Australia vs India 2018-19: What risk looms around India without a genuine spinner?
On a day the home team Australia announced an unchanged side from the first Test at Adelaide which includes their premium spinner Nathan Lyon, Team India decided to go ahead with four pace bowlers at Optus Stadium in Perth for the second Test match.
It is not for the first time Virat Kohli surprised others with the team selection. We have seen it in England in the first Test match without Pujara, two spinners playing in a pitch which offered plenty of swing for the pace bowlers. Perth saw India going with four pace bowlers in the place of a genuine spinner. Kohli picked Umesh Yadav ahead of Bhuvaneswar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja. The move also resulted in India having a long tail who are not handy with the bat. However, did the move work for India at the end of day one?
India with four pace bowlers had to rely on part-time spinner Hanuma Vihari at one stage who bowled 14 overs on day one and picked up wickets of two well-set batsmen Marcus Harris and Shaun Marsh. There may be arguments that the unexpected bounce got Harris and a cut shot close to the body cost Marsh his wicket. However, Vihari was much efficient on a day where Indian pace bowlers struggled in multiple spells.
In a scorching hot day, Virat Kohli had no option other than bowling the pacers in short spells. India required one of their bowlers to bowl from one end much similar to what Ashwin had done in Adelaide. Unfortunately, they were not able to maintain the pressure with the short spells and Aussies were quick to capitalise and score runs in each session.
A genuine spinner like Jadeja could have been handy to provide sufficient support for three pace bowlers who can continue to attack from one end. However, India missed the trick and had to rely on Vihari as a part-time option. The pace bowlers bowled remarkably well and picked up four wickets, but, the impact of fourth pace bowler instead of a spinner remains as a question.
Part-time bowlers bowled one-sixth of the completed overs on day one, and India's misery of having no genuine spinner will hurt them more in the second innings. It is a greenish pitch, but, didn't have so much assistance as the Indian camp expected. Spinners will come into play in the coming days with more cracks developing on the pitch with the hot weather and deterioration as the match progress.
Australia trust their three fast bowlers to do the work in the greenish pitch and Lyon to hold one bowling end. They seem to be in a strong position with 277/6 at stumps. With a lower order which is more than handy with the bat, they will be looking at anything around 400 on day two.
It will be exciting to see how Indian batsmen counter the Aussie bowling attack on a pitch which has already shown some invariable bounce. Only time will tell you whether India gambled with their team selection once again in another important away tour and whether it will cost them the game in Perth.