Team India ready to create history at Sydney

CHENNAI: They’ve out-bowled, out-battled and outplayed their opponents over the last month or so.
Even if numbers say otherwise — India have won only one Test in Sydney, way back in 1978 — the visitors know that history is within reach, come Thursday, when their final Test against Australia begins.
So much so that even former Australia batsman Brad Hodge is backing India to notch up their first series win Down Under. “Australia only won a week ago (Perth), but they now seem to be in trouble. They look a defeated unit. We just have to see better results from them. We have not had a century from an Australian batsman in three Tests, which is unheard of.”

It’s not as if the home team’s batsmen have been committing mass-scale harakiri. The constant straitjacketing imposed on them by India’s pace battery has hardly given them room to flourish. You don’t need to go further than a cursory comparison with their Australian counterparts to see the impact that the visiting speedsters have made. Forty-seven wickets to 38. A difference of almost four runs in combined average. An extra 0.1 degrees of movement, be it in the air or off the seam. A 20 per cent chasm when it comes to hitting good lines and length.

These Cricviz statistics aptly underscore how potent Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma are, especially with the old ball. “Bumrah is a nightmare to face. If you ask any batsman, he is one of the most dangerous bowlers to face. He is quick, very accurate and moves the ball both ways, which is what you want from a Test match bowler,” observed Hodge. “The Indian attack have looked strong ever since they arrived here. They have performed and backed up their captain well. Bumrah and Ishant, in particular, have looked in shape.”

And, going by reports that came out from Sydney on Tuesday, India will have another selection headache at SCG, albeit a happy one. All but one India player gave the optional practice session a miss: R Ashwin. The off-spinner did not play in Melbourne due to an abdominal strain. And with speculations leaning strongly towards the possibility of the pitch being a bunsen burner, the off-spinner’s return to India’s playing XI — a call that will entail a Ravindra Jadeja trade-off — will only add more bite to an already-lethal attack.

If those aren’t enough problems for Australia, then they’ve also got two batsmen in prime form to contend with: Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. It wasn’t surprising to see Hodge being effusive in particular about India’s one-down and the pivotal role he will play if India are to begin their new year with a milestone. “Pujara has been the difference between the two sides. Both bowling units have looked strong. Barring the first session in Perth (where Australia scored 112/0), and Mayank Agarwal in Melbourne, all four openers have struggled. So, the No 3 position where Pujara has dominated has been of importance.
“Not only has he not lost his wicket cheaply, but he has also taken time out of the game. He also negated Nathan Lyon, who bowled extremely well in Adelaide and Perth. Pujara’s importance cannot be ignored.”