Rahul Tiwari
khelja|17-12-2024
It was around 1 o'clock in the afternoon in India. The Indian team, which was on the verge of defeat in the Brisbane Test, had to cross the mark of 245 runs to avoid follow-on. When the ninth wicket fell at 213 runs in the form of Jadeja, it seemed that now all hope was lost. But after this, Akashdeep and Jasprit Bumrah thoughtfully added one run each. Seeing the opportunity in the middle, he hit big shots. After this, in 74.2 overs of the Indian innings, Akashdeep avoided the follow-on by hitting a four towards gully to Pat Cummins. One ball later, he hit a long six over midwicket on Pat Cummins. After these two shots, the reaction of the dressing room was seen on TV.
As soon as the follow-on was postponed, Virat Kohli high-fived Gautam Gambhir. Gautam Gambhir's reaction was also worth seeing. After this, when Akashdeep hit a six on the next ball, Virat came running from his seat and followed the ball from inside the dressing room. There were expressions of surprise and happiness on his face. Assistant coach Abhishek Nair was happy. Captain Rohit Sharma had a smile on his face. But the reaction of Virat and Gambhir was different. Before moving ahead, let us tell you that Virat Kohli has hit more than two and a half thousand fours in international cricket. He has 1022 fours in Test, 1302 in ODI and 369 fours in T20 in his account. If first class cricket is added, this number will be several thousand. But perhaps for the first time he would have been so happy on a four.
Actually, consider this chauka like Sanjeevani herb. If the Indian team could not save the follow-on, Australia would have called them to bat again. KL Rahul also said in the press conference after the match that he had started preparing to bat again. This was a back-breaking situation for the Indian batting which was already under pressure. After this, the Indian team had to play a few overs today and the whole day was left for tomorrow. In the Adelaide Test, the Indian team was limited to 44.1 overs in the first innings and 36.5 overs in the second innings. That is, even if we assume that rain had become a hindrance in the Brisbane Test like every day, it would have been difficult for India to save the match. Barring the big score made in the second innings of the Perth Test, most of the batsmen of the Indian team are struggling.
The whole world saw this struggle in Brisbane also. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant did not score runs. All thanks to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja who batted better and took the match to such a point that Akashdeep and Bumrah could avoid the follow-on. Now from here the ball is in Australia's court. Currently he has a lead of 193 runs in his account. Let us assume that even if it defeats the Indian team on the last day of the match, it will still have to add so many runs on the scoreboard that it remains out of the risk of losing the match. Under any circumstances, Australia will not add less than 300 runs. That means he will also have to score 100-125 runs. Overall one session will have to be batted. The Indian team may be looking an average team right now but even the Kangaroos are well aware of its strength. They will not take the risk of falling 2-1 in the series. Yes, if India is called to bat 35-40 overs then its batsmen will have to spend this time.
It is true that not only Virat but the entire team would have been happy if the defeat was averted. But has a champion team gone to Australia to avoid defeat? Does the Indian team, which has been holding the Border Gavaskar Trophy for the last decade, like to find a way to escape after a weak game? The answer to these questions is- no. Even if Brisbane survives, there are still two Test matches left. To retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the batsmen of the Indian team will have to perform. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli will have to score runs. Rishabh Pant will have to perform as per his credentials. Otherwise, the player who has scored 81 centuries in international cricket. If a player who has 2-2 World Cups in his account, the prestigious trophy of IPL as captain and coach, will 'high-five' when defeat is averted, then it might not be liked by every cricket lover.
After averting this defeat, the Indian team will have to enter the field with a new 'approach'. In that 'approach' there should be an effort to win, not the joy of avoiding defeat. However, it is important to talk about another aspect of the match. The big batsmen of the Indian team definitely did not bat responsibly. But it should not be forgotten that rain also played a big role in this. The match had to be stopped seven times due to rain on the third day of the Brisbane Test. It requires a lot of concentration to not make any mistakes on a ball moving at a speed of 145-150 kilometres. Indian batsmen did not get a chance for this concentration. Due to rain every now and then, it is not easy to return to the pavilion and then come back again and do the same hard work. It is important to keep this aspect in mind while criticizing Indian batting.