Sydney : Who would have thought on day 4 at tea when Australia declared to set up a mammoth target of 407 runs for India to chase in the final innings, Ajinkya Rahane and co. would bat out four entire sessions to save the test match against all odds? And, India had to better the first innings collapse atleast to lose with some respect.

Every batsman contributed in their own way in the second innings if you leave aside the in-form Rahane. The opening pair of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma made batting look much easier and free-flowing as compared to the other batsmen. India could have been just a wicket down at the end of day 4 but a tempting bouncer bowled by Cummins late in the day to Rohit forced the opener to hook the ball straight to Starc at fine-leg. With Rahane and Pujara at the crease on stumps, the plan looked simple which was to play out the first hour of play on the final day and see where the test match goes on from there. But, Nathan Lyon got Rahane’s wicket in his first spell itself. At this stage, there was a scare of a possible collapse of the batting line-up with Vihari, an injured Jadeja and a half-fit Pant to come followed by the bowlers.

The next man to walk out was Rishabh Pant and not Vihari at his original position, number five. Pant scored just 5 off his first 34 deliveries and looked shaky. But, after identifying that there was no turn neither bounce for Nathan Lyon in the wicket, he took him on by dancing down the track everytime the ball was tossed up to him. His cover drives and pulls against the quick bowlers were an indication that he was on for something big here. He did not fear the long-on and long-off fielders, his shots were consistently clearing the boundaries in those regions. His innings shifted the momentum in India’s favour so much so that India did look like chasing down the target if Pant batted long. He was accompanied by Pujara at the other end who played his natural game but took every opportunity to score when a lose ball was delivered. Questions over Pujara’s ultra-defensive game were discarded after his well-compiled innings of 77 as India added 108 runs in the first session while Pujara and Pant’s partnership went on for 148 runs.

India were rocked back in the second session with the wickets of Pant first, on 97 who deserved a hundred and more for his fearless batting and then Pujara’s wicket which seemed to be a lapse in concentration when he was bowled by Hazlewood. Pant’s promotion up the order was later understood when Vihari pulled his left hamstring while running a tight single towards the striker’s end. His issues with the hamstring were already there when he came out to bat and the injury only aggravated while batting.The problems had just begun when Ashwin faced the first few overs after tea where he was peppered with the short ball and had to cop a few nasty blows around his ribs while he was struggling to keep the short ball down. India had to bat out another 36 overs in the final session to draw the game as the runs were no longer something the team wanted to look at with the pressure that was mounted on them.

Ashwin said after the game that he was just looking to show a dead bat to the bowlers like Faf did in Adelaide a few years back to pull a famous draw for South Africa. Slolwy but surely, the two looked comfortable defending the ball. Ashwin tried to play Lyon as much as possible while Vihari’s solid defence made him a better batsman to face the pacers. Vihari could barely run, Pant batted with painkillers, Ashwin had issues with his back and there was an injured Jadeja at the balcony of the dressing room padded up with only one glove to heal the fractured hand. This team might or might not be the greatest Indian test side but it surely is the strongest and the most resilient. Vihari 23 off 161 and Ashwin 38 off 128, batted out the day and took India to a draw which will be remembered for ages and the value of it will be no less than any other test victory abroad.

trivia : India batted for 131 overs in the 4th innings which was the most that they have batted in the last innings since 1979 in terms of number of overs.

The Aussies tried everthing in terms of their bowling and by trying to distract the Indian batsman. Paine’s chatter behind the stumps, Smith allegedly trying to scuff up Pant’s guard, Wade hitting the ball on Vihari’s injured hamstring and a lot more that they tried could do nothing to deter the grit of the two Indian batsmen. The fourth test at Brisbane begins on the 15th and with all to play for as the series is all square at 1-1. Australia will have to think about their openers’ availability, warner and Pucovski ( shoulder injury on the last day) amd India will have to find a way without Jadeja and Vihari.

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