[NPV]

Great fight back by the bowlers, led from the front by Boom Boom Bumrah
67/7, I just hope we can wipe out the tail quickly tomorrow for a total <= 100, that will give us about 50 runs lead. It will then throw the game wide open.
Obviously, we need to continue from there with a decent outing with the bat in the second inning.

[UD17]

Originally Posted by NPV

Great fight back by the bowlers, led from the front by Boom Boom Bumrah
67/7, I just hope we can wipe out the tail quickly tomorrow for a total <= 100, that will give us about 50 runs lead. It will then throw the game wide open.
Obviously, we need to continue from there with a decent outing with the bat in the second inning.

This test match become so exciting right from the start and continues to throw surprises. Very well fought out by our pacers and hope our batting line up could read the pitch better in second innings.

[Asish_VK]

Terrific Day 1.
Especially happy by the way KL batted. He looked very comfortable and confident in a bowling friendly condition. I was rooting for him today for a big innings and do justice to his talent, but that unfortunate DRS saga spoiled it.

Still have faith in Kohli, hope he makes necessary adjustments and do good in this series. After all the good things he did for team India, he desreves to retire with his head held high.

Also Bumrah! Man, what a bowler he is ! Simply the best India produced.

Still worried about our top order batting. Bowling was never a problem for India for some years now, it's always the top-middle order batting which makes the leam loose matches.

[rajeevsulu]

I could not watch the cricket match live as I was at work. On catching the highlights on Disney,I was amazed by the shot Rishabh Pant played off Cummins.

Now, Cummins is not some off spinner. To hit him the way he did and to the part of the ground the ball was hit requires talent, audacity and a lot more.

Guess these are Rishabh Pant things,as they say.

Cheers

[PreludeSH]

Greg Baum writes in Sydney Morning Herald

"Smith missed a screaming Bumrah off-cutter, also a latter-day commonplace. He looked aggrieved. Cricketers of the third age often think they’re suddenly getting all the good balls. The point is that they used to deal with them"

Describes cricketers past their prime ? Kohli included.

[Oxy]

I heard the Ravi Shastri saying that KL has been asked to play the Pujara role.

Ironically, Pujara was dropped because he was somehow a misfit due to his slow strike rate, and now someone else is being asked to play that role!

Indian selectors never fail to amuse. Might as well bring Pujara back!

[nagr22]

What is happening to Test Cricket? Is too much T20 cricket making batsmen forget their defense skills or has it made bowlers too smart and lethal? I think it is the latter. A bowler gets only 24 balls in T20 and has to make an impact within that chance to remain in the game. So the best T20 bowlers are battle hardened to outsmart and outbowl the batsmen within such a short spell and when they are given relatively bowler friendly pitches in test matches and an unlimited number of overs to bowl, isn't it natural that they are going to outsmart the batsmen faster?

A lot of criticism is thrown at our batsmen (which they deserve) but I really think bowlers in general have become very smart these days and deserve lot of credit for bundling out teams on lower totals.

[NPV]

The calm and composed smiling assassin Bumrah gets a wicket off his first ball on Day 2 and has a fifer now; Carey goes, Australia are 70/8

[AtheK]

In last series we had a lead of 53 runs and then got bundled for 36 in first test, hopefully we put up a much better batting display in second innings. The last wicket partnership needs to be broken quickly.

[SoumenD]

Tail enders continue to be our nemesis. That’s a frustrating last wicket partnership. Starc played more balls than anyone else in this match.

Aussies seem to be caught off-guard here. They knew of bumrah for sure but Harshit probably turned out-of-syllabus. Can’t remember the last time India bowling 45 overs in a test match and no spinner introduced yet

Edit: Finally after 47 overs spinner comes into picture.

[AtheK]

Finally, Harshit Rana seems to be a good find, very mature performance in the first game itself.

I hope for once our top order puts their head down and get some good runs, pitch seems to have settled down.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by AtheK

I hope for once our top order puts their head down and get some good runs, pitch seems to have settled down.

