Marred by injuries, bruised to the core and fighting to even put a playing XI together, but this Indian team have the one thing that could see them through –their Never-Say-Die attitude!
Virat Kohli – Unavailable on paternity leave
KL Rahul – Flown home with a wrist injury
Mohammed Shami – Ruled out with fracture to the arm
Hanuma Vihari – Ruled out with a hamstring strain
Umesh Yadav – Ruled out with a calf injury
Sir Jadeja – Ruled out with fracture to the left thumb
Ishant Sharma – Ruled out
Jasprit Bumrah – Struggling with an abdominal strain
R Ashwin – Struggling with back spasms
The Ajinkya Rahane led Indian team arrived in Brisbane injury-ravaged ahead of the fourth and final Test Match against the Aussies with the series levelled at 1-1. To make matters worse, the Indian players were to remain in strict quarantine in Brisbane after a nearby quarantine hotel was evacuated for the new UK strain of Covid-19.
The Gabba has been Australia’s impenetrable fortress and the Aussies have not lost a Test at this venue in Brisbane since 1988. India meanwhile have never won a Test at The Gabba. Having said all that and even with the dire straits the Indian team find themselves in, we at Man’s Life think there are reasons to believe there is enough talent and fight within this spirited unit to get past the hosts and keep their hands on the Border-Gavaskar trophy:
1. INDIA COME IN AS UNDERDOGS WITH NOTHING TO LOSE
The visitors are barely able to stitch together a playing XI at the moment and while the team pulled off a heist thanks to R Ashwin, Vihari and Rishabh Pant’s batting, the momentum is firmly with the Aussies. India, therefore, come into this final test with absolutely no expectations, no fear and with everything to gain versus the home side that could be a little nervy OR complacent on the flip side given injury-riddled position of the opponents coming into their fortress.
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2. INDIA’s FRESH PACE ATTACK ON THE FASTEST DECK IN AUSTRALIA
While Perth has held the mantle as a fast bowler’s paradise in years gone by, but the Gabba has taken over that tag and with good reason. Now, this wouldn’t have been a good sign for most touring Indian sides but anyone who’s followed THIS Indian team over the last 2-3 years would know that the battery of fast bowlers coming through the side have been mighty impressive. At the end of a long tour, while the bodies of some of the Australian quicks might be tiring, the Indians could potentially a fired-up young line-up with Mohd. Siraj leading the charge (in his first Test series), and perhaps a fresh set of legs in Shardul Thakur and/or T Natarajan who could be a trump card given the change of angle and the face that he comes in as an unknown entity in this format.
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3. INDIA’s BATSMEN PRIMED TO ENJOY THESE CONDITIONS
Just as India’s pace battery has become one to be feared, the Indian batsmen too have over this period become a unit that love the ball coming onto the bat with pace and aren’t troubled with any sweet chin music that might be served up by Cummins, Starc and co.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill looked extremely comfortable against the highly rated and relentless Australian pace attack, playing exquisite pulls shots and punches off the back foot to force the Aussies to turn towards plan B…and that’s not all, as we move down the order, the comfort to the quicks and ability to blunt the new ball continues with Pujara and Rahane while the fearlessness persists in the form of Rishabh Pant who could be the bold X-Factor that India need at the Gabba.
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4. ATTENTION ON AUSTRALIA FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS
The Aussies would have loved nothing better than to arrive at a venue where they haven’t lost in 32 years, with a 2-1 lead in the series but more importantly without their own media on their backs. Unfortunately for Time Paine and his side though, the skipper and a set of rowdy Aussie fans have brought that upon themselves. What’s worse is that the Aussies seemed rattled on Day 5 at the SCG when the chips were down and the partnership of Ashwin and Vihari stayed cemented to the crease.
In an intense contest like this that now has no room to put a foot wrong, the shift in focus to the off-field antics of the Australians going back to their own ways could play a massive part in the approach to this Test where the hosts might have to soften up and go against their nature, which would be to go for the jugular.
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5. FOUR TESTS – 5 DIFFERENT OPENERS FOR AUSTRALIA
Aside from the unsettledness off the field, Australia are once again forced to make changes to their roles and batting order with Will Pucovski ruled out of the final Test with a shoulder injury. Marcus Harris comes in to be the fifth opener this series and has been preferred ahead of shifting Matthew Wade back to open. It will be his first Test since the 2019 Ashes where he made just 58 runs in six innings and with David Warner’s averaging just 9 in the series so far, the Indian quicks will be licking their lips for some early inroads.
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[Image Credit: Indian Cricket Team]
Suhail Chandhok
Vertical Head - Sports