Published: Dec 29, 2014, 05:00 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 29, 2014, 10:56 AM (IST)
India ended Day three of the Melbourne Test at 462 for eight and trail Australia by 68 runs. India was helped along the way by some uncharacteristically sloppy catching by the hosts. Had they hung on to all their chances, India would have folded reasonably quickly. Pramod Ananth reflects on the potential repercussions of the myriad missed opportunities by the Aussies.
Cheteshwar Pujara dropped by Brad haddin on 12: Hitherto, Pujara has had a parched run of form down under. His overseas record is under severe scrutiny. He’s been desperate to correct his detractors. He was given a lifeline when he was dropped early on for 12 by wicket keeper Haddin. Haddin was a little slow off the block as he stuck out his hand in pursuit of the ball. Unfortunately for him the ball didn’t stick into his gloves and he squandered a golden opportunity. Pujara was however was kind enough to offer Haddin another chance as he edged a ball from Ryan Harris, which was heading towards Shane Watson at first slip. The 37-year old Keeper thrust his right hand and threw himself at the ball to gobble it up. Haddin certanly redeemed himself as his catch dismissed Pujara for 25.
Ajinkya Rahane dropped by Nathan Lyon on 70: Rahane has been among the runs in Australia but has also been at the receiving end of erroneous umpiring decisions. He had a typically nervy start to his innings. In fact, he had a narrow escape when he edged a ball between keeper and first slip batting on eight. He would’ve fancied the rub of the green go his way for once. His wish was granted after he was let off the hook by Lyon when the off-spinner dropped a simple return catch. Rahane was looking to drive through the covers, but the ball took the inside edge and came directly at Lyon. Unfortunately for Lyon, the ball slipped out of his grasp like quick sand. Rahane then went on to fight another day and amassed 147 runs in the process. The dropped chance cost Australia 77 crucial runs.
Shane Watson drops Virat Kohli on 88: Kohli had a magnificent start to the series when he scored back-to-back centuries on his captaincy debut at Adelaide. He had a forgettable match at Brisbane and would have been looking to make amends at MCG. Kohli was visibly rattled after Johnson threw the ball at the wickets, which accidentally struck Kohli instead. Immediately after that he edged a ball to Watson at first slip but much to the chagrin of Mitchell Johnson and Australia, the regulation chance went begging. A fuming Johnson made the mistake of quarreling with Kohli, who then rubbed salt into the wounds of the hosts by adding a further 81 runs.
KL Rahul dropped by Peter Siddle on 1: Debutant KL Rahul was given a reprieve when batting on one. The ball slipped out of the clasp of a diving Siddle when his elbows hit the ground. Rahul was finally dismissed for three of the very next ball when he tried to injudiciously slog sweep Lyon, which found Josh Hazlewood stationed at forty-five to perfection. It wasn’t a costly miss, but it summed up Australia’s dismal day on the field.
The lapses in the field cost Australia a mammoth 235 runs. If Australia had taken all their chances, India would have struggled to avoid the follow-on. They will now hope that those dropped chances don’t cost them the match. Rahane and Kohli proved how damaging they can be once they are let off the hook. Australia can ill afford a repeat of their performance on the field against a batting line up as strong as India’s.
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
