Team India on Saturday (December 19) recorded their lowest ever Test score of 36/9 in terminated second innings of the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.
India's earlier lowest score in the longest format was 42 at Lord's in 1974 against England and a member of that team, Farokh Engineer, recalled how they were blown away by Geoff Arnold and Chris Old four and a half decades ago.
Engineer also pointed out that the wicket in England was swinging and seaming, which was not the case in Adelaide.
“That wicket in England was swinging and seaming and in such conditions, you can’t do much. But today, the Indian batsmen just hung their bats up outside the off-stump and gave them opportunities. It was a clear case of inept batting,” he told Sportstar in an exclusive chat.
“Our fielding was also poor, we dropped so many catches and in Test cricket, you cannot do that. You cannot give the opponents a chance…”
Despite taking a 53-run first innings lead, India coped an embarrassing 8-wicket defeat at the hands of Australia in the Test series opener.
The visitors were 9 for 1 in the second innings at stumps Day 2, stretching their lead to 62. But the Australian pacers, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, ran through the Indian batting line-up in the first session on Day 3 to change the course of the game.
Hazlewood (5 for 8) and Cummins (4 for 21) took all the wickets between them as India recorded their lowest ever Test score.
“Even I hoped that we will be able to capitalise on our lead, unfortunately that did not happen. We just collapsed and there was nothing wrong with the wicket. They bowled well, but we were just not good enough,” Engineer said.
“Adelaide is a good batting wicket and I have always loved batting there. But all credit to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, they bowled very well. Our batsmen batted badly - technically they were not good enough. It’s a sad day for India and I genuinely believe that with Virat Kohli going away now, it will have a huge impact on the team,” he further remarked.
While he clearly remembers what the team had to go through after that collapse in 1974, Farokh Engineer admits that getting bowled out for 36 is a new low for the Indian side.
“It is very embarrassing to be all out for 36 on a wicket that wasn’t all that great. They bowled in very good line and length. But I feel that we have been playing more T20s and IPL, and that’s having an impact. You would not imagine a Gavaskar, a (Dilip) Vengsarkar or a (Sachin) Tendulkar getting out playing such cheap shots. We were not good enough today,” he said.
(Inputs from Sportstar)
