Barcelona Neymar jersey 23, Shane Watson fully
The first Test was weighed down by the passing of Bayern Munich jerseys 2015 Phillip Hughes and lifted up by cricketers of his generation and disposition. The second Test looks likely to keep faith Barcelona messi jersey with the freshness and energy of the first.
In Adelaide, India were captained by a 26-year-old. At the Gabba, Australia will be skippered by a 25-year-old. Virat Kohli’s leadership was adventurous and sometimes rash to the point of naive, but it was always worth watching. Steve Smith can be expected to bring the same bubbly qualities to his new post.
In Adelaide, 28-year-old David Warner made dazzling twin centuries for Australia, and 26-year-old Kohli replied in kind for India. Both are products of their times. Warner emerged from the brass and brashness of T20 cricket. His manners won’t always endear him to fans, but his batsmanship will. Kohli is foremost of cohort of Indian batsmen whose progress was thwarted by the veritable institution that was Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag. They are out to make up for lost time. There were big and boldly made runs also for Smith and Murali Vijay, batsmen still moving into their prime rather than reminiscing on it.
At the Adelaide Oval, India launched a new bowler. In Brisbane, so will Australia. Karn Sharma looked as if he had a long way to go, but leg-spinners rarely burst onto scenes, not even Shane Warne. Josh Hazlewood has been chafing like a puppy at the leash; now he is in a bursting frame of mind.
Advertisement
Now that the pall has lifted a little, it is worth having a look at what is new under the sun. In Adelaide, only six of the 22 players were survivors from the corresponding Test four years ago. Only half had played in the previous meeting between these countries, in India in 2013. For India, only Kohli and Ishant Sharma had appeared before in a Test anywhere in Australia.
This new India was unrecognisable not just in names but complexion. In the field, they were keen and clean as previous Indian teams often were not, at least until a rash of dropped catches near the end of Australia’s first innings. Kohli was as jack-in-the-box as any. Here was the IPL infusion, manifest. At the crease, the intent was the same; they were always on the alert for ones, and pushed for threes, and once for an all-run four. There were no maharajahs and stately processions this time.
On day five, both inspired and directed by Kohli, India chased until the cows came home, axiomatically a long time in their lore. It might have led to indiscretions and ultimately defeat, but it helped to make the Test the spectacle it was. Kohli was unapologetic, and Michael Clarke was generous in his appreciation.
Australia, too, was dynamic in Adelaide. There was the vitality of Warner and Smith. Clarke made two declarations, both judged to Chelsea home jersey a nicety. These, along with Mitch Johnson’s bowling, have comprised the lifeblood of Australian cricket in the past 12 months, the disaster in the Gulf notwithstanding.
Then there was Mitch Marsh, whose batting in the second innings was simultaneously as explosive and selfless as no one since Adam Gilchrist. Marsh is Barcelona Neymar jersey 23, Shane Watson fully a decade older and suddenly must feel every day of it. The guard is changing. The appointment of Smith rather than 37-year-old Brad Haddin in Clarke’s stead is the selectors’ acknowledgment of this. They are to be applauded for it.
As ever in cricket, there are two ways for India to look back at Adelaide. One is that on the Australian pitch best suited to them, they had a chance and blew it. The other is that with a team vastly inexperienced in Australian conditions, they almost stole victory in a country where their going rate of success is once every dozen years or so. You can imagine which angle they are playing up.
Received wisdom is that Australian will hold all the aces in Brisbane. This is more on account of the likely pitch than the historical record. India has played only two Tests at the Gabba in the past 37 years, so history is by the by. Certainly, Mitch Johnson could be frightening here, but without Ryan Harris, Australia’s pace attack lacks ballast. In Mitch Starc and Hazlewood, Australian is depending on youthful enthusiasm.
So is India. In Adelaide, they were measurably the younger team, without a player over 30. Their seam attack, as a trio, is perhaps the fastest in Indian history. Who is to say that Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron will not relish the juicy Gabba as much the Australians?
Playing Test cricket away so often comes down to attitude. In Adelaide, India’s was refreshing. The return of MS Dhoni, the regular captain, and probably off-spinner Ravi Ashwin will have a tempering effect on the brio. The risk about Dhoni is that it will become a dead hand. Let us hope not. After the invigoration of Adelaide, it would be a betrayal.
Voeg een reactie toe