Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t spell his magic on day one of India’s pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide, but the home team’s batters were looking to see him off rather than score off him. And former Pakistan batter Basit Ali could read the fear in Aussie eyes while facing the Indian bowling spearhead, which, he believes, was last seen when they faced the legendary Wasim Akram.
India’s batters failed like in the first innings of the Perth Test, and the visitors’ innings folded up for 180 after skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bat at the Adelaide Oval. India then had the chance to bowl under lights with the pink ball after tea, which is the period when it moves the most. But Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney negotiated that difficult period to take the hosts to 86 for 1 at stumps on the first day, trailing by only 94 runs.
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“Australia are focusing on Bumrah,” said Basit in a video on his YouTube channel. “They won’t take a chance against him. Maine agar Wasim Akram ke baad Australians ko kisi bowler se ghabraate hue dekha hai, toh woh Bumrah hai (after Wasim Akram, if I have seen the Australians scared of a bowler, it is Bumrah). They never took a chance against Wasim, always tried scoring from the other end.”
Australia’s cautious approach against Bumrah shows in his figures. The Indian vice-captain conceded just 13 runs in his 11 overs, four of which were maiden, while taking the wicket of opener Usman Khawaja (13).
“Bumrah might bring India back, but right now they are chasing the game because of bad batting and bad bowling under lights after tea,” analysed Basit, before talking further about India’s poor batting effort despite a decent start.
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India were 69 for 1 at one stage, after losing Yashasvi Jaiswal without scoring off the first ball of the match delivered by Mitchell Starc, who finished with excellent figures of 6 for 48 to torment the Indians.
But the title-holders of the Border Gavaskar Trophy lost their last nine wickets for 111 runs.
“The dimensions of the Adelaide ground are such that the square boundaries are short and the straight ones are bigger. So batters try to play square of the wicket more, like Jaiswal got out, (Shubman) Gill got out (for 31). Those deliveries should have been hit straight. Usme koi bowler ki quality thodi thi (that was not bowler’s quality). (The batters) Should have played the straight drive.
Basit believes India didn’t bowl the right line against Labuschagne (20*) and McSweeney (38*).
“Bowl at the stumps against the out-of-form Labuschagne,” he advised the Indian bowlers. That’s why Virat Kohli came at extra-cover and advised (Mohammed) Siraj to bowl there (at the stumps). But both Siraj and Harshit Rana kept bowling wide of the off-stump,” said Basit in the video.
India lead the five-match series 1-0, after their impressive 295-run victory in Perth.
