Something special is happening against the world-beaters...

Something special is happening against the world-beaters...

People say that Twenty20 and One-day cricket are different ball games. Even cricket experts believe the same and echo that Test cricket is the real place for any cricketer in the world. I love these statements because the endurance of the players is tested in different conditions under different circumstances and against some tough teams. Wow!!!! Test cricket is not dead. The crowds for the current Border-Gavaskar series has been quite a booster for the test match supporters. What we have witnessed is some tough fight for the World champions in their own den. India has been a very good team touring down under Anil Kumble. Kumble must be given the credit for his team’s performance. What a display of character and skill….. Simply outstanding. In one of my previous posts, I had put that it is not impossible to beat, but don’t be disheartened if we lose the series because we are up against the best team in the world.

I am delighted seeing India perform like this in the Australian stronghold. I had also spoken about winning sessions quite convincingly. Yes. India has done it very well throughout the test series. Let us just analyze to see, how remarkable India had actually performed. Let us first dissect MELBOURNE….. Boxing Day test match and Australians had packed the stadium to full. 70,000 was the crowd on the first day of the test and the pressure was on India when they bowled first.

DAY 1:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) - Australia 111/0 in 27 overs with Jaques on 57* and Hayden on 49*. Australia clearly dominates the proceedings in the first couple of hours of the test.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - Australia 213 / 3 in 56 overs. Clarke 14* and Hayden 121*. India comes back with 3 wickets, but the session was evenly fought as Hayden took Australia past 200.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – Australia 337 / 9 in 90 overs. India makes a tremendous comeback, courtesy Kumble with 5 wickets. India picks up 6 wickets and dominates the session.

DAY 2:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India 31 / 2 in 21.4 overs. Australia is again all over India in this session.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - 122/5 in 47.4 overs (SC Ganguly 21). Australia slowly pick up wickets and the session again belongs to them.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – Australia - 32/0 in 8.0 overs (PA Jaques 10, ML Hayden 22). India have lost another session by losing the lower half quite easily.

DAY 3:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – Australia - 135/2 in 37.0 overs (PA Jaques 49, MEK Hussey 29). India make a comeback after the strong opening partnership. An evenly fought session.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - Australia - 248/5 in 63.0 overs (MJ Clarke 52, AC Gilchrist 1). India pick up 3 wickets in the session, but Australia stretch the lead. Another evenly fought session.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – India - 6/0 in 8.0 overs (R Dravid 3, W Jaffer 2). India pick up another 2 wickets in this session, but find an uneasy day coming up with a target of 499.

DAY 4:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 56/2 in 35.0 overs (VVS Laxman 21, SR Tendulkar 2). Australia dominate another session in the test. India find it hard to comeback.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 134/5 in 61.0 overs (SC Ganguly 36, MS Dhoni 1). India are on the verge of defeat. Australia dominate another session.
Post-Tea Session - India 161 all out. Australia win the test in the final session of 4th day.

When you win just one session in 4 days (12 sessions of play), you cannot win a test match. Australia were all over India and it showed when they had won so many small battles and won those sessions so well. India gave it away very easily without any fight in 9 sessions of play. Gone!!! Australia 1-0 up….

SYDNEY came in next for the tourists. A good batting pitch and also some poor umpiring awaited them.

DAY 1:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) - Australia - 95/2 in 25.0 overs (RT Ponting 36, MEK Hussey 37). Evenly fought session. India pick up the openers while Ponting and Hussey stabilize, courtesy some stupid umpiring.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - Australia - 214/6 in 52.0 overs (A Symonds 39, GB Hogg 48). India bowling superbly but again umpires come in way along with gritty Hogg and Symonds. Another evenly fought session goes about in Sydney.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – Australia - 376/7 in 89.0 overs (A Symonds 137, B Lee 31). Australia get to great position as they dominate the session scoring 162 runs in 37 overs losing a single wicket of Hogg.

DAY 2:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 0/0 in 3.0 overs (W Jaffer 0, R Dravid 0). India get rid off the tail, but only after conceding 87 runs. Another evenly fought session in Sydney.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 101/1 in 30.0 overs (R Dravid 18, VVS Laxman 73). India dominate the session by not losing wickets and by stringing important partnership.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) - India - 216/3 in 62.0 overs (SR Tendulkar 9, SC Ganguly 21). India had a firm hand in this session, although they lost 2 wickets.

