Don’t expect Mohammed Siraj to tone down his antics despite the backlash to his brainless send-off of Travis Head in the second Test.
Previous generations of Indian cricketers were meek and mild but just like noted agitators Harbhajan Singh and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth before him, Siraj is a different breed.
The “new India” mantra is to act like they own the game, which, let’s face it, they almost do with the way the BCCI pulls the strings for their ICC puppets because they control the purse strings.
Starting with Sourav Ganguly, then Virat Kohli and the current team who rake in the millions via their IPL deals, they are treated like rock stars and egos can run wild.
Siraj is a pretty good fast bowler but he carries on like he’s a great even though his record of 89 wickets at 29.53 from 33 Tests suggests otherwise.
The 30-year-old fast bowler has been around long enough to know that his antics in staring down Head was never going to end well for him at Adelaide Oval, particularly after the local fan favourite had just tonked a run-a-ball 140.
It was interesting that Indian captain Rohit Sharma immediately brought him away from the boundary at the end of his controversial over as the boos rained down upon Siraj with great vengeance and furious anger.
While it was a wise move by the skipper to shield him from the jeers of the crowd, it also added to the theme of entitlement – Siraj was happy to dish out to Head but too fragile to cop some not so constructive criticism from the Adelaide locals in the outer.
Perhaps he can get some advice on the perils of having a big mouth but not being able to back it up with England military medium-pacer Ollie Robinson, who infamously sledged Usman Khawaja after dismissing him for a near-identical score, 141, in last year’s Ashes and has barely been sighted since that series.
Mohammed Siraj gives Travis Head a send-off after dismissing him. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Marnus looks the goods
If you are the gambling type, an investment in Marnus Labuschagne to ton up at the Gabba could be a wise short-term venture. Not a guarantee.
Granted he only scored 64 in the second Test in Adelaide to end his extended run of cheap dismissals but the manner in which he gathered his runs was an ominous sign heading into his hometown fixture.
He rose to the occasion on the opening night, soaking up the pressure for 22 overs as Jasprit Bumrah hooped the pink ball sideways, making just 20 runs but at least looking to score rather than just surviving.
Allan Border used to tell his younger teammates that when you’re struggling for form, pick a fight with an opponent, verbally of course, and it will focus your mind.
Rather than be daunted by the Bumrah battle, Labuschagne stared him down despite going 18 deliveries before opening his account.
The following day he unveiled a few more crisp drives to register a half-century before the slightest hint of carelessness with a cut steered the ball to the gully.
More than any other batter in the Australian team, perhaps in world cricket, Labuschagne is a confidence player.
It’s not sky high just yet but it’s trending in the right direction and it would be no surprise at all if he registers his first ton since his Ashes-saving knock in the fourth Test of last year’s tour in Saturday’s pivotal third match in Brisbane.
Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Alex Carey. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Pant overdid the T20 batting hijinks
The modern game of Test cricket has changed a great deal and the skills of the batters is undoubtedly at an all-time high when it comes to the range of strokes they are comfortable playing.
But Indian keeper Rishabh Pant crossed the fine line between counter-attacking strokeplay and recklessness with the way he batted in the second innings.
He did not have to try to be someone different and merely occupy the crease but he did not have to treat the match like it was a T20 exhibition game.
His reverse-ramping and dancing down the wicket to tonk fast bowlers was great theatre. The TV commentators loved it and fans of both teams were agog in the stands.
But there is a limited shelf life to that kind to batting and when your team is 3-66 and then loses two more wickets for the addition of just 39 runs, still needing plenty to make your opponent bat again, the all-out attacking cavalier approach was never going to work.
In the end, he went in a timid fashion, prodding at a Mitchell Starc outswinger which caught the edge on the way to Steve Smith at slip.
Pant needs to do plenty more work on that forward defence to be worth sticking with in the dual role of keeper and No.5 batter.
He should never have been ahead of captain Rohit Sharma in the rejigged batting order for the second Test and the tourists will surely rectify that error in Brisbane.
Not picking Jadeja a serious misjudgement
Australia have cleverly said little about it but they would be privately over the moon that India have snubbed Ravindra Jadeja from their XI for the first two Tests.
Jadeja has been a thorn in Australia’s side for more than a decade and it was baffling to see Washington Sundar and then Ravichandran Ashwin get the nod ahead of him for the Perth and Adelaide assignments.
The 36-year-old left-arm spinner has 89 wickets from just 17 matches against opponents in baggy green caps at a superb average of 19.29, well under his impressive career clip of 23.76. And he doesn’t mind the pitches made of Australian soil – 14 wickets at 21.78 in four Tests.
With the bat, his career average of 35.16 rises to 52.28 against Australia, including a handy 43.75 from the four fixtures in their last tour Down Under.
Ashwin was tidy but lacked penetration in Adelaide with his only wicket the phantom dismissal of Mitch Marsh while Sundar’s only contribution with the ball in Perth was a couple of tailenders in the second innings when the result was a foregone conclusion.
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