India's Batting Collapse in Adelaide: A Pujara Perspective

Cheteshwar Pujara's post-match analysis painted a stark picture of India's batting performance on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test. India, after opting to bat first, were bundled out for a paltry 180 runs. Pujara, a veteran of numerous battles Down Under, minced no words in his assessment, stating that India's batting was “below par.” He felt they fell significantly short of the potential score, estimating they should have easily reached 250-275 runs on that pitch. A 69-run partnership between Shubman Gill and KL Rahul provided a fleeting moment of hope, but the visitors soon crumbled, losing wickets at regular intervals. Pujara highlighted the missed opportunity to build substantial partnerships, which could have neutralized Australia's bowling attack.

Australia's Bowling Mastery: Exploiting the Pink Ball

While acknowledging the effort by the Indian bowlers, Pujara also praised the Australian bowlers for their superior execution. He noted how Australia cleverly bowled back-of-length deliveries, maintaining a line just outside off-stump. This strategy proved highly effective in dismissing key players such as KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, significantly contributing to India’s batting collapse. The Australian bowlers understood the pitch conditions and used the back of length delivery effectively. KL Rahul and Virat, both were dismissed by deliveries that were back of the length, and this was ideal on the pitch. This tactical approach allowed the Australian bowlers to exploit the conditions and the vulnerabilities of the Indian batsmen.

Starc's Pink-Ball Dominance

Mitchell Starc's performance was nothing short of sensational, his 6/48 reflecting a mastery of the pink ball. Starc's mastery under lights with his inswingers completely dismantled the Indian batting lineup. His ability to generate prodigious swing and his precise line and length proved extremely difficult for the Indian batters to cope with. The early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was out on the very first ball, set the tone for the day, and Starc capitalised on the early advantage.

Sunil Gavaskar's Concerns: Bowlers' Strategy and Pink Ball Usage

Sunil Gavaskar, a legend of Indian cricket, expressed his disappointment with the performance of the Indian bowlers. He believed the team's strategy and the use of the pink ball could have been improved, emphasizing the need to make Australian batsmen play more deliveries. Gavaskar was critical of the fact that the Indian bowlers did not really use the pink ball as well as they should have. He drew a parallel to the Perth Test, where India staged a remarkable comeback after a similarly low first-innings score. He suggested that by setting up the batsmen with deliveries outside off-stump and then utilizing the incoming ball, the Indian bowlers could have been more effective. Gavaskar highlighted the importance of regular wickets especially the wickets of Travis Head and Steve Smith, in the first session of Day 2 to tilt the balance in India's favour.

Harbhajan Singh's Critique: Bowling Ineffectiveness

Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian spinner, added his voice to the chorus of criticism aimed at India's bowling performance. He noted that despite favorable conditions, the Indian seamers failed to make the Australian batsmen play enough deliveries. Jasprit Bumrah, despite being the only Indian bowler to pick up a wicket (dismissing Usman Khawaja), couldn’t get enough support from his fellow seamers. Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana went wicketless and conceded a combined 47 runs in 18 overs. The lack of support from the other bowlers was a major concern for Harbhajan Singh.

Ashwin's Role and Potential

Harbhajan also questioned the late introduction of Ravichandran Ashwin into the attack, suggesting Ashwin should have been given the ball earlier. The former spinner believed that Ashwin could have been more crucial, even potentially turning the tide of the match. He pointed out that Reddy was introduced before Ashwin and conceded 12 runs in three overs, while Ashwin didn’t concede a single run in his one over.

India's Fightback: A Possible Scenario?

Despite the setbacks on Day 1, there is still hope for India. The team's remarkable comeback in the Perth Test demonstrates their capacity to overturn challenging situations. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill’s 69-run partnership showcased their positive intent and ability to handle the Australian bowlers. If India can replicate this intent and consistency across their batting lineup, and if their bowlers learn from their mistakes and implement the strategies suggested by Gavaskar and others, then a comeback is still within the realm of possibility. But that will require a significant improvement from both their batting and bowling departments. The team will need to work together to negate the Australian attack.

The Adelaide Test, after the first day’s play, showed the grit and determination of the teams involved. India will have a herculean task on their hands in the days to come. This match is shaping up to be an exciting contest between two top-tier teams. The next few days will decide which team has the mental strength to come out on top.