Date: January 3rd, 2012.
Location: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Event: 2nd Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Series Status: India leads 1-0.
Conditions: Hot, dry, and a pitch that looked like a highway.
The Sydney Cricket Ground was a sea of pink. It was Jane McGrath Day (traditionally Day 3, but the pink theme permeated the whole test), raising awareness for breast cancer. The atmosphere was less hostile than Melbourne, more festive, but the heat was oppressive. The mercury touched 38°C.
MS Dhoni flipped the coin. Michael Clarke called Tails.
It was Tails.
Clarke: "We'll have a bat. It looks like a batting paradise. We want to put a massive score on the board and tire them out."
Dhoni didn't look disappointed. "We were looking to bowl anyway. The first hour might have some moisture."
Team News:
India remained unchanged. Siddanth Deva and Virender Sehwag would open the batting.
Australia kept the same XI, trusting their batsmen to fire.
Day 1: The Toil
The Indian bowlers started with high energy. The pitch had a tinge of green that encouraged the pacers.
Zaheer Khan was the first to strike. In the 4th over, he induced a false drive from David Warner, who edged it to VVS Laxman at second slip.
WICKET (Warner 8).
Then came Umesh Yadav. He bowled a searing bouncer to Shaun Marsh, who fended it awkwardly to gully.
WICKET (Marsh 0).
Australia was 37/2. The Indian fans were roaring.
Siddanth Deva came on as first change. He bowled a disciplined line.
Over 12: Deva to Ed Cowan.
Inswinger. Cowan played across the line.
LBW.
WICKET (Cowan 16).
Australia 37/3. India was on top.
But then, Michael Clarke joined Ricky Ponting.
The pitch flattened out. The ball stopped swinging.
Clarke and Ponting batted through the afternoon and evening sessions without offering a single chance. They drove, they pulled, they cut.
Stumps Day 1: Australia 280/3.
Clarke 140*. Ponting 90*.
Day 2
The second day was a graveyard for the Indian bowlers. The sun baked the pitch into concrete.
Ricky Ponting reached his century early in the morning, his first in two years. He finally fell to Ishant Sharma for 134, caught at mid-wicket.
But Michael Clarke was in a zone few cricketers ever reach. He wasn't satisfied with a hundred. Or a double.
He reached 200 before lunch.
He reached 250 before tea.
Mike Hussey joined him and scored a breezy 150*, rubbing salt into the wounds.
The Indian bowlers were exhausted. Deva's [Perfect Rhythm] kept him going, but even he was running on fumes by the 100th over. He was fielding at deep point, watching the ball race to the fence again and again.
Clarke reached 300. The SCG erupted. A triple century at home.
He finished on 329 Not Out.
Australia declared at 659/4.
Commentary (Richie Benaud): "A monumental inning. 329 not out. He has batted India out of the game. Now, the pressure is entirely on the tourists. 659 runs behind. Can they save the match?"
---
Date: January 5th, 2012.
Score: India 0/0.
Trail by: 659 runs.
The Indian openers walked out. Virender Sehwag and Siddanth Deva.
The target was not to win. The target was to bat. To bat until the Australians were sick of seeing them.
Over 1: James Pattinson to Sehwag
Pattinson ran in, tail up.
Sehwag tried to blast the first ball.
Edge.
Slip.
WICKET (Sehwag 0).
Another failure for Viru. India 0/1.
Rahul Dravid walked out. The Wall looked tired from fielding for two days.
Over 5: Ben Hilfenhaus to Dravid
Hilfenhaus got one to nip back through the gate.
Bowled.
WICKET (Dravid 5).
India: 10/2.
The collapse was on. The ghosts of the 0-4 England tour (in the other timeline) were whispering. 659 runs seemed like a light-year away.
Sachin Tendulkar walked out to join Deva.
Deva met Sachin mid-pitch.
"They are attacking, Paaji," Deva said, his face grim. "They have aggressive fields."
"We play straight," Sachin said. "Just play straight."
Deva decided that defense wasn't going to work against this momentum. He needed to disrupt their lengths.
Over 12: Peter Siddle to Deva
Siddle bowled a length ball.
Deva stepped out. He hit it on the up, over mid-off.
FOUR.
