hope -- first through some gritty batting on Day 1 and through some high-quality bowling on Day 2 -- that you began to dream. A 1-0 lead in Australia was in sight, provided the batsmen put up another gritty display.
Sitting miles away, you are beginning to dream too. Test cricket can do that to you sometimes. It gives moments when you least expect them. On Saturday, in 32 minutes, some high-octane bowling from Australian pacers – Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, burnt all those hopes that India built and even crushed your dreams in ways, only Test cricket can.
And only two world-class pacers could have done that. India, who went to sleep on Friday, knowing that this Test was theirs to lose, got a rude awakening.
Resuming day three at 9/1, India lost the wickets of Jasprit Bumrah (2) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) in quick succession as Pat Cummins sent both the batsmen back to the pavilion. And before you could blink, Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane were dismissed in space of 10 balls. In the time you were rubbing your eyes in disbelief, the only Redeemer India had, Virat Kohli too perished leaving India down in the dumps at 19-6.
Test cricket’s lowest-ever total – 26 by New Zealand – was in serious threat. Hanuma Vihari and Wriddhiman Saha ensured that embarrassment was avoided, but they couldn't stop them from posting the lowest ever total by an Indian team. This score of 36 is India's lowest-ever score in Test cricket. Before this, India's lowest score was 42 in Test cricket against England in 1974.
In the end, Mohammad Shami was hit on the right arm, and he was not able to continue further and as a result. Shami was retired out and India's innings came to an end with the score at 36.
This was not a session where Indian batsmen were guilty of throwing away their wicket. Make no mistake, this was relentless probing by Cummins and Hazlewood, who showed why the corridor of uncertainty still remains a death trap for batsmen in Test cricket.
They had no room for mistakes on Day Three, if they were to stay in the match and they rarely bowled a loose ball. Ball after ball, they delivered gems that Indians had no answers to. In fact, not many would have answers to those. You need luck to survive such spells from both ends, but it was one of those days where nothing went India's way.
Kohli-led India had bundled Australia out on 191 in the first innings of the first Test after Umesh Yadav, Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah's heroics with the ball.
India was bundled out for 36 in the second innings, setting a target of 90 runs for Australia to go 1-0 up in the series.
Brief Scores: India 244 and 36/9 (Mayank Agarwal 9, Hanuma Vihari 8, Josh Hazlewood 5-8) vs Australia 191/10.
(With ANI inputs)