It would have been impossible for you to miss one of the many statistics that were doing the rounds after Ajinkya Rahane confirmed India’s playing XI in Brisbane on Friday. But here’s one that summed up perfectly how out-of-the-ordinary India’s tour of Australia has been: the players who had bowled most deliveries in Test cricket in India’s XI were 1) Mohammed Siraj and 2) Rohit Sharma.
At the end of the day, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar – two of India’s debutants – picked up crucial wickets, Shardul Thakur also bagged his first Test wicket in what must have felt like another debut after his original one lasted just 10 deliveries. Mohammed Siraj, after dismissing David Warner in the first over, was also seen playing the role of a senior statesman in this line-up, and through it all, India stayed afloat at the fortress that is the Gabba.
Let all that sink in for a minute, because it truly is remarkable that Australia – in centurion Marnus…