Date: January 24th, 2012.
Location: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
Event: 4th Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Series Status: Series Level 1-1 (India 1 Win, 1 Draw, 1 Loss).
The Adelaide Oval is the picturesque jewel of Australian cricket. With its short square boundaries, the historic scoreboard, and a pitch known to be the flattest in the country, it is a batsman's paradise. The sun beat down mercilessly, baking the surface into a road.
The equation was simple: Win to take the series 2-1. A draw would see India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the current holders, but a series victory in Australia remained the elusive dream.
The Toss:
MS Dhoni flipped the coin. Michael Clarke called Heads.
It was Tails.
Dhoni: "We will bat. It looks like a belter. We want to bat once and bat big. Put the pressure of the scoreboard on them."
Team News:
Gambhir was bought into the squad as an opener.
Day 1 Morning Session:
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir walked out.
Sehwag decided that since this was a flat track, he was going to treat it like a highway. He marked his guard and looked at Ryan Harris.
Over 1: Ryan Harris to Sehwag
0.1: Sehwag slashed hard outside off. The ball flew over point. FOUR.
0.4: Harris pitched it up. Sehwag drove straight past mid-off. FOUR.
0.6: Short ball. Sehwag swiveled and flicked it effortlessly over square leg. SIX.
Commentary (Bill Lawry): "It's all happening in Adelaide! Sehwag is in a hurry! 14 off the first over! This pitch is a road, and Sehwag is driving a Ferrari!"
Sehwag raced to 50 off 35 balls. He cut, he drove, he upper-cut. Gambhir played the anchor, rotating the strike.
By Lunch, India was 120/0.
Post-Lunch Session:
The Australians came back with a plan: dry up the runs. Peter Siddle bowled wide of off stump.
Sehwag fell for 85, caught on the boundary trying to hit Siddle into the river Torrens. A loose shot, but he had set the tone.
Gambhir fell soon after for 45, edging Ben Hilfenhaus to slip.
Score: 150/2.
Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar walked in.
The partnership was a study in classical batting. Dravid was solid, leaving everything. Sachin looked determined, driving down the ground with precision.
They batted through the afternoon, adding 110 runs.
Sachin reached his 50. The crowd buzzed. The 100th hundred?
But Nathan Lyon got one to bounce and take the glove as Sachin tried to sweep.
WICKET (Sachin 60).
Score: 260/3.
Enter Siddanth Deva.
The clock showed 4:30 PM. The bowlers were tired. The ball was old.
Deva walked out at No. 5. He looked at the flat track and smiled.
Over 78: Ben Hilfenhaus to Deva
Deva marked his guard.
77.1: Outswinger. Left alone.
77.2: Length ball.
Deva leaned forward. He didn't hit it hard. He just punched it past mid-off.
The outfield was lightning.
FOUR.
Deva and Dravid batted out the day. Deva was aggressive, punishing the tired bowlers. He drove Lyon inside out. He pulled Siddle.
He reached his 50 in 45 balls.
Stumps Day 1:
India: 345/3.
Rahul Dravid: 88*.
Siddanth Deva: 55*.
Analysis (Ian Chappell): "India has dominated. 345 on Day 1 is a massive score. Deva looks dangerous. If he bats till lunch tomorrow, India will post 600."
---
Date: January 25th, 2012.
Session: Morning.
The pitch was still perfect. Deva and Dravid resumed.
Deva activated [AB de Villiers Mode].
He targeted Peter Siddle.
Over 95: Siddle to Deva
94.1: Short ball. Deva pulled for FOUR.
94.2: Yorker. Deva dug it out for 2.
94.3: Slower ball. Deva waited and smashed it over extra cover for SIX.
Deva reached his Century off 110 balls.
His 13th Test Hundred. He raised his bat to the dressing room, a calm acknowledgment of his form.
They added 200 runs for the 4th wicket. The Australian bowlers looked demoralized.
Dravid finally fell for 145, caught at slip off Harris.
Score: 480/4.
Virat Kohli joined Deva.
Afternoon Session:
It was carnage. Deva and Kohli ran the Australians ragged.
Deva unleashed his full repertoire. Reverse sweeps against Lyon. Helicopter shots against Starc (who replaced Pattinson).
Deva reached 150.
Then 180.
Over 130: Michael Clarke
Clarke brought himself on to buy a wicket with his left-arm spin.
Deva saw the flight. He tried to hit him out of the park to reach 191.
He mistimed it. The ball went high but not far enough. Caught at long-on.
WICKET (Deva 185).
Deva's Knock: 185 runs. 210 balls. 22 Fours. 4 Sixes.
The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
India declared at 604/7.
Kohli remained not out on 75. Dhoni scored a quick 40.
Australia 1st Innings:
They had to bat 15 overs in the evening.
David Warner and Ed Cowan.
Siddanth Deva took the new ball with Zaheer Khan.
Over 4: Deva to Warner
Deva steamed in. 148 kmph.
He bowled a bouncer.
Warner hooked. He missed. The ball hit the helmet.
Next ball. Full and swinging in.
Warner played all around it.
LBW.
WICKET (Warner 8).
Stumps Day 2:
Australia: 45/1.
Ed Cowan: 20*.
Shaun Marsh: 10*.
Trail by: 559 runs.
---
Date: January 26th, 2012 (Republic Day of India).
Session: All Day.
The pitch was still a road. The Kookaburra ball did nothing after 10 overs.
Shaun Marsh fell early to Umesh Yadav, chopping one onto his stumps.
But then, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke joined forces.
It was a repeat of Sydney. The Indian bowlers toiled in the 40-degree heat.
Ponting, playing his final series, batted with grit, pulling anything short.
Clarke, in the form of his life, batted with elegance, driving through the covers repeatedly.
