We discuss India’s memorable eight-wicket win in Melbourne and place it in context of some of the famous Indian victories in Australia.
Talking Points:
- Placing the victory in context
- Parallels with Melbourne ’81
- Rahane’s touch
- Ashwin’s immaculate control
- Bumrah’s skid and the ball to hoodwink Smith
- Gill v Shaw, Pant v Saha
- Siraj’s debut
- Looking ahead to Sydney
Participants:
Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Ashoka (@ABVan)
Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)
Related:
A tragicomedy called 36 all out – 81allout podcast
The Melbourne Miracle of 1981 – 81allout podcast
Ashwin, Bumrah bowl India to MCG victory – Kartikeya Date
Ravi Shastri: India’s triumph one of the great comebacks in Test history – Sidharth Monga, ESPNcricinfo
‘No spinner has done that to me in my career’ – Steve Smith on R Ashwin
Tactical tweaks, delightful drift – Amit Gupta on R Ashwin, Scroll.in
Saini and Siraj better placed than their predecessors – Varun Shetty, ESPNcricinfo
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Lead image from here.
This episode was less dramatic than the previous one, and understandably so :).
I have always loved Rahane’s captaincy (I know now everyone does); he plays 5 bowlers and has interesting field placings. But isn’t that the same with every replacement captain? For instance, I remember Gambhir winning a home ODI series vs NZ by 5-0 and the experts were impressed with his attacking captaincy. Similarly, Rohit does so well whenever he’s got a chance.
Yes, India lost the last Test and were missing several players including their most bankable player (for both cricketing and financial reasons). That’s one reasons Australia are trying their best to play Warner, no matter what – for his presence in the team.
Reg Smith (and the other Smith), people are saying bowlers have worked out them. That’s why they are out of form. But one should need to see how less the margin with Smith is, and with any other attack he may again find his touch. The impeccable lines that Bamra bowled to him is not easy to replicate. And it’s one thing bowling batsmen round their legs (like Shoaib/Khurasia or Greg C/Ghavri) and it’s completely another thing bowling from the angle Bamra does.
About team selections, I feel (what Ajay Jadeja says so often) it’s less about who you’re selecting and more about who you’re rejecting – a bit like what it used to be with Australia of the oughties. I’d have still preferred Shaw in the 2nd Test and any right arm fast bowler (Siraj, Saini, or Shardul). However, just for kicks, I’d love to see Rahane playing four bowlers (2+2) and an extra batsman in the next Test (if in Sydney, that is). 😀
Thanks again Vivek. You remain a loyal listener. I like how you said Bamrah the way Kartikeya pronounces it. And not Boomra as many of us do. Also – I don’t know many people who will remember Shoaib bowling Khurisiya around his legs. Wonderful memory! – Sidvee
Bumrah is indeed pronounced as all of us say it, but the thing with podcasts is that you can focus what the panelists are saying :). That’s why “Bamra” and “Bala bhai” can be easily pointed out. And not to belittle his (Khurasiya’s) career in any which way but his exaggerated movement across the stumps and that bowled is something a lot of people remember. Perhaps the only thing about him.
And lastly the thing with memory is that, it gets refreshed when people talk about any incident in a public domain. That’s how I remember so many things now following some conversations on Twitter and, of course, by following your podcasts. 🙂
Lastly thanks for acknowledging; I’ve always loved the stories you people come up with especially the ones involving journalists. Thanks a lot for giving them a platform where we can hear them.