India crash to big defeat in 2nd Test Down Under

PTI Adelaide: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's never-ending technical problems against both pace and spin has set the alarm bells ringing as Indian batters capitulated twice in just 81 overs to lose the 'pink ball' Test against Australia by a comprehensive 10-wicket margin on the third day, here. Australia maintained their unblemished record in day/night Tests and levelled the five-match series 1-1, bouncing back in style after their Perth debacle. It was shortest-ever Test between India and Australia in terms of balls bowled. Only 1031 balls were bowled out of a possible 2700 legal deliveries.

Starting the day at 128 for 5, Nitish Kumar Reddy's (42) cavalier approach prevented a second successive innings defeat under lights at Adelaide as India were bowled out for 175. Australia needed to score just 19 runs and they completed the formalities in just 3.2 overs. India's second innings lasted only 36.5 overs, with skipper Pat Cummins using the short ball effectively to claim 5 for 57. Scott Boland (3/51) inflicted early damage, while Mitchell Starc (2/60) chipped in with crucial wickets.

Such was the dominance of the three premier Australian quicks that Cummins didn't even need Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Lyon to roll their arms in the second innings. In fact, the specialist spinner and all-rounder bowled just five overs between them in the entire game. After a facile 295-run win in Perth, Indian batting unit won't be too amused to learn that they survived a total of 81 overs across both innings, which isn't even a whole day of Test match batting.

Time running out for 'Ro-Ko' duo

It was a tale of two shoddy batting efforts with the two senior-most players Rohit and Kohli looking well past their best. Jasprit Bumrah gave it all but lacked a potent bowling partner at the other end. For Rohit, things are getting increasingly difficult as he now has lost the last four Tests that he has captained. In his last six Test matches, he has batted in 12 innings with just one half-century in Bengaluru. The only other innings where he crossed 20-run mark is the 11-ball-23 cameo in Kanpur against Bangladesh.

If one looks at the pattern of 37-year-old Rohit's dismissals, it is very similar to Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Sehwag's way og getting out at the end of their careers. These three were gifted with exceptional hand-eye co-ordination where they picked length at ease during their prime and reacted accordingly. Now with reflexes slowing down, the reaction to the length is a split second slower and the way Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, Tim Southee and now Pat Cummins have squared

Pant's dismissal ends the match

If India had to pull off a coup, it needed Rishabh Pant's (28) excellence but Starc, the undisputed 'OG' of 'pink ball' Tests with 74 victims, bowled a delivery on length which the Indian batter jabbed at without pressing forward fully. The regulation catch was duly accepted by Steve Smith stationed at second slip.

Reddy, who is time and again showing that positive attitude and big heart at times trumps technique, continued to defy the Australians. In the first two Tests, Reddy's commitment and ability to fight it out has been exemplary. He hasn't yet got a fifty but scores of 41, 37 not out, 42 and 42 show a lot of promise.