DAY 3:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 322/5 in 88.0 overs (SR Tendulkar 52, MS Dhoni 0). India lose wickets, but score at a brisk pace. An evenly fought session.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 424/7 in 113.0 overs (SR Tendulkar 106, Harbhajan Singh 41). India consolidate and dominate the session.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – Australia - 13/0 in 5.0 overs (PA Jaques 8, ML Hayden 5). India on top after scoring 532 runs. India dominate another session in Sydney.

DAY 4:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – Australia - 90/2 in 28.0 overs (ML Hayden 39, MEK Hussey 0). India comeback in this session after Australian openers give a strong opening partnership. Honors even.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - Australia - 177/2 in 50.2 overs (ML Hayden 77, MEK Hussey 43). Australia resurrect their innings and dominate a session after 7 hard-fought sessions in which they never completely dominated.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) – Australia - 282/4 in 83.0 overs (MEK Hussey 87, A Symonds 14). India make a minor comeback, but Australia had another good session. Honors even as India give away 103 runs in 31 overs.

DAY 5:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 6/1 in 2.0 overs (R Dravid 4, VVS Laxman 2). India fight hard on the final day making Australians earn their runs. Jaffer is dismissed. Honors even as India prolong Ponting’s declaration.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 79/3 in 26.0 overs (R Dravid 27, SC Ganguly 18). Australia dominate as India lose important wickets and make runs at snail-pace.
Post-Tea Session - India 210 all out. India lose 7 wickets in the last 2 hours of the test, courtesy some erratic shot making, stupendous bowling and outrageous umpiring.

Although, India won 4 sessions completely, they did fight hard and did not allow Australia to dominate in 6 sessions in the test. Infact, Aussies won just 5 sessions in the match. That just shows why India should have at least drawn this game.

The tour moves on finally to what was called the bounciest track in the world. Perth hosts the 3rd test in this series. India win the toss and bat first. Sehwag comes in the line up along with Irfan Pathan.

DAY 1:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 74/2 in 24.0 overs (R Dravid 2, SR Tendulkar 13). India on top after early speculation of India losing wickets quite easily.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 177/2 in 51.0 overs (R Dravid 52, SR Tendulkar 59). Dravid and Tendulkar take India on top after going through a full session without losing a wicket for the first time.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) - 297/6 in 84.0 overs (MS Dhoni 8, IK Pathan 8). Australia crawl back after picking up 4 wickets in no time. Australia dominate the session.

DAY 2:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – Australia - 22/3 in 8.0 overs (RT Ponting 6, MJ Clarke 4). India dominate the session after scoring some valuable runs with the tail and breaking the Australian top-order.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - Australia - 148/5 in 31.0 overs (A Symonds 56, AC Gilchrist 34). Australia dominate the session after losing 2 wickets.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) - India - 52/1 in 11.0 overs (V Sehwag 29, IK Pathan 2). India pick up 5 wickets in Australia’s 1st innings and stretch the lead up to 170.

DAY 3:-
Morning Session (LUNCH) – India - 158/5 in 33.0 overs (IK Pathan 45, VVS Laxman 18). Australia comeback with 4 wickets in this session. Honors Australia.
Post-Lunch Session (TEA) - India - 245/8 in 65.0 overs (VVS Laxman 57, RP Singh 7). India stretch the lead to 250 as Dhoni and Laxman string an important partnership.
Post-Tea Session (CLOSE OF PLAY) - 65/2 in 15.0 overs (RT Ponting 24, MEK Hussey 5). Australia face an improbable 413 and lose 2 wickets at the end of the day. India dominate another session.

India has dominated 6 sessions of the 9 played as of now and it shows how good they have comeback into the series after the Melbourne drubbing. If India can dominate 2 out of the 3 sessions tomorrow, Perth will be conquered by a touring side for the first time in 10 years and the great Aussie run will be broken. Who knows, may be they would be bundled out inside 4 days after long long time. How long has it been since Australians lost a test match, even without looking into the final day?????

Waiting for the weekend to unfold brilliantly for India. :) :) :)

P.S. India have completely dominated Australia in 11 of the 36 sessions so far, while the Aussies have managed to do it 17 times. 9 of the sessions have been evenly fought.