"This Indian team is capable of striking back" - Sunil Gavaskar optimistic ahead of Day 2 of BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind the tourists to wrest back control of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide after a tough Day 1. Gavaskar feels wickets of Travis Head and Steve Smith on Day 2 should keep Team India's necks in front.
Mitchell Starc took six wickets to bowl India out for 180 on the opening day after the tourists opted to bat first. Later, Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne dug in and weathered the storm to finish the day on 86/1.
Speaking to India Today, the 75-year-old pointed out that India can take inspiration from their fantastic bowling performance in Perth to put Australia on the backfoot. He elaborated:
"As we saw in Perth, even a score of 150 was good enough for the Indians to get a small lead of 46 runs. Clearly, this Indian team is capable of striking back. All that they need to do is bowl a better length than what they did in the evening. If they get four wickets, including that of Travis Head and Steve Smith in the first innings, then India can come back. They might not be able to get a big lead, but they will still be in the game."
Jasprit Bumrah, who starred in the opening Test, was the lone wicket-taker on Day 1, nipping out Usman Khawaja. The right-arm pacer could also have had McSweeney, but Rishabh Pant had dropped him on 3.
"The Indian bowlers have not really used the pink ball as well as they should have" - Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar observed that the Indian bowlers haven't quite made the Aussie batters play as much as they could, indicating an err in lengths. He said in an interaction with Star Sports:
"They have to make the batters play as much as they can. And this is what happens when you make the batters play as much as you can. You can set them up by bowling a couple of deliveries outside and then get the ball to move back in, as it did to Nathan McSweeney in the Perth Test, or to Labuschagne in the Perth Test, like what Bumrah did. The Indian bowlers have not really used the pink ball as well as they should have."
India, nevertheless, lead the five-Test series by 1-0.