Normally such a rain-swept day would peter out into insignificance. Men would pat down the crease as if tending their potato crop, and practise their favourite forward defence. But that is not Captain Pat’s way. As soon as the last Indian wicket fell his men were out there under orders for quick runs however they may be got. Forget your averages, boys. No playing for red ink here. All for one and one for all.
The majority of our home batsmen are more or less playing for their places, but they did not hesitate. Scarcely able to believe what they were seeing, Bumrah, Siraj and Deep had the home side 5/33 after eleven overs. Cummins himself led the way with a strident 22 off ten deliveries of village yahoo strokes. He closed the innings at 7/89 and challenged India to play for a win at five an over.
As it happened, Jaiswal and Rahul were spared the temptation. Persistent rain ended proceedings hours early. But a line had been drawn in the sand. We do not speak of moral victories. We will leave that to the Podes. Here in the Antipodes Cummins was telling the world that Australia will play to win. Aside from Hazlewood’s injury, the big news was the sudden retirement of Ashwin. Ravichandran is a serious man who has always given the impression that life is real, life is earnest, and we have no time for frivolity. To be omitted yet again on this pitch was perhaps the final insult. He retires from Tests with 537 wickets, 3503 runs and 36 catches. It is as if the man has inexplicably slipped beneath the radar despite all that. Perhaps if he had been known to smile occasionally it might have been different.