Australia vs India series awards: Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock reveals the good, bad and ugly from epic contest
The greatest Test series Australia has played in since the 2005 Ashes provided several moments that will take pride of place in the annals of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. ROBERT CRADDOCK reveals his series awards.
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Heroes; villains; sledgers; fading champions; a vanishing captain; a star from nowhere.
This series had everything.
Mark down this summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy stoush as the greatest Test series Australia has played in since the 2005 Ashes.
Some moments shone brighter than others. A drum roll please for …
BIGGEST SLEDGE
“You’re coming too slow,’’ said fearless opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to Mitchell Starc in Perth on the way to a stunning 161.
Mother cricket has a habit of correcting youngsters who get ahead of themselves and Starc got him two out of the youngster’s next three innings before Jaiswal made two 80s to leave honours roughly square.
SECOND BIGGEST SLEDGE
“You can’t be that soft.’’ Indian coach Gautam Gambhir took aim at Australian coach Andrew McDonald who said he was checking on Sam Konstas’ welfare after he was circled by hot-blooded Indian fieldsmen celebrating the last ball dismissal of Usman Khawaja. Konstas had earlier heckled Jasprit Bumrah.
GREATEST ESCAPE
Virat Kohli deliberately shouldered Sam Konstas at the MCG, an incident that should have resulted in a suspension but we are still looking for the person in cricket brave enough to ban Kohli? The man who is worth $100 million was fined 20 per cent of his match fee – about $2000.
WORST SHOT
It seemed beyond comprehension that India could lose seven wickets in the last session in Melbourne to lose the Test but they did – and it started with a moment of madness from Rishabh Pant. Unable to resist the sweet temptations of Travis Head’s finger spin, Pant swatted a ball to long-on and watched India crumble in his wake.
BEST BALL
Pat Cummins has the ability to bowl freakish balls from nowhere but his centimetre perfect off-bail tickler to KL Rahul in the first innings of the MCG Test was the pick of the bunch. Rahul had been on red alert for pad-seeking missiles probing for lbw but this one kissed the deck and moved the other way.
BEST CATCH
Mitchell Marsh had big shoes to fill when he replaced Cameron “The Claw’’ Green in the gully. He did the glue-fingered Green proud by moving swiftly to his left and having both feet off the ground when he snared a Shubman Gill slash off Mitchell Starc at the Gabba.
MOST BIZARRE SIGHT
The great Sunil Gavaskar stood on the out-field with a microphone in his hand watching Allan Border present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gavaskar was not invited on stage because it was decreed the legend from the winning country would do so. Gavaskar was not happy and nor should he be. That’s embarrassing.
BEST INNINGS
Travis Head’s 140 in Adelaide was the jolting tide-turner Australia needed after a poor Test loss in Perth. India fears Head. He can be rocks and diamonds against them but he generally shines when it hurts most.
MOST UNDERRATED INNINGS
Beau “Slug’’ Webster’s 57 in the first innings at the SCG had nothing especially memorable about it but it was the only half century of the Test by an Australian and if it hadn’t happened the locals might never have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
BEST SHOT
It was the shot that rocked India and echoed around the world – Sam Konstas’ first ramp shot for four off Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG. The bowler and Indian fieldsmen smiled at his audacity. But his continued aggression soon rattled them.
BEST STINK
Mohammed Siraj had a verbal showdown with Travis Head after dismissing him for a century in Adelaide and the blame game that followed was as entertaining as the incident itself.
Originally published as Australia vs India series awards: Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock reveals the good, bad and ugly from epic contest
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