Almanac Cricket: Australia v India – First Test Day 3 Perth: A Song of India

 

DAY 3 INDIA v AUSTRALIA

 

SONG OF INDIA

 

It’s hot and only ‘mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun’  so said Noel Coward 100 years ago. At 9 am it is already  30 degrees and getting warmer.  Let’s hope the doctor arrives on time this afternoon.

 

A big test  for the locals this morning with India 0/172 and the hot weather will make it a ‘hard day’s night” (or words to that effect).

 

Jaiswal and KL Rahul are in fine touch right from the first ball and they add  13 in the first 2 overs from Hazlewood and Starc. They certainly are ‘feelin’ groovy’.

 

How long can I keep this up!

 

Watching Jaiswal bat is a pure delight. He is so still taking block a very slight movement of his feet and he is ready to fire and so he has this morning.  A ramped six of Hazlewood followed by a dramatic salute to the heavens is wonderful theatre. That salute to the heavens will be pictured all around Bharat India within seconds. Wonder just how many people will view it?

 

Eight fours and three sixes from 205 balls tells its own story.

 

The exaltation does not last long as KL (77) nicks a good one to Carey from Starc.  1/201

 

New boy Devdutt Padikkal (2nd Test) batting in Adam Goodes number 37 will be hoping to score a few goals in this dig after his unsuccessful first innings.

 

Captain Pat comes into the attack and he has three men on the boundary behind the wicket. NO need to guess what his intentions are as Jaiswal loves to ramp. It doesn’t work initially as ‘Jais’ ramps a six, his fourth of the innings.

 

Notice that ‘The Hill’ is not popular today.  Why would it be with fake grass and plastic everywhere. Lets go back to the WACA with its wonderful expanse of grass. Better keep that quiet.

 

Notice when a new bowler comes into the attack a Woolies advertisement is saying ‘fresh bowler’. Wonder how much that costs the ‘ordinary Joe’ when he buys his oranges?

 

Drinks and the Indians are the only ones using an umbrella to keep the sun off. Hard to fathom as they would hardly see the sun back home.

 

Talking with one of the Indian journalists from Delhi this morning on this very subject he said ‘people just don’t care about the environment’.  A sad state of affairs particularly after viewing pictures of Delhi on TV this week.  An old one but a good one ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’.

 

Back to the cricket for the rest of the day.

 

A Cummins bouncer nearly sees Jaiswal fall but no and he continues on his merry way picking the right balls to attack.  He must be draining the Australians  after 75 minutes play.

 

Cummins is trying to keep his main weapons ready by using Labuschagne with his ‘fastish bumpers’.  They are in strife when it comes to this.

 

Amazingly the only Australians wearing floppies on a day like this are the fast men Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and the 12th man. Lyon and Head operating and the game is slowing down with both the batsmen and fielders starting to feel the heat.

 

Hazlewood takes the new ball with the score at 1/255.  This should be a major part of this game if the bowlers can break through. The shot of the day as Jaiswal straight drives Starc back behind the bowler with the ease of licking an ice-cream (not sponsored). He really is a joy to watch.

 

For you Croweaters another joy to watch has been the fielding of Nathan McSweeney in the gully where he has not let anything through plus taking that great catch to start his test career.

 

Padikkal goes shortly after lunch well taken in the slips by SPD from Hazlewood for 25.

 

Now we will be in for a treat as the heir to the throne is joined by the reigning monarch King Kohli. Although I must say the King’s hold on the throne has been a bit wobbly the last couple of years.  The heir apparent has been watched by an adoring fan base today so can the King match it?

 

The monarch has spoken with a glorious drive of Captain Pat for four. The heir apparent responds in similar style.  It is a battle royal for the crown.  Unfortunately the quest for Excalibur has been put to one side as the young Prince plays a lazy cut to SPD at backward point and he exits stage right for a magnificent 161 from 297 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes. He salutes the crowd and they salute him  back.

 

The crowning will come at another time.

 

The time was right for Pant to take the game by the scruff of the neck but he lets his team down badly. Waltzing out to Lyon he forgot the steps and is easily stumped by Carey.  India 4/321 and a lead of 367 with 7 stages to go.

 

Captain Pat is fighting back and he gets Jurel LBW for a blob.  India now 5/321.

 

With all the technology in cricket nowadays how come nobody knows when a six has cleared the ropes. Unbelievable.

 

Lyon is so accurate this afternoon that he is bowling with seven men on the leg side trying to force the batters to loft the ball.

 

India overcome the onslaught and are slowly but surely mounting a score that might be impossible to reach.  The lead approaching tea is now 404 with 5 wickets still to fall.

 

One can see the determination on the face of Kohli as he plans to make the score even bigger and better for his side. The bowlers are determined also to not let him lose and make the result a forgone conclusion in India’s favour.

 

They have done very well considering the conditions of the day and have kept the run rate down to just over 3.22 per over.

 

The ‘good doctor’ has arrived and it is much more pleasant for everyone. The King reaches his 50 from 94 balls with 3 fours and 1 six as against the heir apparent’s 50 from 123 balls and 5 fours.  He is now playing the bowling as well as I have ever seen him play.  No comfort to the home side though.

 

Kohli has received good support from Washington during this partnership as well.  No sooner said than he takes a windy whoof at Lyon as is bowled trying to push the run rate along.  Bharat India now 6/410.

 

Just saw Kohli helping the umpire when he pointed out that Marsh was not deviating through his follow-through. Virat has always been a good mate of the men in white and black much to the annoyance of the opposition.

 

The King at his best flicks Marsh, yes flicks, him off his toes into the crowd at square leg for six. An extraordinary shot if ever I have seen one. Now that is the shot of the day if not the tournament which still has 22 days to go.

 

The fireworks have started, and not in Delhi!  At first N.K.Reddy and then Kohli take to Marsh and Lyon. Cummins retreats to give ‘Bumper’ Labuschagne another go to try and halt the onslaught.  It is rubbish and Kohli lets him know hitting him for six.

 

I haven’t been to the footy here but if the noise is four times as loud as what a couple hundreds of Indians are making it will be a sight to hear (?).  Geelong v Freo early in 2025.

 

Now Marnus is bowling leggies around the wicket. No worries for NK, six straight down the ground. Champagne cricket from the Indians.

 

The crowd certainly have got their money’s worth from the boys from the sub-continent.

 

India ease the pain by declaring at 6/487 as soon as Kohli reaches his outstanding century finishing with 100 not out, NK Reddy 38 not out.

 

Kohli still reigns supreme.

 

Australia need 534 to win with two days to make the runs.

 

Don’t like to be too cynical as McSweeney goes LBW to Jasprit Bumrah in the first over for nought. Australia 1/0 or in England 0/1.

 

Bravely Cummins comes out to bat to set the example.  He must be livid with his team. Unfortunately he knicks one from Siraj for King Kohli to take. 2/9 and the Indians can do nothing wrong.

 

Australia can do nothing right as Labuschagne goes LBW to Bumrah for 3.

 

That’s it for the day with Australia reeling at 3/12 and a day off from cricket a certainty.

 

A wonderful performance by the Indians today and it certainly has been a song for India.

 

 

More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.

 

 

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