In the 16th over of the morning, placed at 47/2, India were feeling bit wobbly in a short 106-run chase. Ajinkya Rahane drove Pat Cummins down the ground, a masterful stroke past the bowler, one played with a calm head. The pacer responded in the only way he knew – a short delivery, and the batsman duly dispatched it for four.
Through the next couple overs, Cummins tried the same trick again, only coming round the wicket in an attempt to cramp the batsman for room. Rahane shrugged it off, pulling for four through midwicket, and then hooking for another boundary at square leg. The shot of the day, though, came when he made room and cut Cummins over cover, smacking the pacer for a six.
“The IPL starts in a week’s time, my captain is Steve Smith and let me show him I can bat at the top of the order,” said Ravi Shastri, at the top of his voice, on air.
Given the way the Indian Premier League, or indeed professional cricket, works, Smith doesn’t need to be told that. Rahane doesn’t need to give any pointers either, for the support staff at Rising Pune Supergiants will already know where his best position in T20 cricket is. That is besides the point though, for neither player was in fact thinking of the slam-bang carnival just yet.
As India galloped towards the finish line, Smith would have probably been thinking about how closely fought this series has been, and how they let it go on the one day it mattered most. “We have fought very hard throughout this series and to fall over at the final hurdle hurts, and the dressing room is hurting,” he said.
India’s learning curve
Rahane’s thoughts were near similar, but they were a reflection of this Indian team’s learning curve. It was in Galle 2015, when they were chasing 176 runs and were bowled out for 112. That game had made a deep impact on Virat Kohli’s psyche, forcing him to pick a five-bowler attack, and certainly exploring the option of a sixth batsman on turning tracks.
It was remarkable how Rahane, his deputy, had been affected by that same loss but in a different way. “We fell short by a small margin in Galle where we chasing a low score. Here, the target was short as well and sometimes, in low scoring run-chases, you need 30-40 quick runs,” said the stand-in captain, after his whirlwind 27-ball 38 runs had sealed the 2-1 victory.
When he came out to bat, India were placed at 46/2. Given the small chase, it wasn’t a frail position. Did Murali Vijay’s dismissal and Cheteshwar Pujara’s ill-timed run-out cause a bit of panic though? Perhaps only among those who grew up watching the ’90s’ heart-breaking failures. This is a new generation team, though, one bred on the success of the golden decade and the aggressive confidence induced from the IPL.
The only possible way this chase could have been in danger was if India didn’t get the start of a mere 19/0 at stumps on day three, and had lost a couple more quick wickets. It would have been in keeping with the drama showcased in this closely fought series. This Test, rather the ending of this Test, was a bit of an anti-climax in that sense.
Real challenge
Look back to a month ago, to that Pune Test, wherein Australia won inside three days. This was a team knackered by a 3-0 drubbing in Sri Lanka last year. Beating India by 333 runs in that time frame was a stunning turnaround. It sowed the seeds of a new chapter in this fantastic rivalry. Most of all, it gave this Indian team a challenge – West Indies, New Zealand and England had been easily conquered. Test cricket in this long home season had become tedious. Australia enlivened up everyone in sight.
The Bengaluru Test, quite literally, was a microcosm of the brilliance that has been this series. Recall that game,here and now.
India struggled on the first day, almost a reflection of their defeat in Pune as the magnitude of the challenge at hand became apparent. On day two, India pulled one back, never letting Australia’s run-rate get out of hand, fighting hard to keep alive in this series. It is what champion teams do, and Australia made India earn that tag in the last six weeks.
Day three saw a peek into the future (an epic grind on a slow, low wicket in Ranchi), as Pujara and Rahane put in a partnership that finally shifted momentum towards India. Australia fought back on day four, but then lost steam thereafter, much like here in Dharamsala.
Given this series’ spitefulness, most time it was akin to a slugfest in some pigsty. There is only so much appetite for mud slinging, and both sides were guilty of it. Turn your eyes away from it all, and the two sides would appear like two champion boxers, taking and giving punches with equal gusto.
Yearning for more
Drawing audiences from across the world, this series was almost a galactic professional bout then – for a piece of silverware, for glory, for moral high ground, and for satiating bruised egos. It left both competitors with bloodied faces, but neither wanted to succumb to the referee’s count of ten. India and Australia finished battle weary, as did those watching from beyond the boundary. Everyone still wanted more.
It is done now, though, a celebrated end to an enthralling season of Test cricket. A change of format lies ahead, in that the IPL begins in seven days’ time. What can it throw up to match the intensity of play seen here? There will be no crying over pitches, no bouncers hurled and no grinding out sessions. Win-toss-and-chase was the mantra last year, and you can expect that monotony again.
The whites will be replaced by gory, advert-ridden multi-coloured costumes, and while matches will still see-saw, they will be decided not by any cricketer’s aptitude, but how far a batsman can hit the ball – and how many times – on dead tracks.
A 17-Test long season versus six weeks of repetitive slam-bang? Yes, you already know what you desire more.