Tailenders led by Starc frustrated India but what gives me more stress is thinking how our batting will fare in the second innings
All we need is a quiet, defensive first 25 overs to play the new ball out, tire the bowlers and then get the runs consistently, again we don’t need any heroics, we have 3.5 days left!

All this is easier said than done

[Shumi_21]

I'm backing Jaiswal to fire and Kohli to come good in this innings. Skill issues aside, one thing Virat still has is his will to fight. He would be raring to go after having an all around bad day yesterday. Hopefully KL gets a lot of luck going his way too.

[Oxy]

The pitch has not settled down.

The Kookaburra ball that's being used here, loses it's hardness within mere 20-25 overs and then it becomes considerably easier for the batsmen.

All the more reason for our openers to stick around. There will be plenty of runs for the taking once the ball loses it's shine.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

I could not watch the cricket match live as I was at work. On catching the highlights on Disney,I was amazed by the shot Rishabh Pant played off Cummins.

Now, Cummins is not some off spinner. To hit him the way he did and to the part of the ground the ball was hit requires talent, audacity and a lot more.

Guess these are Rishabh Pant things,as they say.

Cheers

I still play club cricket regularly so I do have an idea about this shot.

Let me just say.

Playing that shot at a ball which is a touch outside off and speed is at 141kmph is simply bonkers. It requires immense core strength and wrists of steel to pull off. And even with those you need a madman like Pant to have the audactiy to go for it. Reminded me of his reverse scoop to Jimmy Anderson which went for a 6. Only Pant in World cricket can do these shenanigans and pull them off often.

Originally Posted by Oxy

I heard the Ravi Shastri saying that KL has been asked to play the Pujara role.

Ironically, Pujara was dropped because he was somehow a misfit due to his slow strike rate, and now someone else is being asked to play that role!

Indian selectors never fail to amuse. Might as well bring Pujara back!

Just a slight correction.

Shastri didn't mention its the team management who have asked Rahul to do this. He said it looks like Rahul is doing the job which Pujara used to do. So, it was a speculation and not an affirmation of team management doing so.

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Greg Baum writes in Sydney Morning Herald

"Smith missed a screaming Bumrah off-cutter, also a latter-day commonplace. He looked aggrieved. Cricketers of the third age often think they’re suddenly getting all the good balls. The point is that they used to deal with them"

Describes cricketers past their prime ? Kohli included.

They both were never by the book technique kind of players. They have aged. Their hand eye coordination is reduced. So, the reflexes which made them great and hid their technical flaws are being exploited by bowlers now. Happens to all. Both balls were regular deliveries and nothing like a peach.

Originally Posted by AtheK

In last series we had a lead of 53 runs and then got bundled for 36 in first test, hopefully we put up a much better batting display in second innings. The last wicket partnership needs to be broken quickly.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Finally, Harshit Rana seems to be a good find, very mature performance in the first game itself.

I hope for once our top order puts their head down and get some good runs, pitch seems to have settled down.

Funnily the partnership between Starc and Hazelwood must have given our openers confidence to hang in. Right now India is at 65/0 and lead is 111 runs. Already an excellent start and pitch isn't playing any tricks so best time to Bat too. I believe we do need minimum 350 to defend now as Aussie batters may find it easy to Bat too in second innings.

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

I'm backing Jaiswal to fire and Kohli to come good in this innings. Skill issues aside, one thing Virat still has is his will to fight. He would be raring to go after having an all around bad day yesterday. Hopefully KL gets a lot of luck going his way too.

Jaiswal is already on 33 so he has made amends for his 0 in first innings. Can't believe I am saying this but KL has played brilliantly in both innings. With Rohit back in next game and if Gill is recovered too then I think Jurel will be dropped and KL will play at his position next game.

Edit- just as I was typing Jaiswal has smashed an audacious six. This game has swung widely after our 150 all out disaster