Lunch: Australia 150/2.
Tea: Australia 280/2.
Deva bowled 20 overs. He tried cutters. He tried bouncers.
He had a few LBW shouts turned down. The pitch was offering zero assistance.
Over 85: Deva to Clarke
The second new ball was taken.
Deva found some reverse swing.
He beat Clarke's outside edge three times in an over.
"Well bowled," Clarke nodded.
Ponting reached his Double Century—a massive 221. He finally fell to Zaheer Khan late in the day, caught behind.
Michael Clarke scored another century (140*).
---
Australia: 410/3.
Trail by: 194 runs.
It was heading for a high-scoring draw. But India needed to win to take the series 2-1.
Morning Session:
Clarke and Hussey batted on. They added another 100 runs.
Clarke reached his Double Century (210).
Australia declared at 550/5.
Trail by: 54 runs.
Clarke wanted to make a game of it. He declared 54 runs behind to try and bowl India out cheaply and chase a target on Day 5.
India 2nd Innings:
India had a lead of 54. There were 5 sessions left.
Dhoni told the team: "We set a target. We bat fast. We give ourselves 80 overs to bowl them out on Day 5."
Sehwag and Gambhir opened.
Sehwag smashed 30 off 20 and got out.
Deva was promoted to No. 3.
"Go T20 mode," Fletcher said.
Deva walked out. He had 54 runs lead + 40 on board.
He treated Peter Siddle like a club bowler.
Over 15: 4, 6, 4, 4, 2, 1. (21 runs).
He reached his 50 in 25 balls.
Virat Kohli joined him.
They added 100 runs in 12 overs.
Deva fell for 88 off 55 balls, caught on the boundary.
India declared at 280/4.
Lead: 54 + 280 = 334 runs.
Target for Australia: 335 runs to win.
Time: 15 overs on Day 4 + 90 overs on Day 5.
Australia 2nd Innings (Day 4 Evening):
Deva and Zaheer bowled with fire.
Over 5: Zaheer trapped Ed Cowan LBW.
Over 8: Deva bowled a yorker to Shaun Marsh. Clean bowled.
WICKET (Marsh 2).
Stumps Day 4:
Australia: 30/2.
David Warner: 15*.
Ricky Ponting: 4*.
Need: 305 runs.
India Needs: 8 wickets.
---
Date: January 28th, 2012.
Session: Morning.
Equation: 305 runs or 8 wickets.
The pitch was cracking slightly, offering some turn for Ashwin. But it was still good for batting.
David Warner decided to attack. He hit Ashwin for a six.
But Zaheer Khan induced an edge with a slower ball.
WICKET (Warner 28).
Australia: 60/3.
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke were at the crease. The two titans.
They decided to shut shop. They realized 335 was too far. They played for the draw.
Clarke, usually aggressive, didn't play a shot for 40 minutes.
Ponting used his experience. He padded away Ashwin. He left Deva.
Lunch Day 5:
Australia: 110/3.
Run rate: 1.5.
India tried everything.
Dhoni brought Deva on for a long spell.
Over 55: Deva to Clarke
Deva went round the wicket. He aimed for the rough.
The ball kicked up.
Clarke gloved it.
It fell just short of leg slip.
Over 60: R. Ashwin to Ponting
Ashwin bowled the carrom ball.
Ponting played for the turn.
Inside edge. Pad.
Loop to silly point.
WICKET (Ponting 60).
Australia: 145/4.
There was an opening!
Mike Hussey walked in. Mr. Cricket. The crisis man.
Clarke and Hussey. They were immovable.
They batted for 30 overs. They scored 40 runs.
The Indian crowd was booing. They wanted action. But Clarke wanted to save the Test.
Tea Day 5:
Australia: 185/4.
Overs Left: 32.
Wickets Needed: 6.
Dhoni gathered the team. "One wicket. Just one. Then we have the tail."
Deva took the old ball. It was reversing.
Over 85: Deva to Clarke
84.1: Inswinger. 145 kmph. Clarke dug it out.
84.2: Outswinger. Beaten.
84.3: Deva went wide. He bowled the inswinger.
Clarke drove. Gap between bat and pad.
The ball missed the stump by a coat of varnish.
Clarke smiled nervously.
Over 88: Ishant Sharma to Hussey
Ishant found bounce.
Hussey fended.
The ball hit the shoulder of the bat.
It flew to gully.
Virat Kohli dived.
He got fingertips to it.
DROPPED.
The Indian players sank to their knees. That was the chance. That was the game.
The final hour was a stalemate. Clarke reached his 50 (off 180 balls). Hussey blocked everything.
The pitch had gone to sleep.
Over 90 (Final Over):
Dhoni bowled. (Yes, MS Dhoni bowled the last over of the series).
He bowled medium pace.
Clarke blocked six balls.
MATCH DRAWN.
Final Score: Australia 220/4.
Series Result: Drawn 1-1.
Trophy: India retains the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Indian team did a lap of honor for the fans. They held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It wasn't a series win, but avoiding defeat in Australia was a massive achievement.
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In the dressing room, the atmosphere was shifting.
The senior pros—Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman—were shaking hands with everyone, a finality in their gestures. This was likely their last tour of Australia. They were flying home.
But for the rest—Dhoni, Kohli, Raina, Rohit, and Deva—the jerseys were changing from white to blue.
MS Dhoni stood in the center of the room. "Test series is done. We retained the trophy. Good job. But the tour isn't over. We have business left."
He pointed to the whiteboard where the schedule was written.
2 T20 Internationals vs Australia.
Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series (India, Australia, Sri Lanka).
"We dominated the home season with the white ball," Dhoni said. "Now we do it here. The grounds are big. The boundaries are long. We need legs. We need speed."
Deva sat in his corner, taking off his whites for the last time on this tour