Australia got everything right from the start of the second Test match against India in Perth. They were by far the better team and deserved the 146-run victory that came their way. With this win, Tim Paine’s side equalled the four-match Test series 1-1. Spinner Nathan Lyon’s brilliance in Perth overshadowed India’s decision-making.
Lyon grabbed 8/106 in this Test and was adjudged the player of the match. A five-for set it up in the first innings and the crucial wicket off Virat Kohli in the second helped Australia dominate the show. The hosts won the Test by a whopping 146 runs after bowling out India for 140 in their second innings.
The tale that will be told regarding this Test is India failed to read the pitch right and got their combination wrong yet again. This thing has happened for the third time this year. It occurred in South Africa and England as well prior to the Tests against Australia.
It’s time that the management gets right calls, rather than tinkering with the playing XI to eke out combinations that are quite baffling. Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri with bags of experience once again let the opponent gain the psychological advantage with the decision making.
India were fooled by pitch
A thick grass cover in Perth got the better of India regarding the team selection. What turned out was that the surface underneath wasn’t as hard as it was suggested prior to the Test. The 30-year-old skipper seemed excited than being nervous about the fast and lively pitch at the new Optus Stadium in Perth.
What followed was India left out Ravindra Jadeja and got in Umesh Yadav. The move backfired as the pitch wasn’t as vicious as expected. Australia dominated the first session and from there, the tone of the match was set. India saw part-time spinner Hanuma Vihari pick two wickets in the first innings.
That summed up India’s decision.
Aussies managed to create the hype
The talk started with pitch curator Brett Sipthorpe revealing that a green, fast and bouncy wicket will await both sides in Perth. According to a report in cricket.com.au, Sipthorpe said, “We’ve just been told make it fast, make it bouncy if you can and run with it”.
What a lie! The Aussies played to the tunes perfectly and got Kohli change his look of the side.
Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath was baffled by Kohli’s decision. He told Channel Seven, “They (India) have got caught up in the hype and felt this pitch was going to do everything, bounce, pace, carry, seam.” Besides McGrath, former England captain Michael Vaughan too expressed his disappointment with the team selected by Kohli.
“The three quicks are outstanding and I do think over the course of the next few days Virat (Kohli) will be looking over his shoulder and thinking ‘why didn’t I play a specialist spinner?”
And Kohli did miss a spinner
Indian pace bowlers picked 18 wickets on this track, but the major workload came from the three main assets in Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. The trio accounted for 16 scalps. Naturally, even if India went in with Jadeja, then these three would have played nonetheless.
Umesh Yadav was poor and leaked runs, and the pitch slowed down to help spin. With R Ashwin’s injury, India could have opted for Jaddu. The left-arm spinner offers so much. He bowls in tight channels and picks wickets. His fielding and batting too would have helped India.
Hanuma bowled 28 overs in this Test, which showed Kohli realised his mistake and was helpless.
Nathan Lyon has the last laugh
What India didn’t manage to do, the Aussies did. They went in with the same XI and struck to the plan of three pacers and a spinner. The ploy worked.
Lyon a master, who is slowly gaining legendary status picked 8 wickets in the Test. The joint-leading Test wicket-taker of 2018, piled the misery on India.
He showed his prowess on Day 3 after getting the momentum back for his side. India choked to his spin and the 43-run lead they surrendered gave Aussies the edge. Lyon bowled like a champion and his tireless approach set him apart from the rest.
Lyon said after Australia’s victory, “My role changed a fair bit to a more attacking role in Adelaide to a defending role here.”
Lyon gets the key wickets
The crucial moment for Lyon was the key scalps of Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli. On Day 3, he got the former from the fourth ball in the morning session. Lyon shortened his length a bit and got it to straighten. Rahane played for the spin and edged the ball. Aussies got the perfect start.
Then came the crucial scalp of Kohli in the second innings. The 30-year-old had slammed his 25th career Test ton in the first innings and was expected to be the thorn once again in the second. But Lyon had other ideas.
Kohli was batting on 17 when the ace spinner bamboozled him. Kohli played for the spin and like Rahane edged the ball.
Lyon said, “Definitely those two wickets (Virat and Rahane) are special. Virat is the number one player in the world, to compete against him and to be able to take his wicket is pretty special.”