Australia may have lost at MCG, but they discovered keys to success in the match also
The second Test between India and Australia ended in a very well-deserved win for the tourists. What is even more worrying for the hosts is the fact that even in the first Test, India dominated the proceedings until the Aussie bowlers created mayhem on the third morning.
However, amidst all the disappointment and dejection, there may be something very positive for Australians to look at from their defeat to India. But to understand what that positive is, we must first diagnose the flaws that led to Australia's downfall.
Now, when one looks at the first two matches closely, what is clear is that the supremacy of India was down to just two passages of play, one in each match. In the first game, it was that period of play where Australia lost three wickets in quick succession to Ravichandran Ashwin. In the second match, it was that passage where the same bowler got Matthew Wade and Smith out in the same spell.
In other words, it was one spell of Ashwin that derailed Australia in both matches. So, what did Ashwin do to make such an impact? Was it his brilliance or the ineptitude of Aussie batsmen that gave him great results? When one looks at the dismissals, it is clearly a combination of both those factors.
Smith's dismissal in Adelaide was thanks to a very good delivery that went on with the arm while the wickets of Head and Green could be ascribed to poor batting. The way Wade got out in the second game was entirely due to an unpardonable display of impetuousity and lack of patience.
Wade was well set and had hit a sweep shot for four earlier in that over. Still, he charged down the wicket without a care in the world and swung the bat recklessly, getting a top edge that was taken easily. Smith's second dismissal against Ashwin was due to the batsman not being settled and playing the ball a little carelessly.
After having been singed by Ashwin in the first innings, it was very interesting to see how Australia approached batting against him in the second innings of the Melbourne Test. That's where the silver lining for the hosts comes in.
In the second innings, Australia's approach to Ashwin's bowling was much better. The most impressive display came from Marnus Labuschagne. His footwork against the Indian offie was brilliant. Whenever Ashwin pitched the ball even a little short, Labuschagne went right back into the crease to open up the off side and drive the ball thither.
This produced great results as, unlike the first innings, the Aussies kept scoring runs against the spinner, not allowing him to build up pressure. Wade, possibly realising the huge mistake he made in the first innings, batted with extra caution. He didn't play a single drive against the off-spinner, even when the ball was tossed up invitingly. His front foot defence was also solid.
Other batsmen also realised that Ashwin isn't bowling on an Indian dustbowl, so they can trust their defence and keep his good deliveries at bay with the basic defensive method.
Indeed, trusting your defence is a basic necessity for succceeding against spin. When Kevin Pietersen played an epic knock at Mumbai in 2012 against India, on a square-turning wicket, against a three-pronged Indian spin attack, he credited his faith in his defence for bringing about that success.
Even Pat Cummins and Cameron Green looked safe against the off-spinner during their long stay at the wicket. Deliberately or not, they have sent a signal to the top order - if we can survive against him, why do you guys look so vulnerable when playing the offie?
Smith, who has come out to publicaly accept that he has been ultra-defensive against Ashwin, batted more efficientliy against his arch-nemesis. Yes, there was a close call when a delivery hit the glove and fell just short of leg-slip. But otherwise, he was more solid in his defence and was willing to be more proactive in his footwork.
In the end, the bowler from Chennai conceded over 70 runs and managed to get just two wickets in the innings, out of which one was of the no. 11 batsman Josh Hazlewood. This batting display contains the seeds of Australia's success in the next two matches.
The keys to batting against Ashwin for Australia in this series are - trust your defence, use quick footwork, and avoid rash shots. Australia used all these tricks in their second innings, thereby neautralising Ashwin's threat to a large extent. It was actually Jadeja's two quick wickets that ended any chances of Australia's revival.
If Australia employ these tactics in the next two matches, the entire load of getting wickets would fall upon the pacers. With Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami out of the team, this load might be too much to handle for the Indians.
As it is, from the ashes of their decimation at MCG, Australia could find the road to success in the next two games.
 "Somya Kapoor")
