[NPV]

This is shameful from a test cricket perspective for India, never imagined such a low score would be possible goes to show how bad our batting really is against good, precise bowling aided by some great fielding. This Aussie team (playing 11) is definitely not as strong as our 11 on paper, especially the batting, but the bowling and fielding made all the difference.

[PPS]

Let's see the positive side of things, atleast we didn't wake up at 5am to see this decimation!

Credit to Australian bowlers, don't think any of our batsman played rash/irresponsible shots. The scars that this innings leaves may well result in a 4-0 whitewash.

[VWAllstar]

Terrible collapse. However a learning lesson. The pitch isn't this bad, which an out of form batsman like Burns is rubbing salt on a burnt wound.

I hope Ganguly helps toc bring back someone better than Shastri.
On a lighter note -

[NPV]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

I hope Ganguly helps toc bring back someone better than Shastri.
On a lighter note -

On a lighter note, the learning for Ganguly is that he agreed to play pink ball test cricket, especially against the Aussies. BCCI was avoiding it for a long time, just like how they tried resisting DRS and now this happens

In the last couple of years, most tests that India won could have gone the other way as well, but the bowling stepped up really well to ensure we ended on the winning side, this is now back again to the batting and fielding moments of truth that came to the fore

[AltoLXI]

Some interesting stats trending on twitter:

23 Apr 2013 - RCB score the highest IPL total (263/5)
23 Apr 2017 - RCB score the lowest IPL total (49)

19 Dec 2016 - India score their highest Test total (759/7d)
19 Dec 2020 - India score their lowest Test total (36)

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

This pink ball swings and seams much more than the red ball and therein comes the talk of technique. The performance of batsmen from both the teams tells you about the state of the technique that the current batsmen possesses against the moving ball. Apart from the major batsmen, very few today can bat for a session against the moving ball.

I am sticking my neck out to say that India despite taking a lead in the ongoing test, might lose the test and it is only on Virat the player and Rahane/Pujara to do an encore to avoid that. I don’t have high hopes from Virat-the Captain !!

And my worst fears came true !!

If I am Kohli tonight, I would stay back in Australia and devise ways to come back from this horrible defeat. He is the mainstay of Indian batting, more so in overseas conditions. I won’t be surprised if the series goes totally one sided from here on.

P.S- This series was always going to be tough and that is where the importance of Anil Kumble comes. Anyone can guide a team on placid Indian pitches and whitewash the opposition and the sad part, BCCI knows that too !!

[hemanth.anand]

If I'd to write news column about this test I'd title it "Make hay while sun shines"... who knows, it might rain tomorrow.

Those drop catches and that Kohli run out could've easily been forgotten yesterday evening but in the end it turned out to be the difference between what could've been a good match to a humiliation.

Those happened when Australians were down and Indians were on top respectively. The runout easily reduced 30-50 runs and the drops added 70-100runs. If we take that into account; a 230 to 250 runs target would've been good enough to make a match out of this.

A drop catch to end pretty much summed up the match!

If that Shastri or Kohli have to say "we fought hard, we competed well, we had the right intent"...they dare not say it in front of me.

Ok enough written...I'll forget the last 3 days!

[searacer932]

Except for Shaw, who in my opinion should have been replaced by Gill, I don't think there is any issue with the team selection. Shaw's selection was a surprise but knowing the way in which Kohli/Shastri work this should not have been a surprise. The fielding was bad - 3 dropped dolly catches unpardonable and that's what has hurt India in this test match more than the 2nd innings failure.

However I expect the team to come back strong in the rest of the series.

[smileline]

This test match for Australia is what 2001 Kolkata test match, was for India. A historic come back.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

If I am Kohli tonight, I would stay back in Australia and devise ways to come back from this horrible defeat. He is the mainstay of Indian batting...

I completely concur with this.

It is time the captain stands up and gets counted. Whatever his sentiments were when he decided to skip the series midway, this abysmal defeat should force him to question himself. History will call him a deserter - a leader who wasn't there for his team when it needed him the most.

A contrarian argument would be that his departure will be a godsend for the team to come out of its slumber and inaction. A new captain could perhaps infuse some freshness and turn the tide around.

Either way, the next two tests will test the character of the entire team like never before.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by smileline

This test match for Australia is what 2001 Kolkata test match, was for India. A historic come back.

Not really. Here the match was evenly balanced. Even if India had scored some 200, yet there was a plausibility of Aussie victory. It is nothing more than an embarrassment to India and an eye opener. They need someone technically sound to play at the top and a Dravid like wall at 5.
With Hardik and Rahul on a purple patch, it was indeed stupidity to not let them play. Hardik as a pure batman is also a threat to the opposition.

[Latheesh]

The way in which Mr. Shaw got clean bowled were a treat to watch.

[padmrajravi]

Really, I can't see anybody in the current Indian team who can play that Dravid like innings to tire the fastbowlers out in a situation like this. Pujara could have, but I wonder how much practice he gets against such international bowlers. Since he is branded as a test batsman, he probably is not getting enough chances against such bowling and is facing them after a long time. This is where IPL and T20 has spoiled our talent. Even if someone like that was about to emerge in state cricket, IPL and the millions that it brings will tempt him to modify his game to hitting sixes in flat pitches and stop working on the defense technique.

[VWAllstar]

My XI for the next Test -

M Agrawal
S Gill
C Pujara
A Rahane (c)
K L Rahul
R Pant
W Saha (wk)
R Ashwin
K Yadav
J Bhumrah
M Shami (fit) / N Saini

Somehow we miss a genuine all rounder and a fit H Pandya would just fill that gap.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

A contrarian argument would be that his departure will be a godsend for the team to come out of its slumber and inaction. A new captain could perhaps infuse some freshness and turn the tide around.

Another possibility - if the 'new' captain Rahane goes on to lose 2 or 3 of the remaining tests, it could quite simply mean curtains for him as a player since everyone may go out hammer and tongs dumping the blame on him, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time

I think it's a systemic problem with test cricket that many nations are facing due to the focus on the money spinning shorter formats of the game. Some have worked around it to some extent by having a separate set of core players for tests and ODI/T20 and also trying to give a break/rest to key players.

*Today's performance simply shows that no amount of coaching be it batting or fielding can change things on a given game day on the field, abject surrender and complete decimation, I truly wish I can forget this test.