In recent times, if there is one side that has tested Team India at home in the longest format is Australia, under Steve Smith’s leadership, during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Although the four-Test series was eventually won by India 2-1, Australia had its fair sheer of domination throughout.
WATCH: “He was a real pain in the back for us,” Cummins recalls Pujara’s exploits down under
The visitors thrashed India by 333 runs in the first Test at Pune after Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe wreaked havoc on Virat Kohli and company with the ball.
Riding on Lyon’s 8-fer, Australia bowled out India for a paltry 189 in the first inning of second Test at Bengaluru. In reply, the tourists posted 279 on the board and secured an 87-run lead to give themselves a great chance to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.
Batting in the second innings, India got reduced to 120/4 but a solid 118-run partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (92) and Ajinkya Rahane (52) changed the complexion of the match. Needing 178 to win, Australia got bundled out for 112 in the fourth innings with Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 6 wickets for 41 runs.
On Wednesday (April 29), Pujara and Ashwin recounted the memorable 75-run win in the second Test during the latest episode of latter’s Instagram live series #reminiscewithAsh.
Talking about his match-winning stand with Rahane, Pujara said he felt pressure when he walked out to bat in the second essay. India’s eminent No. 3 also revealed that Australians were sledging him and Rahane as if they had already won the match during the last session on Day 3.
"For me I think the first Test match... when we lost, all of us sat together and had a chat. In a 4-Test series, it's always difficult to make a comeback after being 1-0 down," Pujara said.
"In the 1st innings (Bengaluru Test), we didn't bat well. So when I was walking into it, I felt a lot of pressure. But after the 1st innings, Anil bhai (Kumble) had a chat with me on how to tackle Nathan Lyon. I went to the NCA and worked on a few things which helped me.
"But I felt pressure when I walked into bat (2nd innings). The kind of sledging they did... I thought they were a little ahead of what they wanted to achieve. Their thought process was... they felt they had already won the game.
"By Tea time, I was with Ajinkya (Rahane), we were coming into the dressing room and they were sledging as if they had won the game. That is when things did turn around, I felt."
Ashwin also recalled an incident from Day 2 wherein he got angry and told Matt Renshaw about the importance of scoring runs in the first innings.
"I remember one very, very crucial incident in the 1st innings. Nathan Lyon got 8 wickets in the 1st innings. Nathan Lyon was running riot but by the end of the 1st day, it stopped turning. It was damp," Ashwin said.
"Anil bhai (Kumble) gave me quite a few suggestions. But I told him that we need to be patient as nothing is happening. Anil bhai said 'yes, yes. I am not putting pressure on you but you have to do it'.
"Next day when I was bowling, I started bowling over the stumps to Warner and Renshaw. I remember bowling to Renshaw, a couple of balls went here and there.. to short leg and he had this smirky smile so as to suggest they were on top of the game.
"All of a sudden, I got really angry because I was not getting the wickets and I told him 'you better not defend and make these runs because if you don't, 4th innings you guys won't make 100 runs'. I was angry and said it but it eventually panned out."
(Inputs from India Today)
