By Liam McCullagh ACS Journalism Scholar (mentored by The Footy Almanac‘s John Harms).
In one of the most watched and attended Test series of all-time, it was fitting that on the final day, the series was still in the balance. Despite starring performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a stunning debut hundred for Nitish Kumar Reedy with the bat, and the excellence of Jasprit Bumrah with the ball, it was ultimately Australia’s depth which won them the series.
The difference in depth was evident in the final SCG Test when Bumrah sat out the final stages of play with back spasms and Australia cruised to victory chasing 162, only losing four wickets against an undermanned Indian attack. Throughout the series India experimented with three playing as its third seamer. Prasidh Krishna took six wickets at 17.83 in the SCG Test match and looked to challenge batsmen with the extra bounce, but Akash Deep, 5 wickets at 54, and Harshit Rana 4 wickets at 50.75 acted almost as a pressure reliever for Australian batsmen.
Australia’s depth players, however, were Scott Boland, 21 wickets at 13.19, Webster, 57 and 39* not out, and Sam Konstas 113 runs at 28.25. An evident difference between those who were called up.
It was a series where India saw change with more expected to come. Champion off-spinner Ravi Ashwin announced his retirement immediately after the Adelaide day-night Test match, and captain Rohit Sharma decided to rest himself for the final test match after 31 runs from 5 innings averaging 6.2.
It could be a totally different lineup next time India tours, with this series likely being 36-year-old Virat Kohli’s last in Australia. This series Kohli fought not only battles in his technique but also the ‘white line fever’ element of his cricket. Many cricketers have faced this before. Playing on the edge and with fire is accepted when you’re winning but when you’re losing, it looks poor. Post-series Kohli’s intimidatory tactics particularly to his much younger counterpart in Konstas, were questioned by Australian coach Andrew McDonald and Pat Cummins. “I’ll leave that up to the ICC and obviously Andy Pycroft being the match referee and the umpires out there,” McDonald said in a press conference. If they thought that it was satisfactory, then I suppose that’s the benchmark we’re playing amongst.” But there was a tone of frustration within those comments.
Kohli showed glimpses of brilliance which has haunted Australia on these shores. He made a fantastic 100* not out in Perth and had a 36-run knock which was part of 102-run partnership with Jaiswal. But the shoulder charge on Konstas, taking umbrage to boos ringing around the MCG, demonstrating with spectators in the race after being dismissed, and then winding up the SCG crowd with sandpaper taunts after his role with the bat was done for the summer. It reeked of a fighter bereft of moves to counterattack desperately seeking a way to draw energy by involving himself in the contest. It didn’t work and it was flattening as a cricket fan to see a player who deserved a farewell filled with respect and admiration, reduced to getting booed off and onto the field at every chance because of poor behaviour on his part.
On the flipside, the respect for Bumrah from the Australian public increased tenfold. I can’t recall a pace bowler being that far ahead the rest of his team. At times he dragged India back into the contest and whenever his spell ended Australia breathed a collective sigh of relief. He took 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and while Mohammed Siraj was more than serviceable with 20 wickets at 31, it was all about Bumrah. When he left the field at Sydney, pundits said India needed to post more than 200 but if Bumrah was bowling 180 would be enough to defend. Has a player’s dominance ever been theorized to the point there are outcomes if he isn’t playing?
It just feels like every time a great paceman has come to Australia, there has been other members of the attack to partner and work in tandem. England had Stuart Broad and James Anderson, South Africa had Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander, the West Indies had Curtly Ambrose and Courney Walsh (and the rest of a quartet of quicks). All working in partnerships while it felt at times it was all up to Bumrah and if he wasn’t taking wickets, it meant Australia could bat comfortably.
Australia was able to unearth depth players who may become critical for upcoming tours of Sri Lanka and the pending World Test Championship final. Josh Hazlewood going down with a calf injury saw Scott Boland come into the side, and every time Boland comes into the starting eleven, he has been super impressive. With 21 wickets for the series he was awarded man of the match in Sydney and picked up crucial wickets in each of the three matches he played. There has been conjecture online on whether he has surpassed Hazlewood in the test bowling ranks but Mark Waugh made the point on Fox that Boland has (and will) only play in conditions conducive to his bowling style. Boland has played on green seamers for much of his test career, which is why his bowling average is remarkably low. Admittedly he has still executed on those wickets, but his bowling average was 48 in the 2023 Ashes in England where the pitches didn’t have as much bounce and carry. He is still such a great backup option to have.
The second opening spot was shared between Nathan McSweeney, 25 years old, and Sam Konstas, 19. Both offered youth in a side where everyone was older than 30. McSweeney has not a natural opener for South Australia and was eventually dropped after the third Brisbane Test, but I thought he still showed a bit of fight and endeavour. He made a gritty 39 from 109 balls under lights in the pink ball Adelaide Test. While he might not have made the runs, he would have liked but he did play the traditional role of an opener which was to chew up balls and his knocks allowed for Travis Head to come in the middle order and blast away. This isn’t the last time we will see McSweeney in Australian colours. He will be better for the experience this summer provided. Part of his failure up top may have also been contributed by the fact he was up against the current number one ICC ranked pace bowler in the world.
Konstas then comes in after 471 runs at 58.87 for New South Wales in this Sheffield Shield season, and he makes a blistering 60 in the first session of the Boxing Day Test. The reverse ramps, and advances down the pitch looked like a clear plan to disrupt the length of Indian bowlers but they also looked like a kid full of adrenaline. In the Sheffield Shield Konstas’s strike-rate was 56.74 for New South Wales compared to 81.88 for Australia. The aggressive stroke play brought about his demise in the second innings of the SCG test, but it is not the way he will bat long term. He has all the technical attributes but from watching him in the under-19s World Cup and Sheffield Shield, it was clear the occasion of playing for Australia affected the way he played.
Mitch Marsh’s lacklustre run with the bat and inability to get through overs with the ball saw ‘the slug from Snug’ Beau Webster come into the side after several great seasons with Tasmania at Sheffield Shield level and if not for Boland’s remarkable efforts with the ball Webster would have been man-of-the-match. He scored a very solid 57 in the first innings and 39* not out to guide Australia to victory. It was also the way he made the runs which was super impressive. It was textbook, everything under the eyes, it was front foot and backfoot. He didn’t get squared up like other members of the Australian top order. He was strong of his pads and played the short ball with authority, but he also rotated the strike really well.
The challenge for Australia over the next year before the Ashes will be to refresh a squad with aging bowlers and some batters closer to the end than the start of their careers. Still to come into the side is Josh Hazlewood and Cam Green. For the upcoming Sri Lanka tour which starts with a Test match January 29, it is clear the next crop of cricketers is a key focus, with 21-year-old batsmen Cooper Connolly, and spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann added to the squad.
After the Sri Lanka tour Australia has the ICC Test World Championship against South Africa, a tour of the West Indies mid-year before a home Ashes series against England. The Ashes series against England will be a blockbuster that looks to capitalise on the influx of crowds and the wave of cricket resurgence that was experienced this summer. It’s a big ask for next summer to live up to, but upon reflection, how lucky were we as cricket fans, to watch this summer’s Border-Gavaskar series? It had it all. Gritty tons, fantastic pace bowling, day five thrillers, superstars, and packed crowds. What more could cricket fans ask for?
Australian Cricket Society’s literary scholar Liam McCullagh is mentored by writer John Harms. His pieces are also published at www.footyalmanac.com.au .