Virat Kohli can inspire his side to overcome challenges and launch a successful chase for victory.
It
may be worth losing some sleep on a Saturday morning even if you have
been angered on Friday by the pace bowlers' apparent lack of purpose and
watch India pick up the gauntlet and go for what will be a consolation,
but dramatic and memorable, victory over Australia in the fourth and
final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
For all you know, one way of overcoming the anger, disappointment, frustration and shock at the manner in which the Indian bowlers allowed the Australian batsmen to score at 6.27 runs an over and rustle up 251 for six in 40 overs, could be to visualise Indians mountain a grand chase on the final day of the series and for that to actualise.
Is it a pipe-dream that the Indian batsmen will paper the yawning cracks that showed up on Friday when attempting to keep Australia from scoring at will? Is it wishful thinking that India will go for a win, whether Australia captain Steven Smith declares overnight, with his team leading India by 348 runs or after batting a bit on Saturday?
Though much water has flowed under the bridge, there is great anticipation that the final day of the Test series could provide as much excitement and drama as the Australia-India Tests of 2004 and 2008. Indian cricket fans can only lick their fingers in anticipation that Virat Kohli and his team will retain their positive approach and provide a winning script this time around.
Back in 2008, India were set the challenge of batting out 72 overs to draw the Sydney Test but were bowled out with seven balls to spare. Some clever spin bowling by Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke and poor umpiring meant that some steadfast batting by opener Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and skipper Anil Kumble came undone.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting could then preen about how he had to get the timing of the declaration of his team's second innings right to secure a record-equalling 16th successive Test victory. But few who were present at the SCG during the Test can ever forget the acrimony that led Kumble to say only one of the two teams played in the spirit of the game.
Four years earlier, playing his final Test, Australia captain Steve Waugh played a trademark, defiant knock for three hours in making 80 to help his team salvage a draw against India. The moot question now which of India's batsmen can come up with such a show of character and set the stage for an assault later in the afternoon.
A poor first innings score by India meant that the SCG Test of 2012 was quite one-sided, especially after skipper Clarke made a triple century to add to the hundreds by Ponting and Michael Hussey. India made 400 in their second innings but that was not enough to prevent defeat by an innings and 68 runs.
The contributions by India's lower-order batsmen Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Friday went some way in erasing visions of a massive defeat until the Australians attacked rather than counter-attacked, as some believed the Indian bowlers to tilt the scales again.
Even if they are seething at how the pacemen allowed themselves to be carted by Australia, Kohli and company can will themselves hard to overcome the challenges and launch a successful chase for victory. Then again, Nathan Lyon, already the leading wicket-taker in the series, can pick up a few more wickets on a wearing track to bring Indians to grief.
Indeed, no matter how play pans out, it will be worth sacrificing some sleep on Saturday morning.
For all you know, one way of overcoming the anger, disappointment, frustration and shock at the manner in which the Indian bowlers allowed the Australian batsmen to score at 6.27 runs an over and rustle up 251 for six in 40 overs, could be to visualise Indians mountain a grand chase on the final day of the series and for that to actualise.
Is it a pipe-dream that the Indian batsmen will paper the yawning cracks that showed up on Friday when attempting to keep Australia from scoring at will? Is it wishful thinking that India will go for a win, whether Australia captain Steven Smith declares overnight, with his team leading India by 348 runs or after batting a bit on Saturday?
Though much water has flowed under the bridge, there is great anticipation that the final day of the Test series could provide as much excitement and drama as the Australia-India Tests of 2004 and 2008. Indian cricket fans can only lick their fingers in anticipation that Virat Kohli and his team will retain their positive approach and provide a winning script this time around.
Back in 2008, India were set the challenge of batting out 72 overs to draw the Sydney Test but were bowled out with seven balls to spare. Some clever spin bowling by Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke and poor umpiring meant that some steadfast batting by opener Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and skipper Anil Kumble came undone.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting could then preen about how he had to get the timing of the declaration of his team's second innings right to secure a record-equalling 16th successive Test victory. But few who were present at the SCG during the Test can ever forget the acrimony that led Kumble to say only one of the two teams played in the spirit of the game.
Four years earlier, playing his final Test, Australia captain Steve Waugh played a trademark, defiant knock for three hours in making 80 to help his team salvage a draw against India. The moot question now which of India's batsmen can come up with such a show of character and set the stage for an assault later in the afternoon.
A poor first innings score by India meant that the SCG Test of 2012 was quite one-sided, especially after skipper Clarke made a triple century to add to the hundreds by Ponting and Michael Hussey. India made 400 in their second innings but that was not enough to prevent defeat by an innings and 68 runs.
The contributions by India's lower-order batsmen Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Friday went some way in erasing visions of a massive defeat until the Australians attacked rather than counter-attacked, as some believed the Indian bowlers to tilt the scales again.
Even if they are seething at how the pacemen allowed themselves to be carted by Australia, Kohli and company can will themselves hard to overcome the challenges and launch a successful chase for victory. Then again, Nathan Lyon, already the leading wicket-taker in the series, can pick up a few more wickets on a wearing track to bring Indians to grief.
Indeed, no matter how play pans out, it will be worth sacrificing some sleep on Saturday morning.
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