WTC Final Day 1: Rohit took the braver step by putting Aussies to bad first
London: Rohit Sharma took one of the braver decisions as captain in putting the Australians in. Having picked four seamers, he may have predetermined that course of action if the coin were to fall in Team India’s favour. It did and Rohit opted to bowl not with the mien of many Indian captains who may have done this for fear of the opposition exploiting seamer-friendly conditions, but with a positive mindset in a key game.
What Rohit could not have predicted on Wednesday morning was that a very English day - cold, with a cloud cover and a pitch with a bit of a green tinge at 10.30 am - would suddenly turn into ask Indian summer day within an hour. The swinging ball to English lengths disappeared too soon and India found one of its seamers, Umesh Yadav, had an off day and the game trier Shardul Thakur was good only up to a point.
It became a different ball game on what soon seemed too like an Australian summer day, with the sun shining down and the seam movement that troubled David Warner and others in the first hour mostly gone. Maybe, India had erred in picking Umesh and also in not picking Test cricket’s number one rated bowler Ravi Ashwin while ignoring his hold on the fidgety Steve Smith. Also, in picking four right arm seamers, the variety that Unadkat may have brought was also missing.
What seemed a bowlers’ game changed in the course of the day despite the splendid ball from Md Shami tilting in to the right handed Marnus Labuschagne that was a standout. Md Siraj was outstanding in exploiting a spot at the Vauxhall end of the pitch and was distinctly unlucky not to get more than one batsman out. After striking Labuschagne once painfully in the thumb.
As the day wore on, it appeared as if the old ineffectiveness of the Indian attack in good batting conditions had returned to haunt the team on such an important day as the first of a possible six-day Test. With Jadeja bowling more like a fifth seamer and yet inducing doubts in the minds of the batsmen, it did seem that Rohit’s bravery was to be beaten by the nervy effort of David Warner and the funnily gesticulating Smith playing Test cricket in a stodgy and old fashioned way.
It was up to Travis Head to bring comfort like in a breath of fresh air, batting splendidly to show what is possible in what had become splendid day to bat.
There is a long way to go as with the destination of the Test mace still unknown.
It does, however, seem the Aussie batsmen were up to it tactically and temperament wise to steer the Test match in their direction. The Indian batsmen may have to dig their tam out of a hole if indeed the Aussies go on to a grand total. The blame may rebound on Rohit then, but he should not be the one to blame for taking quite the most logical as well as bold decision at the toss.
