India 257 for 5 (Gill 50, Jaiswal 45, Reddy 42, Washington 42*, Anderson 2-30) Prime Minister 11 years old 240 (Constas 107, Jakobs 61, Lana 4-44)
India got what they wanted in their only pink-ball tour game ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide, but maybe not. Yashasvi Jaiswal spent the lead-up to the wicket worrying about his back, stretching it repeatedly and receiving some attention from a physiotherapist. He hit 10 more balls after calling for help from the dugout and looked comfortable enough until he fell while attempting a big shot. At that point the focus on him shifted back to two of his team-mates who looked set to regain their places in the XI.
After returning from paternity leave, Rohit Sharma started his day in Canberra by getting back into the rhythm of cricket. When the first Prime Minister’s 11-year-old’s wicket fell, he jumped up in joy. In between balls he was chatting a bit. At times he had to bat flies and Sarfaraz Khan, who took wicket-taking duties, fumbled his first take. With the turn of the innings, Rohit had quite a bit to get used to. sit around. India stuck with the opening combination that worked in the first Test and Rohit came in at number four.
For Prime XI, the best performer was Sam Konstas. The 19-year-old has scored a century, which has been notable for some time. He looked to be the frontrunner to open the batting for Australia in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Some people might have taken notes on Rohit too. There was a time when he was at peace with the possibility that his red-ball career would never take off. Then, after almost a year with the team, he was called up for the home series against South Africa in 2019 where he opened the batting and scored two centuries and a double in the first four innings, with a corner returned. His brilliance, particularly against England on the 2021 tour, highlighted how well he has strengthened his defense and with 11 balls played at Manuka Oval, he has been looking for something similar to that form.
Rohit started the innings on leave. He protected the stumps well. Even when the Prime Minister’s XI hit the ball briefly, he was cautious. But after resisting the urge to drive one sucker ball outside the stumps, he drove another ball and was caught at first slip for three. Rohit has opened the batting (as much as he can) ever since his return five years ago. . In the home season before India flew to Australia, he seemed preoccupied with trying to score every possible run before the ball had his name on it in a series largely played on bowler-friendly pitches. This season, he has only scored 25 or more runs once in 10 innings. Here in Canberra he was a little more cautious.
Shubman Gill, who looked ready for this game when training two days ago, got some good hits in the middle and remains an absolute threat whenever he can move on the back foot. A trademark short-arm pull before midwicket against Mahli Beardman in the 18th over sealed his innings. But there was also a moment where he looked a little vulnerable as he drove away from the body. Against Charlie Anderson, who took two wickets in the 23rd over, he took the lead to four. Gill retired after hitting a 62-ball 50.
India chose to bowl in a match shortened to 46 overs each due to rain. This was probably because they wanted to bet during twilight. KL Rahul and Jaiswal often enjoyed first-hand accounts of a period in which they were lethal for batsmen, even in their hands. These are the words of 21-year-old Jack Nisbet, who is currently the joint-48th highest wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield this season. Jaiswal scored 12 of the first 14 points with outside edges. Every time – even when the pink ball went for the boundary – he was unprepared for the amount of movement it could do.
Rahul didn’t attempt any of the flashy shots that his partner attempted, but he too had his moments to take second place. He had a habit of never giving up stumps and getting plenty of nip, especially against Scott Boland at number three. Coming off the seams makes him an ideal candidate for these conditions. He jumped the closed side of Rahul’s bat and was hit on the front edge while trying to angle him.
This was the kind of preparation India was looking for. As the day began, they relaxed into what to expect. Jaiswal left four successive deliveries in the eighth over and was caught behind in the remaining two. Rahul continued to impress in reading the line of the ball. This helped him decide whether to play the ball or not, and the technique of getting the bat down but trying not to follow the ball worked for him once again. He took several crisp shots, always waiting for the ball to be just under his eye, the best of which was a perfectly balanced back-foot punch through cover. This was his reward for getting through those initial tough times with the pink ball at sunset. Soon enough, the movement died out. He eliminated the risk and retired with others needing game time.
India’s victory in Perth, partly thanks to Rahul and Jaiswal at number one and number two exceeding all expectations, and expectations that the new pink ball will present a serious challenge should be part of the discussion as they prepare for the 2019 Adelaide Test. friday. Is the preservation of partnerships a signal? This was just a practice match with absolutely no stakes, and coach Gautam Gambhir is not in the team yet, so any decision made here may not be taken within a week. India will land in Adelaide on Monday and preparations will begin again on Tuesday.
Konstas, on the other hand, reminded us that his shot-making ability is very good with a reverse ramp against Akash Deep on the 14th hole. And the experience of facing an international bowling attack will only help his development as he looks to build on his achievements at U-19 level.
Konstas scored 107 off just 97 balls, and while some of that came with slogs, there was plenty of evidence that the player was there. He was able to reach Mohammed Siraj and slam him to the ground. He tried the same to Harshit Rana and was sent ducking to cover, but later when Rana dug short again, Konstas shifted his weight beautifully back to score a six and the ball almost threatened the purity of the Jack Fingleton scoreboard. He didn’t back down.
Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin did not participate in the game and some of the 5234 at Manuka Oval left a little early.
