Long before Matt Renshaw took strike to the first ball of the match in Pune, many experts and pundits had called for India to win the series 3-0 or even an audacious 4-0. Only a few gave Australia a chance to compete, even less to win a match and just a fraction of them thought Australia could snatch a series win.
The Build Up
The pre-series talk was all about India's home domination of Australia's supposed capitulation to spin in Indian conditions. Lyon & O'Keefe were expected to do what Moeen Ali & Rashid did a few months back and what Santner & Sodhi tried to do. Unsuccessfully spin a web around the Indian batsmen. Ashwin, assisted by Jadeja & to a lesser extent Jayant Yadav were expected to put brakes on Australian scoring, pick up wickets in hordes and help Indian run over Australia like they did New Zealand and England. Kohli was touted to play more winsome knocks.
What though was strongly expected was a lot of banter, not so friendly ones between the two teams. Pre series salvos were fired by the likes of Kohli, Starc, Ashwin, Warner & Smith. The match referee was expected to have a lot of work to do. Umpires were going to have their task cut out, apart from just getting their decisions right they were going to have to separate two warring factions. Kohli had already earned the Australian media ire in India last two tours in 2011-12 & 2014-15 with his antics with the crowd and word-wars with Mitchell Johnson. This wasn't going to be different. Kohli was as Australian in attitude as Smith or Warner. He was going to give them back as good as he ever got. This Indian team had players who weren't going to be meek spectators. Apart from Kohli; Ishant, Ashwin, Jadeja are all known to provoke and give back when it came to sledging. A cracker was in the offing.
Controversies
It was all there. Cracker it was. The referees, boards, coaches, captains sure would've had a tough time reigning the players in. The series had potential of being one of the most amusing ever. From Ishant's animated expressions to Smith's Reviewgate, to Kohli's 'C-word' charge, to Kohli's injury, Maxwell's mocking of it, Kohli's allegations of Aussies criticizing Indian physio, Aussie media's criticism of Kohli, to Smith yelling out "f**king cheat" to Vijay's catch claim. It was two strong teams battling it out strongly, not willing to give the opposition even an inch on field or off it. It was entertaining, amusing and at times trivial and disgraceful. India probably wanted to show Australia how good they were at the sledge game and Australia this time chose to play the victim and show Kohli as the aggressor and the 'provoker'.
The Pune Humiliation
In Pune, Australia found heroes in Smith, Starc & Renshaw, the super hero effort was from an unknown and unheard of in India, Steve O'Keefe. Snaring 6 wickets in both innings with his left arm spin on a raging turner, O'Keefe had pushed Indian batsmen on the backfoot in the very beginning of the series. Australia had Indian batsmen by the scruff of their neck, in Pune. The defeat margin of 333 run was massive. Kohli and Kumble termed it as a rare failure but knew a lot had to be done to come back from the abyss. First day in Bangalore followed the same Pune like routine. India batted first, but fell inexplicably to Nathan Lyon guile, giving him 8 wickets on a first day pitch. The second day in Bangalore when India's resurgence happened.
The Strangle
After bundling India for 189 in the first innings and getting to 40/0 at stumps, Australia would've thought they could get a lead of at least 150 and ensure a 2-0 lead by lunch on day 4. Wasn't to be. Indian bowlers bowled with renewed vigour and allowed Australia on 197/6 in 90 overs on day 2. Ashwin was miserly in the 49 overs he bowled and Jadeja picked up wickets whenever Kohli brought him on. Ishant bowled with a lot of aggression and accuracy. Yadav, pretty much India's biggest relief from the home season bowled like he never has before, with great accuracy, pace and consistency. Kohli's tactics to slow Australia down were excellent as Australia prefer to not take the pedal off the gas ever. Though his tactics of bringing Jadeja very late and allowing him fewer overs to bowl were questioned. India eventually had Australia out of 276, with a lead of 87. It was crucial Indian batsmen now came good and gave Australia something meaty to chase.
Batting Comes Good, At Last - Bangalore Was Owned
Rahul, Pujara & Rahane struck brilliant half centuries and Pujara & Rahane put on 118 together for the 5th wicket to set Australia a formidable 188 as target. Pujara was unlucky to miss out on a well deserved hundred, liked Rahul did in the first innings. Rahul compiled half centuries in both innings on a tough track to complete a great game for him. 188 was never going to be easy on the 4th & 5th day surface. Tough target coupled with an on target Ashwin was never going to be easy for Australia. Ashwin picked up 6 wickets and Australia capitulated for 112, giving India a much needed win and leaving the series tied at 1-1 with two more tests to go. Bangalore win had now given India confidence to compete and had sowed seeds of doubt in the Australian team. Was Pune an aberration? Weren't they good enough to pull off a series win? Was India just complacent in Pune and now wide awake?
India's major concerns now were a misfiring lower middle order which had contributed close to nothing in the first two tests. Ashwin, Saha & Jadeja had to come good for India to post big total.
