3 mistakes India made on Day 1 of BGT 2024-25 Test in Adelaide
After a euphoric win in Perth, India were dragged back to Earth as Australia reminded them of their prowess. The Men in Yellow stitched together a clinical outing across all departments to dominate the visitors on Day 1 of the second Border-Gavaskar series Test in Adelaide.
The Australian pacers first made the pink ball talk to bundle out Team India for 180 runs in the first innings, in just 44 overs. Then, with the bat, the under-fire top order negotiated a tricky phase under the lights, losing only one wicket. At Stumps on Day 1, Australia are well-placed at 86-1, trailing by only 94 runs.
The Men in Blue have not had too many days of play in Australia where they have been comprehensively dominated in recent times, but the opening day in Adelaide on Friday, December 6, was surely one of them.
On that note, let us take a look at three mistakes India made on Day 1 of the BGT 2024-25 Test in Adelaide.
#1 Choosing to bat first
Perhaps in hindsight, it is easy to blame Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and the management for choosing to bat first after winning the toss. However, the evidence does point that perhaps the wrong call was made, and going in the other direction might have been the justified route.
Bowling first would have given the Indian pacers a chance to have a go at the struggling Australian top order. While the match-up came to fruition under the lights in the final session, the batters were a touch relaxed without the pressure of an imperious first innings total on the board.
Furthermore, the weather forecast had predicted rain and thunderstorms on the opening day, giving the bowlers ample cloud cover and moisture on the pitch to have a say. The plan to bat first in testing conditions is always made from a long-term perspective, but for that to come into play, the batters have to play their part to see off the initial period, which India were incapable of doing.
Rohit Sharma had recently regretted making a similar choice in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, when the side were bowled out for 46. The skipper might be hoping that history does not repeat so quickly.
#2 Failing to adapt to the bounce
The Adelaide wicket, with a tinge of green, had a bit of a surprise in the form of extra bounce, with the lacquer and the hardness of the pink ball being the catalyst. The tall Australian bowlers needed to pitch the ball further up to hit the stumps, while the deliveries on a length rose.
Vastly more experienced with the behavior of the pink ball, the pace trio did not take long to crack the formula. Starc handled the swing, Cummins kept things tight and hit the deck hard, and Boland got the ball to move off the seam. India simply could not handle the versatility and the prowess.
In several of the important dismissals, or at least in the setup by the bowlers, bounce played a key role. The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, in particular, succumbed to the steep bounce directly, while the rest of the batters did not do a convincing job to get on top, or adjust their footwork accordingly.
#3 Not finding the right length, and not hitting the stumps enough
Unfortunately, India being bundled out for 180 was not a surprise, given the batting unit's lack of reliability and the Australian bowlers' familiarity with the pink ball.
Despite a promising second innings performance in Perth, a flat pitch and tired bowlers were not on offer this time, leading to normal services being resumed. The Australian bowlers ran through the top order with ease, leaving the task of protecting India's pride back to Jasprit Bumrah and Co. While they managed to do it in Perth, lightning did not strike twice.
If India preferred to have a go at the Australian bowlers at any time, they would have wished for under the lights. That was their sole silver lining after being bowled out in just two sessions on the opening day.
But, a combination of awareness by the Australian top order, coupled with a hot-and-cold bowling display by India meant that the former were largely untroubled. The edges were tested, and there were a few close calls, but not enough pressure was put consistently for a breakthrough to yield.
A primary reason for that was the bowlers' inability to hit the ideal length. With a small total on the board to play with, the need of the hour was to attack the area around the stumps, and force the batters to play and bring both edges into play. Only a small fraction of the deliveries bowled by India were projected to hit the stumps.
This lack of discipline allowed the batters to leave the ball generously and gain confidence by putting the poor balls away. India had a golden period with movement being on show under the lights, with the numbers showing the same, but they failed to capitalize on it.