Yashasvi Jaiswal self-destructs, Virat Kohli licks his wounds: How India imploded in 25 minutes… again

Quick question. What is the common thread in Indian batting between November 1 and December 27, 2024?

If you said a late collapse, three wickets for next to nothing, a top batter running out and a night watchman coming and going, you can afford a pat on the back.

The story of the wrong kind that characterized the first day of the final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai was repeated at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday evening, the second day of the fourth Test against Australia. Before anyone could say ‘Rip van Winkle’, India lost three games to six in 22 games, squandering all the initiative they had gained through hard work and immense self-discipline, allowing the hosts to narrowly survive the Boxing Day Test could.

In the Wankhede Stadium against the Kiwis, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sending off that caused a stir. After reaching 30, he attempted an ill-advised reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel and lost his off-stump. Mohammed Siraj strangely came in as nightwatchman and was caught on the leg before the first ball, after which Virat Kohli himself ran out, played to mid-on and was outside his ground when Matt Henry smashed the stumps at the non-striker’s end. From 78 for one to 84 for four in eight deliveries, three wickets fell for six runs.

Jaiswal, Kohli and a run-out were also common in the Melbourne meltdown. Steve Smith’s 34th Test hundred, his second in as many matches, and his century stand for the seventh wicket with Pat Cummins that took Australia to 474. India then lost captain Rohit Sharma in the second game to his opposite number Cummins, who also produced a beauty to dismiss KL Rahul off the last ball before tea. At 51 for two, India were well behind when Kohli joined the fluent Jaiswal in the hope of arresting an alarming decline marked by soft dismissals outside the off-stump.

For more than two hours, Kohli showed the kind of restraint that had made him such a feared batsman by the end of 2019. He kept dropping balls and forcing bowlers to come to him, while Jaiswal brilliantly combined aggression and caution. The left-hander didn’t let any loose ball go unpunished, but he didn’t try to induce strikes either. During the 102-year partnership, Australia appeared bereft of ideas.

Another meltdown, less than half an hour until lunch

With just 25 minutes left until stumps, Jaiswal drove Scott Boland to middle and launched into a quick, potentially risky single. Since the ball was hit before the wickets, it was the batsman’s decision and Jaiswal had no doubt that a run was in progress. Kohli took a few steps and stood rooted to the spot while his partner continued to run. They stood side by side as Cummins threw the ball towards the striker, Alex Carey picked it up and did the needful. The Australian fans at the MCG, who had been silent until then while the Indian team celebrated with enthusiasm, found their voice; Jaiswal trudged back and said “my call” after a superb 82. Even in isolation, it was a big moment. In the context of what happened in the next few minutes, it was crucial and game-changing.

All afternoon, Kohli had persistently refrained from attacking the balls in the outfield, but it seemed like Jaiswal’s dismissal was bothering him and hampering his concentration. After two and a half quarters of not even paying attention to balls on the fifth and sixth stump line, he flirted with Boland and nodded to Carey. Australia delirious, Kohli in deep fear. One wicket had taken two and he perhaps felt he was responsible for both.

Jaiswal’s dismissal had brought Akash Deep into the middle as night watchman. Was it a smart move? In retrospect you will say: no. What chance does a lower order batsman have against a quality attack compared to a top order batsman? But the Night Watchman was part of the Test story; In 1977/78, Tony Mann scored a hundred in this role against India in Perth, setting up an unexpected victory. The duty of the self-sacrificing night watchman is, if possible, to wait for the evening and allow the batsman to come out the next morning. England uses the so-called nighthawk, which does not defend late in the evening but instead throws its bat around. It’s Bazball’s fault. As part of cricketing folklore, the nightwatchman concept is not going away anytime soon.

Deep had helped India avoid injury in Brisbane but this time had to fend off a Boland chip. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja survived the few tense moments until the conclusion, knowing that India’s reply is now in tatters and the responsibility that rests on them is enormous with India 164 for five and 310 behind. Which thoughts you should take with you to bed.