With a victory, India would have won the series for the fourth time in a row. India had already successfully defended its title with victories in Nagpur and New Delhi, both of which were achieved in less than three days. Experts and seasoned players, however, projected a 4-0 rout and utterly dismissed Australia from the match. But what we saw was a turnaround.
On a tricky Indore pitch, India was bought down on a cheap 109 runs in the first innings in response to which Australia managed a good 197. The second innings was no different and with Lyon’s magic, the Aussies had a mere 76 to chase and register their first Test win since 2017.
“They won the toss, they thought it would just happen”- Mark Waugh
Mark Waugh in the post-match conversation did not shy away from making some bold comments, accusing the hosts of being complacent.
“I think India took their foot off the pedal. I think they became complacent. Once they won the toss, they thought it would just happen for them. They did not get their right balance between attack and defence. Few of their batters threw their wickets away by over-attacking shots. With the ball, in the first innings, they were where near accurate as they can be. They bowled a lot of half volleys. I think India have a lot of thinking to do now. They got to bounce back because they were way below their best in the game.” he added.
How can India qualify now?
To simply answer a win in the fourth and last Test in Ahmedabad is all it takes to book themselves a spot for the much-awaited World Test Championships Finals. A defeat or even a draw would force them to rely on New Zealand for qualification, taking control of their destiny from them.
Only the Sri Lankan team has a chance to advance to the WTC championship game at India’s cost. If India loses or ties the test in Ahmedabad, New Zealand should defeat or tie Sri Lanka in at least one of the two Tests.