They bowled India out for a score which still had Australia ahead in the game according to most observers, including the Indian team itself. I don't know how else you would define "serviceable" other than that. Obviously it could and should have been much better than that had they shot India out for 150.
While I too think @Sunil1z way that the batters lost them the previous match, this is a valid point.
It's rare to get India out cheaply in India given we have 3 ATG batters from 7 to 9 - it was an okayish performance, not bad but not much else.
Might mention that with this thing about Australia not being able to dismiss 'the tail', said tail has plenty of FC centuries between them, even if Ranji averages are rather flattering. Most teams would kill to bat as deep as India does ATM.
Decent but not match-winning though. Like sure, it's expecting a lot from the rookie members of the touring attack up against experienced home batters in home conditions but I don't think that in Test cricket this sort of let off for the batting side is more credit for them rather than a problem with the bowling attack. I don't think batters can dictate terms in Tests to the same extent as bowlers, they can't directly force bowlers to bowl with less control unlike how bowlers can get even good batters who rarely make errors out with just a few mistakes. Ashwin and Jadeja even when not at their best were still consistently better, which is to their credit. I don't disagree that the way the innings went was flukey, but I didn't think Australia would be able to get the runs they needed in the 3rd innings.
When was last time a team dismissed India on a < 200 total in India in 1st or 2nd innings?
Yup. For a team that bats till 9, it's almost impossible to get India out for less than 200. Ahmedabad 3rd test vs England Ind were out below 200 but then got England out for 80 or something.
oh yeah?
True, but you also can’t bowl to 150 odd every innings.
Yeah but what made Smith go for that shot ? The nice set up by Ashwin preceding it. Ashwin was bowling around the wicket to Smith and Labu when the former came into bat, and just the over before the wicket, turned to over the wicket. There was a close shout vs Labu who went sweeping just before the wicket ball, but was missing off stump. It is very hard to get lbw for off spinners bowling over the wicket and hence it was a reasonable choice to use. However what did Smith in was the copious turn Ashwin got and more importantly the low bounce, thanks to the deception in length by Ash.
Smith could have easily played that over as a maiden . There was no need to play that shot . That was a brainfade moment from Smith. No need to overanalyse his dismissal.
I agree that the middle and lower orders did commit mistakes, but did they have any game to play otherwise ? I suspect. Carey has literally no other go to shot than the sweep. And Renshaw is quite underconfident as a batter and was done in by deception in length by Ashwin.
He could theoretically play out maidens after maidens for two days. Or like a world class batsman, analyze the percentages and select the shots.
Iyer was back in the last test.