Over 15: Nathan Lyon to Deva
Deva used his feet. He didn't let Lyon settle.
Inside out cover drive. FOUR.
Sweep shot. FOUR.
He reached his 50 in 60 balls.
Sachin was batting beautifully at the other end, looking set for that 100th hundred.
They added 150 runs. The Australian bowlers started to tire in the heat.
Deva moved to 80. Then 90.
Over 45: James Pattinson to Deva
Pattinson bowled a bouncer.
Deva hooked. It went for SIX.
He moved to 98.
Over 46: Michael Clarke (Part-time spin)
Clarke brought himself on to break the stand.
Deva saw the opportunity.
He drove Clarke through the covers.
FOUR.
CENTURY FOR SIDDANTH DEVA.
102 off 135 balls.
His 11th Test Century. His second of the series.
He raised his bat. The SCG crowd, appreciative of class, applauded warmly. Even Clarke clapped.
Sachin was on 80. He looked invincible. The crowd was buzzing, phones out, ready to record history.
But then, Pattinson got the ball to reverse slightly.
Sachin drove. Inside edge onto stumps.
WICKET (Sachin 80).
The 100th hundred wait continued. The groans from the crowd were audible.
VVS Laxman joined Deva.
They batted out the day.
Stumps Day 3:
India: 280/3.
Deva: 145*.
Laxman: 35*.
Trail by: 379 runs.
Deva walked off, his shirt soaked. He had batted for 6 hours.
In the Hotel Room:
Deva lay on the floor, legs up against the wall.
He checked his phone.
Headache:145 not out? You are a machine. But Clarke scored 329. You are still losing.
Me:Thanks for the motivation. I'll try to score 330.
Headache:Please do. I have a bet with my dad.
---
Date: January 6th, 2012.
Session: Morning.
Deva resumed on 145. He looked fresh.
He didn't play a single shot in anger for the first hour. He just accumulated.
150.
160.
170.
Laxman fell for 66, edging Siddle to Haddin.
Virat Kohli joined Deva.
Over 110: Ben Hilfenhaus
The second new ball was taken.
Hilfenhaus bowled a beauty. Outswinger.
Deva tried to leave it. The ball followed him.
It kissed the glove.
Caught by Haddin.
WICKET (Deva 190).
Balls: 265. Fours: 22. Sixes: 2.
Deva stood there for a second, disappointed. 10 runs short of a double.
India was 380/5 when Deva fell. They needed 79 more to make Australia bat again.
Kohli scored a gritty 55.
Dhoni scored 45.
R. Ashwin chipped in with 30.
India was bowled out for 532.
Trail by: 127 runs.
It was a massive score, but still behind. However, they had batted for 145 overs. Day 4 was ending.
Australia 2nd Innings:
Australia had a lead of 127. They had 10 overs to bat on Day 4.
Clarke sent out Warner and Cowan. They wanted quick runs to declare.
Deva took the new ball. He was tired, but he was angry about missing the double ton.
Over 1: Deva to Warner
Warner tried to smash the first ball.
Deva bowled a yorker.
Stumps shattered.
WICKET (Warner 0).
Stumps Day 4:
Australia: 40/1.
Lead: 167.
---
Date: January 7th, 2012.
Australia batted for an hour in the morning. They smashed 100 runs.
Ponting and Cowan hit out.
Declaration: Australia declared at 150/2.
Lead: 277 runs.
Target for India: 278 runs in 70 overs.
It was a tantalizing target. 4 runs an over. But on a Day 5 pitch with Lyon bowling into the rough?
Sehwag fell early (again). 10 runs.
Deva and Dravid.
They shut the shop.
Deva didn't try to chase 278. He knew a draw meant retaining the 1-0 series lead.
He scored 40 off 120 balls.
Dravid scored 30 off 100 balls.
The crowd booed the slow scoring. Deva didn't care.
Tea Day 5:
India 90/2.
Target impossible. Australia needed 8 wickets.
The final session was a bore-fest. India batted. Australia tried.
Sachin scored a calm 40*.
Laxman batted out the last hour.
Match Drawn.
Series Status: India leads 1-0.
Post-Match Presentation:
Michael Slater: "Man of the Match, for his triple century, Michael Clarke."
