Brisbane : Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared his thoughts on the challenges both teams are facing in the ongoing series, particularly highlighting the impact of the extended gap between the first two Tests on India's momentum.
"This series is tough because both teams have had setbacks. What happened with Australia in Perth, maybe they didn't expect it. And what happened with India in Adelaide, maybe India didn't expect that either," Harbhajan said exclusively to Star Sports, emphasising the unpredictable nature of the series so far.
He further elaborated on how the lengthy break between the Tests might have disrupted India's rhythm. "Although there was a very long gap between the two Tests, sometimes such a gap spoils the momentum, and that's what happened here," he added.
Harbhajan's insights shed light on the psychological and strategic aspects of the game, underlining the importance of maintaining momentum in a tightly contested series. Recapping the Adelaide Test, India won the toss and opted to bat first. However, they struggled against a moving, erratic pink ball and Mitchell Starc's masterful spell (6/48). Apart from a 69-run stand for the second wicket between KL Rahul (37 off 64 balls, with six fours) and Shubman Gill (31 off 51 balls, with five fours) and a fighting 42 off 54 balls (three fours and three sixes) from Nitish Kumar Reddy, there were few highlights for India, who were bowled out for 180 runs. Skipper Pat Cummins and Scott Boland also chipped in with two wickets each.
In reply, Australia's innings was anchored by a 67-run partnership between Nathan McSweeney (39 off 109 balls, with six fours) and Marnus Labuschagne (64 off 126 balls, with nine fours) for the second wicket. This set the stage for Travis Head to dominate the Indian bowlers with a counter-attacking 140 off 141 balls, including 17 fours and four sixes, rescuing Australia after regular wickets fell. His century propelled Australia to 337 runs, giving them a substantial 157-run lead.
Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) were the pick of the bowlers for India, while Ravichandran Ashwin and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed a wicket each. In their second innings, India's batting faltered once again. The star-studded top and middle order failed to fire, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 off 31 balls, with four fours) and Gill (28 off 30 balls, with three fours) making starts, but KL Rahul (7) and Virat Kohli (11 off 21 balls, with one four) failed to contribute significantly. India ended day two at 128/5.
On the third day, Rishabh Pant was dismissed for 28 off 31 balls, with five fours. From there, it was all downhill for India as Australia bowled them out for 175 runs in 36.5 overs. India managed a meagre 18-run lead, setting Australia a target of 19 runs. Cummins (5/67) claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul, his eighth as captain, while Boland (3/51) and Starc (2/60) supported effectively. Chasing just 19 runs, Usman Khawaja (10*) and Nathan McSweeney (9*) completed the task with ease in 3.2 overs.