BENGALURU: After just two balls on Sunday, an impossible dream seemed within reach. Jasprit Bumrah got one to straighten after pitching on off-stump, and Tom Latham was caught plumb in front.
The small but vociferous crowd -- the city had endured heavy rain throughout Saturday night -- erupted. On the field, Indian fielders converged from all directions.
The only way to build pressure during a small chase is through early wickets. It instils belief in the bowlers while sowing seeds of doubt in the minds of the batters sat inside the dressing room.
When India defended 107 -- the same total New Zealand were chasing on Sunday -- against Australia in that famous Mumbai Test in 2004, they had the visitors 0/1 after two balls.
In defending small totals, there's no use being passive, waiting for the game to come to you. Bowlers, captains, keepers, and close-in fielders should do the opposite.
They should dictate the game. Make it an intimate setting, like a taut thriller. Hit the pad, beat the bat, talk to the pitch as if it’s a close friend, trying to coax something from it. Create theatre for every ball, make every minute feel like a ticketed event.
Weaponise body language; stare down the batters, letting them know their lunch will be unpalatable. The hosts had ticked all those boxes. In doing so, they had built an atmosphere where only the extraordinary would suffice.
For seven overs and the first half-hour, the pair of Mohammed Siraj and Bumrah, especially the latter, were landing bombs. Devon Conway, who had looked so assured in his first innings, copped several blows.
Even though he managed three boundaries during his 39-ball stay, it was always going to be a matter of when, not if. Bumrah, with his magic hands, brought the breakthrough, as a change of angle from over to round the wicket brought the leg-before into play.
However, that early zip dissipated as Will Young held fort. The remaining enthusiasm waned further when Rachin Ravindra, with confidence flowing through his veins, glided and flicked the Ahmedabad pacer for two boundaries in three balls.
Although the heavy overhead conditions persisted, the ball had become slightly older, and the seam was less pronounced. Slowly but surely, energy levels dropped, and the urgency diminished. It disappeared altogether when the confident Young launched Ravindra Jadeja over wide long-on -- a symbolic moment in the innings.
A couple of overs later, the final formalities were completed. A spirited Indian team had given it their all, but it wasn’t enough as the visitors sealed the first Test, their first victory on Indian soil since 1987.
For India, this will be a time to pause and reflect. They may argue that one bad session -- followed by an unfavourable decision at the toss -- cost them the game. While that might be an accurate assessment, this match has left them with several questions to answer.