Tracking Indian Cricket through Boxing Day Tests

1-0 up in the series. More than 60000 spectators on Boxing Day. Captain wins toss and decides to bat first. Opener’s first tour to Australia. India ends the day at 329 for 4; of which 195 (off 233) decorated with 25 fours and 5 sixes come from one batsman. Flamboyance defined Virender Sehwag’s batting career, but lack of baggage and no fear of failure leading to high impact knocks noticeably marked his early years. India went on to lose the test by 9 wickets, thanks to a career-best 257 from Ricky Ponting.

India’s cricket over the 1990s & early-2000s on away tours seemed to follow this pattern of solid batting prowess and infrequent instances of out-bowling the opposition. The bowling looked thinner on days when the batting delivered under par, which resulted in more losses than draws or wins. Spin was India’s stronger suit, which made it more arduous task to restrict opposition in the 1^st innings, necessitating the batting to click in the first attempt. That Sehwag knock propelled India’s 1^st innings total to >300 at MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), in otherwise a sequence of 238 (1999), 196 (2007) and 282 (2011); each ending in heavy defeats. The string of losses in the Boxing Day tests was broken with inflated first innings totals of 465 (2014) and 443-7d (2018). This period also reflected a gradual but a definitive shift in India’s approach to test cricket, with emphasis on greater returns from seamers.

The memorable win in 2018 featured a debutant, with a mountain of domestic cricket runs (Mayank Agarwal) as the highest scorer of the match, and Jasprit Bumrah playing just his 9^th test match recording career best, thus far, match figures of 9 for 86. Occasionally players with no/little history are seen to shine, where experienced others find it tough to lift their game. This is also the case when a certain player has good vibes at a certain venue or against a certain opposition. Especially on away tours, successful teams often find somebody to deliver a special performance to lift everybody, and usually it is either or both two.

Fast forward to Boxing Day 2020. India registered its lowest ever score in a test innings at Adelaide, just a week earlier. The full-time skipper, Virat Kohli, is unavailable and so are other key members of the test team, including Mohammed Shami. Down 0-1 in the series, a stand-in skipper, two debutants, four changes to the playing XI and Australia looking clear favourites. Four days later, India records a stunning comeback and one of its most memorable test wins. For all the pressure and questions, Ajinkya Rahane has delivered clinically, both as the skipper and the pivotal middle-order batsman, taking the team home.

Of the 4 changes in the team, there was keen eye on the debutants - Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill. Siraj returned with match figures of 5 for 77, while Gill (45 and 35*) was the 2^nd highest run-scorer in the match after Rahane. The body language and match-readiness of both the players was unmistakeable, and pleasantly surprising. While Gill has come through the U-19 channel, Siraj has a decent domestic cricket experience, and both are active players of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the last couple of seasons. The impact of T20 cricket, especially franchise-based tournaments, in the technical development of young players has been critically analysed since its advent. However, inarguably, it has bridged the wide gap between domestic and international cricket, making players ready for the big stage and letting their game get the better off any nerves or baggage which might surround them. Also due to tight format of T20 leagues, we are seeing a more professional approach to international cricket, allowing teams to move on from major setbacks quickly and decisively.

Winning a test match on foreign soil is a tough ask. India had 6 losses and no wins in the 10 years from 1990 in Australia. The numbers changed to 2 W, 4 L (2000-2009) and 2 W, 7 L (2010-2019) in the following two decades. Not only in Australia, but also in other countries has India’s test wins gradually risen, and so has the confidence and approach of players. The Boxing Day test mirrors the state of a team at the transition of the calendar year. For Indian cricket, this also provides an opportunity to have a broader perspective on the progress of the test team every few years. India’s current test team seems to have a settled core with open spots having quality competitors, and more on the horizon. Although there is no imminent necessity, a brief change in the leadership seems to have provided a headspace of comfort, and the temporary nature of the job has allowed Rahane to experiment with much more liberty. The result from Melbourne is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one, and positively marks a new decade of tracking Indian cricket through the eyes of Boxing Day tests at MCG.