Nathan Lyon roars as the Aussies snatch a thriller from India's grasp

Emulating his debut performance in 2011, ‘Gaz’ ripped through the Indian batting order

It seemed so near, yet it was so far as Ishant Sharma attempted to break the shackles by dancing down the pitch, only to be beaten by Nathan Lyon as Australia scripted one of the most thrilling victories in Test History. In all ways, the last day of this match carried the reminiscence of the test between India and New Zealand in Auckland earlier this year, as the Indian middle order yet again failed to capitalize on the solid platform provided by their Top Order.

In the end, they fell 49 runs short of what seemed to be an almost impossible task at the start of day’s play. This Australian victory seemed to have been written in the stars after the tragedy that shocked the entire sporting fraternity.

Greatest Match I’ve ever played in: Kohli

For a man who was desperately out of touch in the tour of England and the initial stages of the home series against West Indies, Virat Kohli managed to regain his lost form at the same ground where he slammed his maiden ton three years ago. His impeccable stroke play and his wide array of shots have come as a welcome relief for many Indian Cricket fans who questioned their batting line up during failures abroad.

Whilst breaking records in both the innings, Captain Kohli managed to put up one of the greatest fightbacks in cricketing history along with Murali Vijay on Saturday. They made a mockery of the Australian bowling attack in the afternoon, before Vijay perished for one too many on 99. After this 185-run stand for the 3rd wicket, it was only a matter of time before the Kangaroos ripped through the Indian batting.

At Tea, the equation favored India and Virat Kohli continued his aggressive game whilst bearing testimony to the incessant dismissals at the other end, as Australian turned the tables. Tragically, he fell to what was a short off-spinner to Mitchell Marsh at deep mid-wicket, thus ending the hopes of a billion.

However, his love story with Adelaide didn’t cease to end as he made his best score in test matches as well with back-to-back tons and sublime technique, Kohli managed to silence those who questioned his form in the longer format. He also proved his worth as a captain with a few aggressive tactics up his sleeves and his ‘no-nonsense’ approach with sledging. This is a welcome sign for Indian cricket, and Virat will be the driving force for India in this tour.

Lyon roars in his own Den

For decades, Southern Australia has managed to produce some of the greatest players to have played this game, which includes the Chappell brothers and the Don himself. Lyon’s upbeat performance has proved why the club still continues to produce quality match winners for Australia.

His ability to extract turn from a small portion of rough on a dry fifth day pitch had befuddled the Indian batsman, who are regarded as one of the best players of spin. Despite being carted to all parts of the ground by Kohli and Vijay, he was determined enough to pitch the ball up on the rough and wait for the batsman to make a mistake. He fought back hard after being attacked and he varied his length and his pace constantly after the tea break.

After managing only 5 wickets in his dry run in the UAE, which is regarded to be a spinner’s paradise, his place in the team was questioned. He bounced back and silenced his critics with this stunning performance. This would certainly pep his confidence up before the next test in Brisbane and the remainder of the series.

He had been the man to watch out for on the last two days of the test, and he was befittingly awarded the man of the match for his 12-wicket haul. He troubled the Indians in the same, if not better manner in which Moeen Ali tormented them in the English Summer.

Woes that need to be addressed in the Indian camp

Despite being a thrilling contest, one would definitely say that India had lost the game from an extremely comfortable position at Tea. Their middle order had disintegrated in both innings to crumble to scores that weren’t one bit expected by the fans when their top order had started out all guns blazing.

The middle order conundrum has been chasing India ever since the retirement of the Big 4 (Laaxman, Ganguly, Dravid and Tendulkar). They haven’t managed to fire at all, and there have been no great contributions from the middle and the tail even in England. Although Dhoni’s supposed return in Brisbane might just boost their strength, they still lack a stable all rounder and late middle order batsman.

Rohit Sharma should be given another fair chance to showcase his progress in test cricket. He also has the experience of playing some amount of white ball cricket in Australia in the past. However, Ashwin must come into the side instead of Karn Sharma. In the press conference, he had stated that he had learnt from his poor performance in the last tour. Also, Ashwin is regarded as one of the best all rounders in business today. His stable and initially cautious technique has helped him lay the necessary foundations for decent scores in the past.

The Indian opening combination has been a subject of debate for a few years now. Whilst Vijay has comfortably cemented his place in the team with two splendid performances, the trouble lies in finding an ideal partner for him. Shikhar Dhawan would definitely love the Gabba, as the ball would come on to the bat a little more. He needs to learn from his partner and improve his level of patience. Indian fans have desperately wanted a good 50-run opening stand in tests abroad, and the last time India managed to do so was in 2011 against England.

Endurance and patience is the key. The openers need to be wary of Ryan Harris’ ability to swing the ball and Johnson’s pace. Dhawan is yet to bring out his complete potential. Its essential that he plays in a calm manner initially and then plays his natural attacking game. Finally, whether or not we’d all like to digest this fact, the current Indian bowling attack doesn’t have the capability to take all 20 wickets.

Whilst Shami and Ishant showed promising signs in what was a lifeless track for the bowlers, Aaron did disappoint a little. Despite having the pace and carry, he doesn’t have complete control over his bowling, and he seems to run out of ideas when the batsmen are on the offensive. It’s time Umesh Yadav replaces him. Umesh showed prowess and skill on the previous tour to Australia, by picking 13 wickets with a decent average of 39.35. Umesh does have greater variation and control over his pace, and his recent performances against the Sri Lankans at home shows that he has found some good rhythm before this tour.

Australia also has its fair share of woes

Australia ended up being the happier side with greater concerns. To begin, their opening partnership hasn’t been all that great as well. Chris Rogers does seem to have a problem playing the moving ball, and he hasn’t been in great nick recently. He didn’t provide the necessary support that Warner needs from the other end. He underperformed in Australia’s recent tour of the UAE as well, scoring just 88 runs in 4 innings.

It’s essential that Rogers finds his nick and supports Warner by playing in a calm manner at the other end. Michael Clarke has long been regarded as the backbone of this Australian batting line up. His outstanding ton in the first innings showed his willingness and determination to carry on with the game. His loss would surely hurt the Australians.

Shane Watson hasn’t fired after his comeback, and its essential that he steps up as a senior player and makes his bat do all the talking at the top of the order. Mitch Marsh has proved to be a great find for the Aussies this summer, and he has been a perfect all-round performer for the Australians, with the cameo in the second innings and the all important catch of Kohli that sealed the victory.

It’s also essential that Brad Haddin contributes with the bat in the late middle order. With the additional responsibility of captaining the side, one would have to wait to see how Haddin responds to the situation. His aggressive field settings and his determination to push for Nathan Lyon in the final day was something commendable.

Finally, Mitchell Johnson didn’t appear to be much of a threat for the Indian Batsmen. Not so long ago, It was in the same venue where he tore the English batting line up apart with figures of 7-40. However, one could argue that this wicket was much flatter than that one. Johnson would enjoy bowling at the Gabba, and Australia’s hopes for early strikes are pinned on him.

We had witnessed one of the greatest matches ever played this weekend, and one would certainly hope that such quality of cricket continues for weeks to come, so that people keep their minds off the tragedy that had occurred. Good cricket is the only healer to these turbulent times. The young India showed signs that they were here to prove a point by trying their best to chase victory, and these are positive signs for a country whose test team has seen major shuffles and revamps in the last couple of years.

It’s only a matter of time before they settle in and get the knack of winning Tests away from home. What India lacks is a clear set of all rounders, one that isn’t an area of concern for the Australians. So, it’s essential for both teams to find the right equation before Tuesday and move on.

First published at ----- thewicketpost.com