If I said India would start a little bit ahead of Australia at Adelaide in my last article A Pink Ball Battle, it was no less excellent conversion of India’s probable edge benefit in the first half of the game. Though escaped a caught behind, Virat Kohli in the first innings made a big difference with his absolute defence against Australian attack. With the pink ball swinging mysteriously, India’s 244 never appeared to be a small score. Then the fall of Australia started. With no strength in the middle order they collapsed trailing by 53.

 

Having a fair number of runs as lead, India had everything to push Australia at backfoot. But this is the beauty of cricket when either the things change or you wait for it to change. Australia while batting in their first innings, I think, felt well how the ball getting into the stumps, and they came back with a solid plan to trap Indian top orders targeting the off stump. Hazelwood and Cummins made India surrender with just 36 in the second innings. Had it been 136 and hadn’t Shami been injured, Australia must have stumbled to chase.

 

Back to today’s match, I’ll say, it’s a separate game and it’s the time to prove how well you are with the backups. If Prithvi Shaw is not serious about the gap between pad and bat, someone is going to replace him. To replace Shaw with Subhman Gill is not a good idea, I think, though there is a strong chance of so. I’ll go with K. L. Rahul to open with Mayank Agarwal. But in fact, he didn’t make playing XI. At No. 3 Pujara might make a terrific comeback and, hope, compensate well the absence of Virat. Rahane and Gill must handle the middle. Having taken the batting collapses in the second innings into account, Rishabh Pant will replace Wriddhiman Saha. When set for a while, he is a beautiful No. 7 for India.

 

In regard to bowling, Ravindra Jadeja comes back and it happens quickly relating to his concussion. It’s the fifth bowling option which is very important in a format of a game where you have to bowl a good many overs. Umesh Yadav and Md. Siraj have to bowl extremely well to fill an absolute vacuum created by Shami’s departure. Ashwin is a champion and needs no introduction.

 

For Australia, if calculated rightly, they have to take special care of batting. Except Smith and Labuschagne, they have no promising test player in the squad. But they possess a number of talented players like Burns, Wade, and Paine. It’s very important for Matthew Wade and Burns to have a good start. In the upper-middle order, Smith and Labuschagne must look for a long innings. It’s time for Cameron Greene to offer something either through bowling or by showing a good batting display. Cummins, Hazlewood are in great form, and Starc and Lyon will make playing XI in a routined way.

 

India must revisit down memory lane as they outplayed Australia here at MCG last time. On the other hand, Australia have everything to cheer with 1-0 up in the series.