Clarke took the trophy. "Disappointed not to win. We scored 659. But Deva... he batted us out of the game in the first innings. 190 runs. He is the wall we couldn't break."
Deva Interview:
"Sid, 190 runs. You missed the double."
"Yeah, but we saved the test. That's more important. We go to Perth with a lead."
In the Dressing Room:
The team celebrated the draw like a win. Avoiding defeat after conceding 659 was a massive psychological victory.
---
Date: January 13th, 2012.
Location: WACA Ground, Perth.
Event: 3rd Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Series Status: India leads 1-0.
If the MCG was a colosseum and the SCG a carnival, the WACA (Western Australian Cricket Association) Ground was a gladiatorial pit designed for execution. The pitch was a strip of concrete-hard clay, baked by the relentless Perth sun, covered in live grass that promised pace, bounce, and broken fingers.
The 'Fremantle Doctor'—the famous sea breeze—whipped across the ground, cooling the spectators but making the ball swing violently for the fast bowlers.
Michael Clarke stood at the toss, looking at the green top with a predatory grin. He knew India's history here. He knew that while they had survived the slow turn of Sydney and the drop-in bounce of Melbourne, Perth was where Asian batting lineups came to die.
The Toss:
MS Dhoni flipped the coin. Clarke called Heads.
It was Heads.
"We'll have a bowl," Clarke said, barely containing his excitement. "There's plenty of grass. We want to unleash the quicks."
Dhoni nodded, his face stoic. "We would have batted anyway. Runs on the board are crucial here. If we get through the first session, it's a good track."
---
Openers: Virender Sehwag and Siddanth Deva.
Over 1: Ben Hilfenhaus to Sehwag
Hilfenhaus ran in. The ball hit the deck and exploded.
Sehwag tried to leave a length ball. It jagged back and hit the handle of the bat, ballooning over the slips.
Safe.
Over 4: Ryan Harris to Sehwag
Harris, the workhorse, bowled a beauty. Pitching on leg, straightening, hitting off.
Sehwag played down the wrong line.
Clatter. The off-stump cartwheeled.
WICKET (Sehwag 0).
India 10/1.
Rahul Dravid walked out. The Wall.
Over 12: Peter Siddle
Siddle bowled full and straight. Dravid's footwork was a fraction slow.
The ball sneaked through the gate.
Bowled.
WICKET (Dravid 9).
India 30/2.
Sachin Tendulkar walked in. The WACA rose.
He played two glorious drives. Then, Mitchell Starc (the new inclusion) trapped him LBW with a swinging yorker.
WICKET (Sachin 15).
India 45/3.
The top order had been blown away in 90 minutes. The pace was frightening. The bounce was trampoline-like.
Enter VVS Laxman.
He joined Deva, who was watching the carnage from the non-striker's end.
Deva was batting on 22. He hadn't played a shot in anger. He was leaving, weaving, and taking blows on the body.
Deva decided that defense was suicide. The balls were unplayable. If he was going to get out, he would get out scoring.
Over 25: Ryan Harris to Deva
Harris bowled short. A snorter at the throat.
Deva didn't sway. He got on top of the bounce.
He pulled it. Not a flat pull, but a rolled pull, keeping it down.
FOUR through mid-wicket.
Over 28: Mitchell Starc
Starc bowled full, looking for swing.
Deva punched it straight back. The ball raced across the lightning-fast outfield.
FOUR.
Laxman fell for 2, caught at slip. Gautam Gambhir fell for 5.
Kohli nicked Siddle for 14.
India: 100/6.
Deva was on 55. He was the only one standing among the ruins. He was batting with the tail. R. Ashwin joined him.
"Stay with me, Ash," Deva said, tapping the pitch. "Just leave the widish ones."
Deva went into overdrive.
He farmed the strike. He refused singles on the first four balls of the over.
He targeted Ben Hilfenhaus.
Over 45:
4 (Cut shot).
4 (Cover drive).
6 (Hook shot over fine leg).
Deva moved to 75.
He was playing a different game on a different pitch. While others struggled to touch the ball, he was finding the middle.
Over 52: Peter Siddle
Deva was on 82.
Siddle went round the wicket. Bodyline.
