The Indian team could not force a win in the pink-ball three-day practice match on Sunday as Ben McDermott (107*) and Jack Wildermuth (111*) held fort and managed a draw for Australia A at the Sydney Cricket Ground. But the Indian team management won’t be too bothered about the fact that the win didn’t come their way as Australia A finished with 307/4 on the final day. Rather, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane would be counting the positives as they prepare for the series opener which begins in Adelaide on Thursday. TOI charts out the positives that have emerged for India from this game.
Shubhman’s touch play
Shubhman Gill’s batting in both the innings at No. 3 was like a breath of fresh air. He seems to have taken a lead over his nearest contender, Prithvi Shaw, for the second opener’s slot. Unless, of course, the team management pulls a surprise out of the bag and plonks KL Rahul in there. Gill seemed to have a fair idea of where his off-stump is and he didn’t look perturbed by the short ball either en route his 43 and 65.
Shami’s bowling
Shami got five wickets in the game and what is more encouraging is that he got all the five in the first session of the day, which is considered to be the difficult session for the bowler in pink-ball cricket under the unrelenting Aussie sun. It’s like the lunch to tea session of a red-ball Test, when the ball moves the least, but Shami got the pink ball to talk both on the second and third day to jolt the Aussies.
It’s a given that Shami will be good once the lights come on, but the fact that he is troubling the batsmen in the first session will make Kohli happier. Jasprit Bumrah and Navdeep Saini, too, played their parts with the ball without tiring themselves out. Things looked good on the pace-bowling front for India.
Hanuma coming good
The No. 6 slot will be crucial in the forthcoming Test match and Hanuma Vihari will have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. The best part of his unbeaten century on Saturday was the way he dealt with the twilight as the lights were coming on. The bounce, too, didn’t bother him much and Vihari gave the impression that he is well prepared for the series.
“It was good practice and I think the pink ball comes on well to the bat in the evening. The bounce, too, should not be a worry as we are prepared for it,” Vihari, who failed in the first innings, said.
Late-order resistance
On tours, India are often let down by their lower-order batsmen, who invariably fail to put up any resistance with the bat. But in this game, Bumrah (55*) and Mohammad Siraj (22) put up 71 runs for the 10th wicket in the first innings after India had a middle-order collapse under lights. It might be a case of Bumrah and Siraj not taking too much pressure in a tour game, but the effort will give confidence to them and the other tail-enders.
Rishabh Pant’s form
It’s true that his 73-ball 103 came at a time when the Aussie bowlers had lost their motivation. But Pant, who struggled during the IPL both with his fitness and form, showed that he has got his nick back. It is a good headache for the team management to have while they sit down to choose between him and Wriddhiman Saha, who is definitely the more accomplished 'keeper. But quick counter-attacking runs from a tricky corner can always be a big boost in a Test match where runs could be at a premium.
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