aThe clouds have cleared over the Gabba after the third Test between Australia and India ended in a stalemate, but neither side is looking for a positive point in their favor. There’s a reason to sift through it. Any hint of confidence would be welcome at this stage, as both teams recorded dramatic wins and subsequent defeats, although the opening three Tests exposed many vulnerabilities from each other.
Organizers could accept a return to form for the fading great Steve Smith for the next contest in Melbourne, giving him more control over both bat and ball. Tourists will be heartened by a brave fight off a possible follow-up under dark skies on its penultimate day in Brisbane. The next day, when Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance caused a further collapse, an opportunity to revive lingering doubts among Australia’s top order became an unexpected boost at a time when a draw was already all but certain. .
With the win in Adelaide and overcoming much of an often-interrupted first four days in Brisbane, India managed to regain momentum heading into the Boxing Day Test. At least that was the case until Australia’s long-time nemesis Ravichandran Ashwin made a bombshell announcement announcing his retirement from international cricket after his playing days at the Gabba.
The 38-year-old was left out of the Gabba’s eleven after taking one wicket from 18 overs in the pink-ball second Test. That’s because India’s revolving door kept turning to give Ravindra Jadeja the first game of the series. Jadeja played a key role in India’s late rally scoring 77 runs, but earlier went wicketless and barely threatened his 23 overs as Australia amassed 445 runs since coming into bat.
Ashwin would have been a strong candidate for a recall at the MCG, either as the sole spinner or as part of the familiar one-two punch with Jadeja that has troubled Australia many times in the past. When the two teams met in Melbourne in 2020, the duo combined for eight wickets as India suffered a crushing defeat in the first Test to tie the series. Ashwin instead pulled up the stumps with the seventh-most Test wickets (537) in the middle of the series. Adjusted the most Australian scalps (115) ever.
The off-spinner has also won the Man of the Series award 11 times, the most in Tests, including when India hosted Australia in 2013 and most recently when India hosted Australia in 2023. Also included are pairs with great rivals. Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan are no wonder. Lyon immediately sent Ashwin to the Gabba with an autographed Australia shirt.
Even as his authority declined, Ashwin’s sudden resignation opened a crack in India’s alarming shortcomings. While Jadeja’s impact on the ball was limited in Brisbane, Washington Sundar picked up just a few wickets in Perth and was missed in the next two Tests. None of the Indian spin trio selected in the team had a chance in this even Border-Gavaskar series, while Australia’s Lyon also made little impression in the series with three wickets in 60 overs.
Remaining spinners are likely to enjoy a more friendly environment in Melbourne and Sydney. But whether India sticks with veteran Jadeja, 25-year-old Sundar, or perhaps both, Ashwin’s retirement is another step in the side’s accelerating changing of the guard. . Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma join Jadeja as the only members of the Indian squad to be in their late 30s. Australia are not yet in the looming period of regeneration, but if Scott Borland replaces the injured Josh Hazlewood as expected, four players of the same age group will be in Melbourne’s eleven.
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It remains to be seen whether Australia will pay dearly for relying on reliable but aging players after five Tests in less than seven weeks. Mitch Marsh bowling just two overs in the third Test highlighted the impact of losing Hazlewood to a calf injury on the third day, and injuries are starting to squeak into the squad, already a cause for concern. Exists.
Boland may be the ideal replacement for Hazlewood, but experience will be a plus if Kohli can add to a record that has stagnated for centuries after scoring his second in five years at Perth. The absence of abundant pacers will become even more obvious. Kohli has been dismissed twice by Hazlewood in this series as his right-handed line and Test length troubled India’s great outside off-stump.
Kohli is not the only batsman who has struggled to score runs consistently in this series. The 36-year-old batsman has maintained his best pace so far, giving him the credit of being unbeaten. Smith’s century in 18 months takes some of the pressure off the 35-year-old and certainly lifts the form of teammate Usman Khawaja and India captain Rohit. The runs from the once prolific duo now feel like a bonus on top of what has been racked up by the standout batsmen of the series so far, Travis Head and KL Rahul. But the possibility of spinning the deck in Melbourne and Sydney, and the belated arrival of spinners to make the most of it, could add the most significant twists and turns to this rollercoaster series.