Deva tried to glide it to third man.
The extra bounce surprised him. It took the shoulder of the bat.
Mike Hussey at gully took a sharp catch.
WICKET (Deva 82 off 110 balls).
India: 145/7.
The tail collapsed. Zaheer Khan hit a few lusty blows.
India All Out: 161.
Deva had scored more than half the team's runs.
---
Australia 1st Innings.
The pitch, which looked like a minefield when India batted, suddenly looked like a highway.
David Warner decided to play T20 cricket.
He smashed Zaheer Khan for three boundaries in the first over. He pulled Umesh Yadav into the stands.
By Stumps on Day 1, Australia was 149/0. Warner was on 104 not out (a century in a session).
Day 2 Morning:
India looked defeated. Shoulders were down.
Dhoni threw the ball to Deva.
"Pride, Sid. Play for pride."
Deva ran in. He was angry. Angry at the batting collapse. Angry at the pitch.
He channeled that anger into pace.
Over 35: Deva to Ed Cowan
Cowan was on 74, playing the anchor to Warner's storm.
Deva bowled a bouncer. 152 kmph.
Cowan fended. The ball looped to short leg.
WICKET (Cowan 74).
Over 40: Deva to Shaun Marsh
Deva bowled a yorker. Marsh was late.
LBW.
WICKET (Marsh 11).
But Warner continued. He reached 150. Then 180.
He looked set for a triple.
Over 55: Deva to Warner
Warner tried to hit Deva over mid-on.
Deva rolled his fingers. The knuckleball.
Warner was through the shot ages early. The bat turned in his hand.
The ball spooned to Virat Kohli at mid-off.
WICKET (Warner 180).
Deva roared. He had removed the destroyer.
He picked up Ricky Ponting (caught behind) later in the day.
Deva Figures: 25-2-85-4.
He was the only Indian bowler who looked threatening.
Australia declared at 369/9.
Lead: 208 runs.
India 2nd Innings.
Trailing by 208. The match was effectively lost, but the series lead was at stake. A draw seemed impossible on this result-oriented pitch, but they had to fight.
Sehwag tried to play his natural game. He hit two fours and then edged Hilfenhaus.
WICKET (Sehwag 10).
Gambhir struggled with the bounce. Gloved a bouncer to the keeper.
WICKET (Gambhir 14).
Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar tried to rebuild.
Dravid fought hard for 47. He was bowled by a ball that kept low (variable bounce starting).
Sachin fell for 8.
India: 80/4. Still trailing by 128.
Virat Kohli and Siddanth Deva came together.
Kohli was determined. He had been working on his technique against the short ball.
Deva was in Zone.
The Partnership:
They counter-attacked. It was the only way to survive.
Kohli played glorious flicks off his pads. Deva drove straight.
Over 40: Mitchell Starc
Kohli hit Starc for three boundaries in an over. He reached his 50. It was a gritty, angry half-century.
Deva matched him. He reached his 50 with a pull shot off Siddle.
They added 150 runs for the 5th wicket.
India crossed the deficit. They were in the lead.
Deva was on 94.
He faced Nathan Lyon.
He stepped out. He hit Lyon over long-on.
SIX.
CENTURY FOR SIDDANTH DEVA.
100 off 125 balls.
His 12th Test Century. His third of the tour. In the toughest conditions imaginable.
He raised his bat. Just a grim acknowledgement. He knew the lead was slender.
Kohli fell for a magnificent 75, caught at slip off Hilfenhaus.
India: 230/5. Lead: 22.
Deva tried to farm the strike with the tail.
He pushed the score to 280.
He finally fell, caught on the boundary trying to hit a six to increase the lead.
WICKET (Deva 105).
The tail evaporated.
India All Out: 294.
Lead: 86 runs.
Day 4 Morning
Target for Australia: 87 runs.
Time: Plenty.
India came out to bowl. They knew it was over. But Deva ran in hard.
He bowled a bouncer to David Warner in the first over.
Warner hooked. Top edge.
WICKET (Warner 5).
Deva screamed. He wasn't giving up.
But Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh shut the door. They knocked off the runs in 20 overs.
Australia Won by 8 Wickets.
Series Status: India 1 - Australia 1.