India’s rollercoaster journey Down Under ended on a spectacular high at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday. After the Adelaide horror show, the seniors in the side put on a brave face even as India kept on losing players to injuries. The management dug deep into their reserves and handed debuts to not one or two but five players through the course of the four-match rubber.
Barring Navdeep Saini, who made his debut in the third Test in Sydney and was troubled by a groin pain in the second innings of the final game, the other four were impressive.
For Shardul Thakur, playing his second Test, it was more or less like a debut as he had managed to bowl just 10 balls in his first Test against the West Indies in Hyderabad in 2018 before suffering an injury. Here is a look at how the debutants stole the show.
Mohammed Siraj
The Hyderabad pacer, playing with a heavy heart following his father’s death during the series, picked up five for the match in Melbourne. In the decider, Siraj showed fine mental toughness to lead the attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah to bag his maiden five-wicket haul in the crucial second innings to finish as top wicket-taker.
M: 3; Wkts: 13; Econ: 2.85; Avg: 29.53; SR: 62.0; BBI: 5/73.
Shubman Gill
The flamboyant opener grabbed attention for his flair and fortitude. India’s first-choice opener Prithvi Shaw had a forgettable outing in Adelaide, opening the doors for Gill in Melbourne. The Punjab batsman dealt the threatening Australian pace-attack with style, slamming a pleasing to the eye 45 in his first-ever innings. The right-hander’s 91 set the tone for India’s terrific chase of 328 in Brisbane.
M: 3; Runs: 259; Avg: 51.80; SR: 60.65; 50: 2; HS: 91
Washington Sundar
It was a series of twists and Sundar’s inclusion in the playing XI for the final game was definitely one of them. Sundar, who stayed back as a ‘net’ bowler after the white-ball series, was preferred over Kuldeep Yadav, a member of the senior squad. The decision turned out to be a masterstroke as Sundar not only impressed with the ball (3/89 & 1/80) but his doughty half-century in a 123-run stand with Thakur helped India cut Australia’s lead to 34. The left-hander quickly adjusted to the tough chase in the last hour and supported Rishabh Pant for a 53-run stand.
M: 1: Runs: 84; Avg: 42.00; HS: 62; SR: 48.55; Wkts: 4; Econ: 3.44; Avg: 42.25; SR: 73.5; BBI: 3/89.
T Natarajan
It looked as if there was no end to the Tamil Nadu pacer’s fairytale run. Having rocked the best in the business with his yorkers in IPL, Natarajan made debut in all three formats on the same tour. Like he confessed, the maiden Test cap was unexpected but he did enough in the decider to contribute to India’s win.
M: 1; Wkts: 3; Econ: 3.10; Avg: 39.66; SR: 76.6; BBI: 3/78