The 70-odd extra runs scored as Cheteshwar Pujara carried the lower order gave the Indian bowlers just the cushion they needed as they overshadowed their much-vaunted batting teammates.
After many a thrill and spill, India has emerged victorious in the first Test in Adelaide against Australia. The century by Cheteshwar Pujara will rank as one of the finest Test hundreds by an Indian batsman considering the situation the team was in at lunch time on day one after the Indian skipper Virat Kohli had opted to bat after winning the toss. The careless shots played by the toporder Indian batsmen in that first session were hard to digest simply because there was nothing that the bowler had done with the earlier deliveries for them to attempt those shots. They were also not playing for the first time in Australia, so it wasn’t as if they were surprised by the pace and bounce in the pitch of which there was hardly any. Pujara then showed them what a Test innings should be by pacing his innings beautifully. He was patient at the start as he usually is, and then when the lower order was with him, he accelerated without taking any risks and added valuable runs for the team.
Those 70odd extra runs gave the Indian bowlers just the cushion they needed as they once again overshadowed their much-vaunted batting teammates. There is an old saying that unless a team takes 20 wickets, they can’t win. Well, the Indian bowlers took 20 wickets in seven out of the eight Test matches that were played in South Africa and England earlier this year, yet India lost those series simply because the batsmen didn’t score enough runs.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 29, 2018-Ausgabe von Sportstar.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 29, 2018-Ausgabe von Sportstar.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?
The making of a batting behemoth
If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.
A question of recognition
After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.
Thinking straight, thinking right!
“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.
The league of the masses
With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.