Cricket World Cup 2023: Indian spinner-trio claims 7 wickets, stuns Australia

Australian innings was bundled out as the Indian spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav took seven wickets among them -- Meenakshi Rao sums up the first inning of Sunday's India vs Australia clash in this World Cup.

Chennai: What would you pitch for? A surface aiding the spinners? Indian Spinners playing ‘I-am-brilliance’ with the ball? The Aussies erring on the side of caution? A spectre of similar discomfort for Indian batters later in the evening? The best Rohit Sharma could have hoped after losing the crucial toss? Or, just the coming of age of the Indian bowling department?

While you mull over these possibilities, here are some figures to aid you in making the right decision. Ravindra Jadeja shaped the game with a magical spell: 10 overs, three wickets, two maidens and 28 runs. Kuldeep Yadav not only won the contest against big hitter Glen Maxwell and scalped two wickets but also clocked in enviable figures: 10 overs, 42 runs and two wickets. Mohammed Siraj went wicketless but his overly restrictive six overs, one maiden and 22 runs contributed to the low score. Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a maiden, took a wicket, and gave away just 34 runs in his personal 10. Last but not least, Hardik Pandya had three overs, one maiden and one wicket, not to mention a sore finger.

As many as 173 dot balls in the match, just two sixes, no catches dropped and an overall restriction job by India allowing Australia just 199 runs. This may mean two things: The Chennai opener for India has been constructed to be a low-score thriller; or, Australia will make the most of the surface to pitch to take away the game from India who will be battling not just the Aussie quicks and spinners in Zampa and Maxwell, but also battle conditions that aid more turn in the middle.

Whatever the result, one thing is for sure: The Indian bowlers rose to the occasion to defend a lost toss and construct doable innings for their batters. And it all started with Jasprit Bumrah who lived up to the reputation of an early striker who took home his first scalp in the first ball of his second over. From the other end, Siraj kept up the batting with his precision bowling which did not get him the wickets but lent a slow burn to the Aussies and also aided spinners to take courage to strike when the Aussies were struggling for runs.

It was an overall show of mind games played by the Men in Blue who put up an all-round show of restriction, constriction, attack, guile and above all the determination to not lift the net for the opposition. Stopping the Australians from reaching even a score of 200 runs (199 all out) can undoubtedly be called a dream start by India in this World Cup everyone wants them to win.

Keeping his date with wickets, Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up Mitchell Marsh for a duck in his seventh ball. Marsh walked after thick edging Bumrah and a livewire quick Kohli diving full length to nab the ball at first slip. At the end of three overs, Australia were six for the loss of one wicket. The clinical and precision bowling by both Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj blunted the Australian edge of winning the toss.

Bumrah opened his attack with a troublesome banger, beating Warner and raising hopes for a first ball wicket then the restrictive first over with the Australian big hitters giving pride of place to caution over flamboyance.

Shiraj, from the other end, was taken to the ropes to backward point on his first one by Warner but tidied up for his second delivery onwards. At the end of five overs, Australia were 16 for 1, with two boundaries one each off against both bowlers.

Shiraj kept the screws on the Australians with a maiden over just before Bumrah got a break at three overs, seven runs and a wicket. Hardik Pandya took up the mantle of the Indian campaign in the middle. Having the skipper’s confidence of being a viable seamer, Pandya, however, started off with a straight four by Warner and a clipped fingertip needing medical attention. He went for eight runs in that over signalling an easing up for the Aussies who built up from 6-1 to 29-1.

But the real story of the day, the man of the moment, the mascot of Chennai was Ravindra Jadeja who rose from rest to take three big wickets and change the shape of the game positively for India.

He took big guns and their bullets away in style. First to go was Steven Smith who was proving to be a headache for the team. At 46 in 71 balls, he walked to a Jadeja beauty that had him befuddled. He walked back nodding his head in utter disappointment. The ball was tossed into the middle and turned to clip outside of the off-stump even as Smith was lining up the bat.

Dismissing the danger man who had settled in with the hot and humid conditions, necessitating long water and energy breaks, was no mean achievement. By over No 30, as many as seven breaks were taken by the players, four of them when the Aussie batters were dismissed.

The next feather in Jadeja’s cap was an unfathomable nick by Marnus Labuschagne which KL Rahul gloved expertly. So slight was the touch with the bat that the umpire had to take a long look before raising his finger and Marnus (27) called for a referral only to lose and walk back, bringing Australia to 118-4 in 29.2 overs.

Just a run later, Jadeja, by now on a roll, struck again, this time scalping Alex Carry for a duck, trapping him before the wicket. Australia was quickly reduced to 119-5 and Team India started seeing hope despite losing the crucial wicket. And then came the Chennai special boy R Ashwin to bring some zing into this match at the spinners haven.

That was not all in his repertoire today. Jadeja stopped all that would contribute to runs. Cordoned off Maxwell’s penchant for reverse sweep. Curtailed Labuschagne from using his bat freely and gave not a chance to Alex Carrey to execute his natural pyro techniques.

He kept his speed on the fast track, clocking between 92-97kmph and taking any possibility of an attack from the batters, even the exploders like Maxwell who decided instead to try and pick on Ashwin.

The other story of the day was Kuldeep Yadav, the wrist man Rohit turns to in times and pitches of the Chennai kind. Not just Chennai, Yadav has grown to be the skipper’s Mr Dependable in tougher conditions when spin is not working.

He was the first to break the Australian backbone when he ensnared David Warner with a classic wrist spinner’s dismissal! The ball was turning away when Warner tried to batter it across the bowler. Kuldeep was quick to grab and kiss his golden delivery. At 41, the young man left down headed as the Chinaman continued with his arresting campaign.

His next one was a contest with Glen Maxwell, the natural sweeper, reverse or otherwise. In this cat-and-mouse game, Yadav went one up when he bowled a top-of-leg spin to clean out Glen Maxwell at 15 and Australia at 140-6. But for a little battering by Pat Cummins, Kaldeep was bang on target and made his Captain happy.

The surface at Chennai was slow but the Aussies got somewhat overwhelmed by their own cautionary tactics and could not rise above the precision bowling to the Indians. The bowlers have given their batters a platform to fight and live for another day, another match.