A Test match in light and under lights, and the siege within
ADELAIDE: The River Torrence, or Karrawirra Pari, is the tranquil heart of this city, cutting right through the central business district and lending the Adelaide Oval its distinctive, soulful charm. This week, the calm exterior has offered no hint of the siege within.
For three days now, India and Australia have dug deep and trained relentlessly – either through the long afternoons or deep into the evening – for the day-night Test, a capricious twist to cricket’s traditional format which can hold the key to this five-game series.
Played with a pink ball which can acquire a mind of its own when new, or when the sun sets and artificial lights come on, the challenge for both teams is enormous. How does one prepare for the unpredictable? How does one plan for fluctuating conditions, especially with a thunderstorm predicted on the opening day? In keeping with the dichotomy, it was an unbearably hot – 37 degrees Celsius – here on match eve with no hint of any rain in the air.
Nothing about this Test is as it seems. Australia should be happy to be here. They have won all seven such contests played here and even bulldozed India for their lowest Test total in 2020. They have more experience of taming the conditions.
Yet, their players all wear furrowed brows and downcast looks as they scurry about the nets. Even before a ball is bowled, Australia resembles a team reeling from the curses of an irate public after the 295-run defeat in Perth. There are divisions in the team, say the mischievous ones. They are un-Australian, say others. They refuse to accept their best days are behind them, say the pundits. Where’s the courage under fire, lament the fans. The only ones having a field day here are the tabloids with their screaming headlines.
India, another team in transition, are 1-0 up and have the one thing Australia lack – a bunch of talented youngsters with a stomach for the fight. Yet, India too are wary. Australia are not one to be underestimated. Not now, not here. India are on their guard. No strangers to facing public wrath, perhaps they can empathize with Pat Cummins‘ men? Perhaps, but not this time. The two teams have a history of friction spiralling out of control. Neither will concede an inch.
Of course, that’s the expectation. “I have no idea about all this,” India captain Rohit Sharma said, smiling, when asked about the alleged fissures within Australia. He immediately added, tongue firmly in cheek: “There’s superb environment here which you want to enjoy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just bat versus ball.”
His counterpart Pat Cummins stood firm. It was suggested that there was maybe one, usually abrasive, ‘Australian way’ to play, and maybe his team had veered from the norm? In effect, was his team a bunch of nice losers? “I don’t know about a certain Australian way. I always try to work out what’s best for our guys, what’s going to play to their strengths. You have a responsibility to play a certain way, within, hopefully, a style the fans will like. The commentators got that 100% wrong. It’s a great feeling around the team. When things don’t go right there’ll be some who try to create headlines,” he said.
In all this, the two leaders find themselves under similar, harsh glare. Rohit and Cummins have both had some poor returns in recent times. Rohit did not lead in Perth because of the birth of his child back home. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah pulled off a dynamic, leading-from-the-front effort. Rohit announced he would bat down the order instead of opening the innings as he usually does. Given the vagaries of the pinkball game, it could be a smart move.
Fast-bowler Cummins has been accused of dropping in pace, of being in gradual decline, of being a bit underdone in Perth after having not played a red-ball game since the tour of New Zealand in March. “I was reasonably happy with how I bowled,” he said, “There’s one or two things I might do differently.” The two sides have tinkered little. India didn’t need to, except Rohit’s return necessitates changes in the batting order. Australia have lost Josh Hazlewood to injury concerns and the hulking Scott Boland comes in. The bowling fitness of Mitch Marsh remains a concern.
Given that home advantage isn’t what it used to be in cricket, something Pat Cummins attributed to the conditions “not being as foreign as they used to be”, it’s the pink ball that remains the lead discourse here. No one really seems to like it, but no one can say so in as many words.
“There’s a little bit of getting used to, get your eye trained…,” Cummins said. Rohit was philosophical: “As professional players you are trained to do difficult things. Mentally, players are strong, they don’t complain about not sighting the ball properly.”
With the pink ball, it could be a hit or a miss. Alternately, it could be epic. Either way, it could be short. Only two things are sure. The one left standing in the end will have a stronger say in the rest of the series. And the Torrence will continue on its calm, merry course after the pink storm.
