No longer Gabbatoir! India can bounce back strongly in Brisbane

They used to call it an abattoir with a ‘G’ prefixed – Gabattoir. How things changed with that magnificent Indian win in Brisbane three years ago is remembered fondly even today. Sport is about intense rivalries, spilling guts on the field. Yet, the very phrase of terming a contest and the end result as an abattoir was in bad taste. That it was Aussies who were sacrificed the last time by stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane and cerebral coach Ravi Shastri with a stand-out performance from Rishabh Pant evokes great memories.

Times have changed. With the BGT Series tantalisingly poised at 1-1, the good part is, India have fit players to take the field. In 2021, there were massive problems and to have even put a 11 on the field was a miracle. So, how has the narrative changed. It has been like a yo-yo, the way India won the first Test in Perth and were beaten black and blue in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide.

So much of colour comes into play in any series involving India and Australia. And in the last two days, the chatter is about the green tinge of the Gabba pitch. How much of it will remain till Saturday morning remains to be seen. Gone are the days when one could intimidate India with a green tinged pitch. The drop-in pitch in Perth did not work for the Aussies. This time, the Aussies will attempt to bounce and bang the short stuff as well and use the swing as well against India. But then, given the intense heat in Brisbane, how hot the contest gets will be interesting.  If the Aussies have pace bowlers of pedigree, the cricketing world today fears Jasprit Bumrah. He has been a stand-out performer, whose showing in Perth was mesmerising. There has been talk of a slight niggle for him, but it is expected he will be fit.

Needles controversies have erupted over the support cast for Bumrah. Mohd Siraj showed the heart and hormones of a fast bowler, came up with nice stuff in Adelaide. He did have a scrap with Travis Head as well, but it has been sorted. There was punishment from the ICC but both the players and they have moved on. Back to the Gabba, it is a historic venue. Shrill conversations have been heard, how Harshit Rana needs to be replaced by Akash Deep, R.Ashwin could be dropped and Washington Sundar could come in or Ravindra Jadeja. The only two people who will know the playing XI will be skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir.

The practice sessions in Brisbane have been very intense with two best batters – Virat Kohli and Rohit – trying to sort out their problems. Kohi has, in fact, led from the front with a motivational talk on Thursday. He has been proactive and given his vast experience in previous tours to Australia he carries a wealth of experience. For those who say he is past prime, watch the 30^th Test ton he produced in Perth. One cannot have myopic vision or selective amnesia in remembering only failures. Kohli is still a class batter and can make contributions. This is a five-Test series, so anyone thinking Kohli and Rohit need to retire need to stay calm.

Rohit has been pensive, he is under intense scrutiny. In the good old days, it is believed Sunny Gavaskar never read newspapers during a Test match. Today, Sunny G pontificates, writes and is ready to offer free advice. So does Sanjay Manjrekar. All free tips, as if Rohit needs it. Yes, Rohit the batter is struggling. Does he bat at the top or in the middle, it’s a muddle. He had changed the template of his batting, become aggressive. It worked in white ball format, the ODI World Cup in 2023 and the ICC T20 World Cup this June. Suddenly, if you want him to bat dull and dour, that is tough. He will bat the way he knows and what he has discussed with the team.

For those who think India are under pressure, it’s wrong. Yes, if form is judged like an oscillating pendulum, both India and Australia are the two extremes. For India to bounce back is not impossible. The green-top, if offered, will not scare India. They have the arsenal. Where India have failed is in the batting top order, though Yashasvi Jaiswal is not going to be a mute spectator. He will want to produce the same brilliant shots which have fetched him runs. And do not forget, the Aussies fear Rishabh Pant the batter, the wicket-keeper and the bloke who can keep talking all day long. He is one character which cricket loves. Add to it the explosive Nitish Reddy, there is no gloom for Team India. What happened in the Pink Ball Test was a nightmare. We are back to red ball Test cricket.