The last ball in the 100th minute is over the Indian half, which is rare from the top of the net by Nathan Lyon to Washington Sundar, the batsman pushes the half volley back onto the court and for the matter of having the bowler shoot back at his head, requires evasive action.

Shortly thereafter, the Australian coach Justin Langer pictured in the team’s field of view spilling a water bottle next to his laptop – not once but twice – and cursing and then walking away as the team’s friendly powering and conditioning coach, Aaron Kellett, steps in to clean up. Shades of Headingley 2019 and trash can.

When the match formed a 123 stand between Sundar and Shardul thakur finally ended by Pat Cummins – Who else? – Australians gather less in celebration than in inventory. The disagreements surrounding the next two strikes are some of the most unfortunate for Tim Paine’s team in the three years since cricket was their least concern in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2018.

Then, in the last overs of the Indian inning, Nos. 10 and 11, Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan, received only four balls which were aimed at the stump amidst the flurry of guards. Natarajan entered the match with a first-class 2 average, but was now able to make it 1 unbeaten while Siraj amassed a rogue 13. The fourth ball on the stump hits them.

What all these scenes show, for Australian 100-Test spinners Lyon, their pacemen Josh Hazlewood, Cummins and Mitchell Starc, as well as their leadership duo Paine and Langer, mentally, if not physically, India’s resilience and persistence have really been under the skin of a home team hoping to win well, and in particular to blow up the visitors. with the pace of their “top three” being helped by Lyon.

Given the match-and-draw scenario, plus the likelihood of heavy rain in Brisbane in the last two days, Australia really needs to break through the Indian blow with the help of a fast, rocking surface and then give them plenty of time to rush into the big lead. At the midpoint of the day, although there were some odd doubts to pile up the slip guard that allowed Ajinkya Rahane to get away with some very attractive edges from Starc bowling, they were on their way to do so.

“I think we missed our mark a little bit, we did a full touch or a short touch and a little bit wide here and there, so we let them get away a little bit there and maybe don’t put pressure on. We want to”

Josh Hazlewood

This is largely due to Hazlewood, putting on a performance that, if not as devastating as his Adelaide spell, was a reenactment worthy of his five-time debut against India in Gabba in 2014, all tight lines, smooth motion and steep reflections. A score of 186 for 6, with new balls maturing within 14 overs, leaves a path that appears open for Australia.

In contrast, Hazlewood, Cummins, Starc and Lyon found themselves struggling to muster their best for the additional duo Sundar and Thakur, and very quickly lost their focus in the process. There is no reason, other than mental exhaustion, why one of the most proud lineups of bowlers in Australian history couldn’t find enough balls in the right area of ​​the court to be helpful enough to ensure the pair don’t fit in.

What they did, for what proved to be one of the finest lower-tier stands in living memory, is a stark contrast to how Cummins’ blows have fallen in particular, and how Australia’s first inning was not bad. Another big question opened up by him centers on whether, within the limits of the 2020-21 summer biosafety, the hosts might consider more rest and a much deeper bowling squad rotation than is seen on the pitch.

The emergence of Siraj, Natarajan, Navdeep Saini and Sundar has left the likes of Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and Mitch Swepson wondering what they might achieve if given the chance to perform. In contrast, Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon appear to be more or less capable of choosing themselves provided they are physically able to get on the pitch, which may lead to a lack of sharpness when needed most on day three in Brisbane or day five. in Sydney.

Collapse always seems to be happening, and no team has been able to establish absolute authority

In a gripping series between Australia and India, it’s fair to say the blows are indifferent. Finally at SCG, things regain some form of normality, totaling over 300 and Steve Smith find comfort in its own little batting world. Not very fast, with the previous number more often below 200, and even dropping to 36. Ajinkya Rahane’s brave MCG century is a perversion; Batting stocks are on a fairly low ebb.

SCG’s surface was the flattest of the course for the first three Tests, which adds to the perception that modern batsmen are better at hitting strength than defending hostile bowling spells. In fact, it is more likely that there are batsmen in each era who are more adept at survival than others; it’s just that currently the numbers are relatively low because the game landscape has changed drastically.

However, there are some aspects of batting that have stood out so far in this series. First and foremost, it is no longer true to say that the Indian batsman is the best spin bowling player. They may not be worse than others but they are definitely no better than others overall. There have been times in the series when they were definitely not that clever from spin bowling. In the first half at SCG, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara is a classic example. They both desperately advanced in defense for ball after ball from Nathan Lyon, who was not only lazy on foot but also caused problems. Nobody was dismissed by Lyon but it was more of luck than good footwork.