Team India’s Border-Gavaskar fate could be decided as early as Day 2 of the fifth Test in Sydney. The Men in Blue must have a comprehensive day in the field to have any say in the latter half of the contest after being skittled out for 185 in the first innings.
After skipper Jasprit Bumrah opted to bat first, it was the same old first-innings woes for India. However, they had to deal with arguably some of the toughest conditions on offer in the entire series. A green pitch, overcast conditions, along with a potent Australian bowling unit were too much for the out-of-form Indian batters to handle.
Not a single batter looked settled at the crease. Even the ever-flamboyant Rishabh Pant had to labor through, and suffer several hits on his body, to end up with a top-scoring 40. India will hope to inflict something similar on Day 2 to get back on level terms.
On that note, let us take a look at three things India need to do right to bounce back on Day 2 of the BGT 2024-25 5th Test.
#1 Use Prasidh Krishna wisely
Batters were in for a huge surprise after all the claims of Sydney being a batting paradise after going through Perth, and Brisbane, and the pink ball, came to a screeching halt with possibly the spiciest track that the venue has put out in ages.
There was swing, seam, and plenty of bounce on offer, with even the old ball behaving as much as the brand-new one. Instead of lamenting over another batting failure, India’s only way to overcome their current predicament is to replicate Australia’s efforts with the ball.
Jasprit Bumrah will handle his part and even more, but still, he needs support from the others to get a team result. Siraj has already played four matches and has been shaky with the new ball, and while he is expected to continue in that role, the period where Krishna comes as the first change becomes extremely important.
Initial impressions do suggest that India have made the right call by picking Prasidh Krishna over Harshit Rana to replace the injured Akash Deep. The tall pacer might just be the candidate who can exploit the most out of these conditions.
The tennis ball bounce coupled with the seam movement could make some of the Australian batters uncomfortable. India have not used the short-ball ploy as the hosts have in this series. Even in the first innings, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins used it brilliantly to unsettle the batters, with even the six foot six inch Beau Webster using it to great effect, despite his lack of pace.
#2 Don’t let Konstas settle down
On such a track where a mammoth total is not expected, every little contribution makes a huge difference. Konstas has already indicated how he intends to go about his innings after a first-ball boundary, and he is unlikely to waver from it on Day 2.
If the youngster manages to brave the conditions, and put on a cameo, that gives Australia more than enough momentum for their middle-order to go about their business in a relaxed manner – which is the last thing India won.
Konstas potentially shot himself in the foot and woke up the beast by going after Bumrah needlessly in the final minutes of Day 1. However, he is someone who has proved that he backs his words, and is not a mere chirper. India managed to get the better of him today, but that is no assurance of an outright victory. They cannot be deemed safe until he departs early on Day 2.
#3 Need Nitish Kumar Reddy to pull off a Beau Webster bowling display
Beau Webster’s inclusion was an absolute game-changer for Australia. Having a solid fourth-seam bowling option allowed Cummins to go to him much more often than he could have when Mitchell Marsh was around.
The debutant chipped in with 13 overs, which is more than Marsh has ever bowled in a single innings this entire series. Not only did Webster bowl 13 overs, but he did so with control. While he was wicket-less, his economy read just 2.20, showcasing how tight he kept things when one of the frontline bowlers was being rested.
Despite having six decent bowling options, India does not have an outright solid fourth bowler, who can keep things in check. So far, there has been nothing on show to suggest the use of two spinners.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has looked good in patches whenever he has been brought on to bowl. With no better conditions for a seamer, and Bumrah and Siraj already playing with four consecutive matches under their belt, the all-rounder should be given more overs.
His gentle pace could bring out the seam while the seam assistance from the pitch could also make him a decent option to keep things in check when the frontline pacers are recovering.
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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
