Adelaide debacle aussies have india on the hop force them to their lowest test total

Adelaide debacle aussies have india on the hop force them to their lowest test total

In what can only be described as a horrific collapse, Team India was shot out for just 36 runs in the second innings of the Adelaide Test. This is India’s lowest score in 88 years of playing Test cricket. What’s even more shocking is that the inglorious marker came courtesy a team that is generally considered to be very good overseas. Moreover, the team actually had a lead of 53 from the first innings. To give it all away in a couple of sessions required massive underperformance or an exceptional display by the opposition.

Skipper Virat Kohli blamed the debacle on a collective lack of intent. But the more charitable explanation is that the Indian batsmen were caught by a perfect storm where the pitch suddenly livened up and the Aussie bowlers had the perfect tools to exploit the situation. As some commentators have pointed out, the ball actually swung less than expected which resulted in more edges and catches. And pacers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had the line and length to keep the Indian batsmen on the hop.

However, there could also be other factors. In a year when Covid-19 completely disrupted the cricket calendar, it is natural for teams to put up inexplicable performances. Plus, for Kohli and the boys IPL 2020 played in UAE marked the return to cricketing duties after the pandemic-induced hiatus. And switching from the shortest to the longest format of the game requires a degree of adjustment. Besides, with the advent of T20 there is a sense that the whole game today is oriented towards this attractive format. Youngsters in small town India dream of getting an IPL contract, which in turn can be a shortcut to Team India itself. Perhaps therein lies India’s issues with Test cricket. Kohli may be on to something when he talks about intent. Mindset issues do lead to such debacles.