Being a new test venue, not much was known about the nature of the Ranchi wicket. Australia chose to bat and found themselves in a bit of trouble at lunch on day 1 at 109/3. At the end of day 1 though (Aus 299/4), Smith & Maxwell would've strode in to the dressing rooms hoping they can put on at least 200 more and the pitch would assist them to get India out twice. Smith & Maxwell put on 191 for the 5th wicket with Smith scoring 178 and Maxwell getting his maiden test hundred (104). Australia closed their first innings at 451. India had Jadeja yet again to thank for another five wicket haul. Indian batsmen came out all guns blazing. Rahul registered yet another half century, so did his opening partner Vijay. Pujara began essaying an epic. He scored his 3rd double hundred and his second against Australia. He put on 101 for the 2nd wicket with Vijay and later, an under pressure 199 with Saha, with the latter scripting his 3rd test hundred. Credit to Australian bowlers for not letting the match slip by ensuring Indian batsmen scored 603 at a run rate of 2.87. Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon & O'Keefe bowled their heart out to not let India's scoring rate increase. Special mention for O'Keefe who bowled 77 overs out of 210. Cummins playing his first international game in 6 years bowled like he was always in action, picking up 4 Indian wickets. But it was advantage India with a lead of 152. Australia had the unenviable task of having to play out day 5 and wipe out the lead of 152. Indian batsmen had ensured only one team could lose from here. Australia's top 4 slid for a score of 63. It looked only a matter of time that India would take a 2-1 lead. But Handscomb and Marsh played some extraordinary cricket to ensure both teams went back without their noses ahead. Both batsmen put together 124 in 62.1 overs. Smith claimed 'momentum for Australia'.
India Unleashes Chinaman
Kohli injured and unavailable for selection. Rahane goes out for toss and loses it. Smith opts to bat. How much more ominous can the beginning of a test get? Stand in skipper Rahane had other ideas. Instead of bringing in a like for like replacement for Kohli in Shreyas Iyer, he chose to draft in Kuldeep Yadav, a left arm chinaman bowler. First session went as planned for Australia, except for Renshaw's dismissal. Smith and Warner stepped on the gas and took them to 131/1 at lunch on day 1. They seemed to be running away with the match. One more such session and Australia would've come out trumps. But India unleashed Kuldeep Yadav. He dismissed David Warner with one that bounced and spun, Handscomb with an exceptional leg spinner that came in and took his stumps and disturbed Maxwell's stumps with a straighter one or a doosra. Australia was in a lot of trouble. Smith's 3rd hundred of the series and Wade's half century lent some respectability to the Australian total of 300. India started well with yet another half century for Rahul and Pujara and a brilliant 46 for Rahane. Another lower order resistance with Jadeja scoring 63 ensured Indian taking a lead for 32. Australia endured one bad session on day 3 where they lost 5 wickets and lost momentum and their way in the match. From there on, it was all India. Indian pace bowlers looked to hustle the Aussie batsmen and both Yadav and Bhuvneshwar, chosen in place of Ishant bowled with fire. 3 wickets a piece for Yadav, Ashwin & Jadeja had Australia crumbling for 137 and setting India a target of 106 to win the series 2-1. Rahul yet again compiled another half century and India romped home by 8 wickets.
Steve Smith's men shocked the majority of the pre-series predictors into stunned silence with their resounding Pune win, and continued to display great character till the last ball was bowled in Dharamsala. It was expected that Smith, Warner, Starc were to play major roles if Australia were to stand up to India in home conditions. Warner's inability to get off to a start and to convert the start into something meaningful twice he got off to one. Starc's injury and resultant series pull out after Bangalore didn't affect Australia as much as they'd have worried. His replacement Cummins did for Australia more than what they hoped for. Steve Smith proved he is streets ahead of his other contemporaries. Cummins, if fit can pose real threats to teams. Handscomb and Renshaw showed signs of great temperament for Australia. Warner continued to misfire in away games. His imposing presence in the middle for longer duration will surely help Australia post bigger totals and intimidate bowlers. Lyon & O'Keefe showed they can adapt to spinning conditions.
This series win for India will feature as one of their best ever. This was more akin to the Indian win over Australia in 2010 than the one in 2013. 2010 series was brilliantly fought between the two sides with Australia forcing India to play their best to win. The 2013 series was with an Australian side that kept their Aussie spirit back home. Jadeja coming out of Ashwin shadow as a bowler and a gifted all-rounder for India. Umesh Yadav's resurgence would give India most joy. The guy who sprayed all around the pitch was now focusing on accuracy. Rahul proved his mettle as a dependable test batsman with set of 50+ scores. We can worry about his conversions another day. Pujara's re-emergence as consistent number 3 will give Kohli and Kumble a lot of heart. Rahane's scores and his captaincy in Dharamsala were both worth appreciation. Kohli's batting was a matter of concern in the series, but batsman of his quality wasn't going to be bothered about a few failures. He is sure to put them behind him the next time he goes out to bat.
This series is going to be talked about for a while, as maybe the best India vs Australia series of this decade and the best series after the South Africa - Australia series of 2012.
