Cricket, as the late, lamented Brian Johnston used to remark, is a funny game. There is surely no other pastime so dependent on a strip of grass. Depending on conditions, you might pick four seamers, or four spinners. The ground staff promised that this pitch would not form craters, and it hasn’t and doubtless won’t. But it has developed some weird habits. It quickened up on the first evening just in time for Australia’s first innings. Then it levelled out to an excellent batting track. By the third afternoon it has developed some unpleasant quirks, just in time for Australia’s second innings. Some deliveries are flying off the handle. Others are creeping underground, as if hunting for wombats. And there is still abundant seam movement left and right. Strange days indeed.
Conditions have well and truly favoured the visitors. This should not blind anyone to the fact that Australia has been comprehensively outplayed thus far; and barring a miracle the torment will end tomorrow. India began the day as they left off. The idea seemed to be that Hazelwood and Lyon would be played with cautious circumspection. The rest? Why, help yourselves. And they did. Jaiswal’s eventual dismissal for 161 surprised everybody, not least the fortunate bowler (Marsh). A wild and wide one was smacked straight into the hands of Smith in the gully, who held onto it. After a doom-laden scorecard of 1/275 (Starc having removed Rahul for an excellent 77), four wickets fell quickly.
One may have mentioned the question mark against Washington Sundar’s bowling suitability for this surface. As a batsman there can be no doubts. He is a fine cricketer, after all, and he gave stalwart support to Kohli in a stand of 89 for the sixth wicket. After two hours’ worth of patience he flailed wildly at Lyon and gave the veteran spinner his second scalp to add to Pant’s riotous extravagance earlier. But this brought the debutant all-rounder Reddy to the crease. He and Kohli hopped into the bowling with joyous abandon in an unbeaten stand more suited to T20 cricket (77 in 9 overs). Admittedly the bowling by this stage was either exhausted (Lyon), or well below standard (the rest).
One might wonder at the bowling figures of Josh Hazelwood. His analysis finished at 1/28 off 21 overs. Out of almost five hundred! He alone of the seamers commanded respect from the batsmen. The short answer is that he has a long summer ahead of him, and Cummins did not want to kill him off early. There may well be changes to this team for the next match; but Josh will be there.
As soon as Kohli’s hundred came Bumrah called them in. There was only time for four-and-a-bit more overs, but the captain’s instinct was unerring. At stumps the home side is 3/12, having lost the unfortunate McSweeney to another glorious breakback from Bumrah, Cummins the nightwatchman to an injudicious waft outside off from Siraj, and Labuschagne fell to another Bumrah thunderbolt, trapped in front like McSweeney. The stark truth is that Australia went into this match both overconfident and half-baked. It is a grey, grizzled team: apparently the oldest ever to represent this country. They are out of practice, and out of sorts. This match appears beyond saving; but some among them might be playing for their places tomorrow.