Border-Gavaskar trophy - Lessons to be learned from 1st Test

In a universe where Test cricket is almost extinct, the first Test between India and Australia lies in between being the saviour and the cosmic storm that wipes out others of its ilk. It was engrossing in patches, but quite dull overall. Some moments of brilliance form Clarke, Sachin, Kohli and of course MS Dhoni, tilted the match towards being exciting. The two who impressed the most were James Pattinson and R Ashwin.

James Pattinson’s five wicket haul was perhaps the most impressive performance in the entire match. On a wicket that would force most up and coming fast bowlers to go the Anil Kumble way and shorten their run up, Pattinson ran in harder and bowled fast. The most impressive part of Pattinson’s bowling is he is not one-dimensional. He showed in Australia he can bang it in and extract seam movement. But where he overtakes the likes of Siddle, is his ability to get the ball to swing as well. The way he got the ball to reverse swing was quite simply outstanding. Interspersed with bouncers and fuller deliveries, were balls that clocked 150 kmph. Along with the effort, he produced results. He understood the length he needed to bowl and the pace he needed to bowl at. Unrelenting in sweltering conditions, Pattinson made Lyon look a little more effective. Lyon did bowl quite well. The Indian batsmen just played him better. The ball to get Sachin out in the first innings was a classic off-spinner. Perhaps with a second spinner, he could bowl more freely.

Ashwin on the other hand, didn’t need the support of anybody. He looked a completely different bowler. He concentrated on his off-spin rather than trying every ball that he knows how to bowl. The line was outside off-stump and tempting the batsman to reach out and drive. The wicket did offer uneven bounce and prodigious turn. Still, putting the ball in the right area is an art. It’s an art that Ashwin had earlier regarded with little importance. He hadn’t realized that while bowling variations offers the excuse of having tried everything in case of a failure, sometimes bowling to succeed requires doing the simple things well. It appears he is clear in his mind that he is a good enough off-spin bowler. However, he still has to maintain the same clarity when bowling on a pitch that doesn’t resemble a sandy beach.

In pursuit of a minuscule total for victory, India lost Sehwag and Vijay. M Vijay does not deserve to be in the team right now. If his century in the Irani trophy is his claim to the spot, then it begs the argument that he should never have made it to the Rest of India squad either. His dismissals make one believe his spikes are too sharp and long. They dig deep into the pitch and cause a level of difficulty in lifting his feet that weightlifters experience while trying to break records.

Sehwag’s failures could be a result of his failing eyesight. Since he was spotted wearing glasses, this conjecture does hold a little weight. His game, as many experts have pointed out, relies heavily on hand-eye co-ordination. The dropped catches indicate he is picking the ball up late. The reason for that could be his lackadaisical attitude in the slips or his ‘it’s so much fun’ smile or his eyes. At the moment, the co-ordination between his eyes and hands couldn’t be better than an animal with no opposable thumbs trying to hold a mug and wash himself. The reasoning of ‘that’s the way he plays’ no longer assures anyone that Sehwag will fire.

India have some thinking to do about the opening combination as well as the bowling combination. Australia need to think of playing an extra spinner and somehow conjure a miraculous performance from the top order.

Both teams have lessons to learn from the first Test. Beginning March 2nd, it will become clear who has learned better.