DARWIN, AUSTRALIA (WTC): Team India, among other nations, were stunned when Bangladesh defeated Australia by nine wickets in the first match of a two-Test series in Darwin on Sunday, August 16. This was Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win in Australia, having never tasted victory in red-ball cricket on these shores before.
The Bangla Tigers played according to the book, and put the Aussies under pressure from Day 1 itself. They forced their opponents onto the back foot with their relentless lines and lengths with the ball, and then batted Australia out of the Test altogether when given the chance to put the anchor down at the crease.
Bangladesh’s win has several markers for Team India, who have had a modest record in Test cricket ever since former opener Gautam Gambhir was appointed as head coach. In this article, we list a few points which Team India can do well to ponder upon in their ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) campaign.
The balance of spin and pace
Despite playing in Australia, which is known to have the fastest surfaces in the world, Bangladesh did not do away with their major strength: spin bowling. Although Hasan Mahmud was the wrecker-in-chief for the Tigers in the first innings with a six-wicket haul (6-55), they did not lose faith in their spinners.
Many detractors may have rued the presence of two slow bowlers in Bangladesh’s ranks (both of whom went wicketless in the first innings), but they were answered in stunning fashion in the second innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam bowled in tandem to stump the Aussies of all confidence, sharing six wickets among themselves.
Miraz, who picked up five, was the brains behind the entire operation, with Islam going through the routines of pitching the ball in the same areas over and over again. The balance between spin and seam was visible in this innings, too, when Mahmud returned with three wickets, earning his Player of the Match award. This balance can be learnt by Team India, too, for usage in the WTC cycle.
The presence of a stroke-making opening batter in the WTC cycle
Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s stroke-filled 101 laid the groundwork for Bangladesh to out-bat Australia in this Test, which is a part of the WTC cycle. Although the southpaw took the help of eight boundaries and one six in his innings, he did not go after the Aussies right from the off. He took his time to get used to the moving ball and then expanded his range of strokes.
Tamim consumed just 197 balls during his stay at the crease, and this helped the Tigers take a big lead with enough time to bowl their opponents out. Team India, despite having Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as their openers, do not possess any Tamim-like free-flowing opening batters who can play comfortably on the rise.
While Jaiswal comes close, he has often suffered from inconsistent bouts of form, even losing momentum after a 37-ball 32 in the first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle. If Team India were to unearth a strokemaking opening batter who also has enough composure to play the new ball out, they can become unbeatable in the WTC.
Team India’s major learning lies in using the depth of the crease
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto displayed immense application to use his feet and the full width of the crease during his 126-ball 84 in the first innings of this WTC encounter. Shanto is an excellent sweeper of the ball, but he reined himself in against the Kangaroos owing to the infrequent chances of whipping his favourite shot out.
The southpaw, instead, bided his time and waited for the likes of Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green to miss their lengths. He used the flick, cover drive and square cut to good effect to get his runs without letting his opponents squeeze his flow. The main reason behind Shanto’s ease of playing was his impeccable footwork.
If Team India invest in a middle-order batter who can capitalise on the same markers, they will be in for success in the WTC. While Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan appear to be major contenders, there is still some time to go before any of them cements their berths. Shanto’s knock should give them ample idea as to how they can improve their run-scoring by using the crease better.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE – The sick, the dying and the dead: How Hyderabad cricket can regain its former glory
If you liked this article, consider subscribing to our website to stay in touch with the latest updates in sports. You can also follow India Sports Tribune on X and Instagram. We would love to talk to you!
Leave a Reply