By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu
It was a tremendous display of talent, spirit and defiance that garnered India victory over Australia in Mohali in the first Test of the two Test India Australia series. It would be fair to say victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat on this occasion.
The scales looked even at the day of the third day when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Suresh Raina showed off their individual brilliance in what was a delicate situation for India. But that India would have to pull it off once more was not expected for two reasons. Firstly, because India were not expected to find themselves in a hole twice in a row and secondly, when it seemed they had played all the cards. Well, not quite.
Tendulkar missed his forty-ninth Test century by a couple of runs but India’s position was fortified by the stance adopted by Rahul Dravid earlier in the day and by Suresh Raina vindicating his selection ahead of Yuvraj Singh. Although all three missed out on the opportunity to touch the triple digit mark, what they did do was take India very close to Australia’s first innings total of 428, in fact conceding only a slim twenty-three runs lead that evened out the contest at the start of the fourth day.
With Australia needing to put up a total that would not only prove to be a challenge for India but also, bury them, the onus once again lay on Shane Watson and Simon Katich and they did put up the only resistance that Australia could visibly manage. Watson was once again the chief architect and the fall of his wicket for fifty-six with the score one eighty-seven would be considered the turning point where Australia had revealed their first real loop hole in the final two days.
Ironically it was Ishant Sharma, carrying an injury that restricted his bowling in the first innings, who triggered the collapse and Zaheer Khan merely continued on in his business. Australia’s score of 192 with the lead going up to 216 still seemed a challenge but one that India’s famed batting line up could handle. But therein was the twist. The Australian bowlers took the bait from their Indian counterparts and with Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger on song, Australia formed a strong triumvirate that brought the batting line up virtually to its knees.
Rocked by the early loss of wickets, Tendulkar was thrust in the awkward position of trying to hold fort first and then press for victory with three of his esteemed batting colleagues gone and another nursing back spasms that rendered him virtually pointless in the first innings.
Ricky Ponting felt he was calling Harbhajan Singh’s bluff before the Test got underway. Perhaps Australia would be wondering the same about V.V.S. Laxman because the man who failed to turn up with the bat to save his life in the first innings batted as if there was no tomorrow.
And for those Australian rookies unfamiliar with Laxman’s record with the Australians, he brought them up to speed with another fancies knock that defied logic and situation. Australia had the game virtually wrapped up by lunch on the fifth day with India standing by only two wickets and ninety-one runs needed when Ishant Sharma, who batted out an hour as nightwatchman with Rahul Dravid, joined the severely hampered Laxman. Australia’s win seemed a matter of time and formality.
As India’s wickets tumbled, suddenly the target loomed largely, run scoring became a difficult proposition and fielders crowded the crease periphery. But Laxman and Ishant managed to find the gaps and the breathing space, and slowly but surely began to eke away at the runs. One cannot fault Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, for asking his men to forget about the scoreboard and go for the wickets that would give Australia the match. But that Ishant Sharma in particular held his own while Laxman was at his best, waxing eloquent with the bat, is not only admirable but also, astonishing under the circumstances when everything seemed lost for good.
And then again Australia having sunk their heels into the ground with Laxman once again threatening to ruin their probability for victory, came another little hope when Ishant wad dismissed. India still needed a handful of runs, but with the manner in which Laxman fought for his unbeaten seventy-three against his favoured opponents, even God perhaps did not want to deny Laxman his record. What spilled forth was euphoria for team India less than twenty-four hours after it seemed the no.1 Test team had been brought down to earth. Now back to seventh heaven.
©Sreelata S. Yellamrazu for ©www.mindspacecricket.com
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