SK Epic Fails: Indian batsmen fall like a house of cards against Australia
When Ravichandran Ashwin finally managed to dismiss Mitchell Starc early today morning and bowled Australia out for 260, many believed it was now the time for the Indian batsmen to join the party after their bowlers.
Little did they know the Australian bowlers would create havoc too. The visitors started off by getting rid of the inform Murali Vijay who edged one through to the wicket-keeper and then Starc sent back Cheteshwar Pujara with a peach of a delivery.
Click here to watch the complete fall of wickets.
But the biggest blow came when Indian skipper Virat Kohli who has been in the form of his life off late got out caught behind without opening his account.
However, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane steadied the sinking ship a bit as they forged a solid partnership and remained unbeaten till lunch.
After adding 24 more runs to the total in the post lunch session and a stand of 50 runs, the Australians broke through and triggered a collapse, one which hasn’t been seen in recent times.
India lost their last seven wickets for just 11 runs as they went from 94/3 to 105 all out.
Here’s how the Indian batting fell like a house of cards:
32.2 overs- KL Rahul; caught; Steve O’ Keefe
After a steady partnership of 50 with Rahane, Rahul threw it away by dancing down the track and trying to hit the left-arm spinner over the top. However, he did not get to the pitch of the ball and managed to slice it to David Warner who ran in from long-off to complete the catch.
32.4 overs- Ajinkya Rahane; caught; Steve O’ Keefe
After having pocketed Rahul of the second delivery of the over O’ Keefe managed to get the outside edge of Rahane’s bat. Peter Handscomb who was at slip took a brilliant catch by diving forward. Rahane stood his ground and the on-field umpires went upstairs to see if the ball was collected cleanly. Replays showed Handscomb had taken it inches off the ground and Rahane was shown the door.
32.6 overs- Wriddhiman Saha; caught; Steve O’ Keefe
O’ Keefe got his third of the over with a straighter one that jumped off the surface. Saha had no clue about the angled delivery and poked at it. It flew off his bat, ricocheted off the wicket-keeper's gloves and lobbed up for Steve Smith who grabbed it gleefully.
33.3 overs- Ravichandran Ashwin; caught; Nathan Lyon
In the very next over after O’ Keefe’s triple jolt, Lyon got into the act too. Ravichandran Ashwin tried to play a defensive shot by going on the backfoot but the ball bounced off his boot and into the hands of Handscomb at short leg who again pulled off a blinder by diving forward and grabbing it. The on-field umpires once again went upstairs to see if it and indeed bounced off the batsman’s toe and once it was confirmed, Ashwin had to leave.
36.3 overs- Jayant Yadav; stumped; Steve O’ Keefe
Jayant tried to defend a good length ball from O’ Keefe but it spun and beat him all ends up. Wade was quick to collect it behind the stumps and whipped the bails off in a flash. Replays showed Jayant’s big stretch had left his back foot on the line when the bails were taken off by the wicket-keeper and he had to leave as well.
38.2 overs- Ravindra Jadeja; caught; Steve O’ Keefe
With Jadeja losing partners at the other end he tried to slog his way out of trouble and get his side some much-needed runs. He, therefore, tried to skip down the track and loft O’ Keefe over the top but only managed to drag it to deep midwicket where Mitchell Starc gobbled it up.
40.1 overs- Umesh Yadav; caught; Steve O’ Keefe
Umesh Yadav too tried to replicate what Jadeja was trying to do and he too failed. Yadav charged down the track to O’ Keefe but only managed to get a thick outside edge on a turning delivery which lobbed up to Steve Smith who made no mistake in grabbing it.