Ever since India were whitewashed against New Zealand at home, there seems to be a general air of cynicism about India’s ways. In particular some of their selection calls. And it escalated ahead of the first Test in Perth when Gautam Gambhir as head coach went with a decision to hand debuts to the pacer Harshit Rana, all-rounder Nitish Reddy, and also drafted in Washington Sundar as the sole spinner. Or the decision to not give Abhimanyu Easwaran a game but to draft in Devdutt Padikkal. Rana was in for Akash Deep and Sundar ahead of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
It came to a boil when India had slipped to 73 for 6 after two new-ish Indian Test players in Dhruv Jurel and Sundar had fallen. It was then Nitish Reddy joined Rishabh Pant to offer India’s first resistance of the day. Admittedly there was Pant, who was itching to go after off-spinner Nathan Lyon but it was actually the debutant Reddy who went after him in a thrilling counterattack.
To see Lyon lose his length, almost wary that if he pitched it up on a length he would bleed runs was something. “I saw a couple of overs and there wasn’t any drift. Playing the spinner I thought would be easier and so I decided to go after Lyon,” Reddy would say later. Lyon began to bowl flat and short after Reddy went down the track to cart him over covers and mid-off. And when Lyon bowled it fuller outside off, Reddy would reverse sweep him nonchalantly. He forced Pat Cummins to take Lyon out of the attack.
“Like taking a bullet for your country”
🗣️ Nitish Kumar Reddy reveals coach Gambhir’s words that helped him face the fire in Perth #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/THwnG9a91C
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2024
He had one life when he was on 10 and went for a pull shot off Mitch Starc’s short ball that he gloved, but neither the umpire picked it up nor Australia had the conviction to go for the DRS. Apart from that moment, he kept flowing serenely and even after Pant’s dismissal, he tried to attack as much as possible to stretch the score.
Back then, it didn’t look that much but for a debutant Reddy was impressive. His defensive game was compact against the seamers though the ball had gone a touch soft by then, and wasn’t doing as many tricks. Refreshingly, he was honest about it too, when asked to compare the pitch to the India A game in Melbourne that he had played. “I wouldn’t say there was much difference, the bounce was the same, maybe here there was a bit more movement.”
All said, Reddy’s knock, as refreshing as it was, didn’t have that kind of pressure that Rana had later on.
When he was picked for the Australia series, it’s learnt that Rana had approached Mohammed Siraj for some advice on how to bowl in Australia. The lengths to target, that is. And Siraj supposedly told him, “Last wala tour ka video dekhna… Tere ko samajh ayega kya length dalna hai”. (Just see the videos of the last tour of Australia, you will understand what lengths to target). But that’s easier said than done. It’s not as if over the years, no one knows what lengths to target but the cliche about subcontinental bowlers making the error of getting excited and bowling short has persisted because much of it is true. But Rana didn’t make any such error. To not do it with the cushion of runs is different but to do this at the stage he did was pretty impressive.
The match was in the balance when he dawdled across to bowl. His jumper was out, hanging loose, as Bumrah had a word. His run-up doesn’t reveal much about what’s in store either. Not quite an amble but definitely not a steaming run of a pacer. He started in the early 130’s kph only, but his accuracy was spot on from the start. He has clearly taken to heart Siraj’s advice. Ever so steadily, his pace kept increasing to eventually settle in the late 130’s. In between, Virat Kohli had a word with Bumrah and two men had packed from gully to backward point to see if they can make Travis Head err on his strengths of cutting. Two balls were thrown back from the boundary.
Dreamy ball
Then came the dreamy ball that moved away late to clatter into Head’s off stump. Rana leaped in the air, Indian fans jumped from the seats, and suddenly there was this huge change in the proceedings. You could almost feel it. The fear of what would happen after Bumrah’s spell ends was answered. By a newcomer, whose selection was fast tracked.
What a way to get your maiden Test wicket! ⚡️#DeliveredwithSpeed | #AUSvIND | @NBN_Australia pic.twitter.com/IkykgwUEWW
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2024
Even the newbies who failed in this Test have played their part. Like Dhruv Jurel. Suddenly after his performance in the tour game, and general composure in the nets, the Indian management had felt as if they won’t have to fret about a lower-order batsman at all. He had looked solid, he seemed to have the game to play on these tracks, and possess the temperament needed. It remains to be seen whether Sundar, who had repaid the management’s trust in him to give more control as an offspinner in the Tests against New Zealand, also does the same on the second day or in the second innings.
The way the first day has gone, it would take a punter to bet on what’s in store not only for the rest of the series but even on Saturday. It could go India’s way or not, but at the least, it’s now not the so-called ‘questionable punts’ on the youngsters. It’s now upto the seniors, to the likes of Virat Kohli and co. to take that onus. Not often in Indian cricket that statement can hold true, but in faraway Australia, in an extremely tough situation, under a stand-in captain who played with relative newbies, it does hold true.
