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This was also the day India’s ever-improving bowling cartel showed it’s an attack for all conditions and its captain rewarded with excellent on-field tactics.
Most significantly, this was the day India not only put one hand on the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time in Australia, but also truly justified its No. 1 Test ranking.
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After 12 days of a genuine Test arm-wrestle between the two nations, the series finally hit a breaking point on day No. 13.
Centre stage was the Aussies’ truly horrid performance with the bat. Much of it was their own fault, but, concurrently, Virat Kohli and his Indian troops were at their intense, brilliant best.
After watching the disciplined Cheteshwar Pujara bat forever and a day – his 106 punctuated by unwavering discipline and a near flawless technique – Aussie openers Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris lasted three and seven overs respectively on day three.
One dismissal highlighted India’s brilliant tactical nous, with Finch flicking the ball to short mid-wicket – a fielding position that was part of a brilliant plan devised by the Indians then executed superbly by bowler Ishant Sharma and catcher Mayank Agarwal.
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“You get the feeling they’ve really done their homework on every Australian batsman, the Indians,” former Test batsman Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket.
“Their planning looks excellent … they’ve got their plans right on.”
The other dismissal highlighted one of the biggest flaws in Australia’s Test batting line-up. Harris attempted to hook Jasprit Bumrah but was beaten by pace and too late on the shot, consequently top-edging to fine leg where Ishant took the catch.
For former Aussie Test spinner Kerry O’Keeffe, Harris’ hook underlined the difference between the two batting line-ups.
“Early in his innings, Pujara decided not to hook or pull and it paid dividends with a rich hundred. This was a delivery Harris could’ve left, but no he had to fan at it. He wanted four from a bouncer on an inconsistent pitch – and he found Ishant Sharma’s safe hands,” O’Keeffe told Fox Cricket.
“It’s a poor shot selection, without question.”
And as the wickets continued to tumble, Pujara’s innings increased in value.
“The Aussie batting top six is full of boundary-hitters,” O’Keeffe told foxsports.com.au.
“Very few of them have a rhythm to their innings. Opposition bowlers know that if they can keep them quiet for a certain amount of time, they will play the getaway shot, which often results in a wicket.
“Pujara has rhythm to all of his innings. He’s the perfect No.3. Aussie batsmen in that top order have to find that sort of rhythm.”
You could put the next two wickets down to Indian skill and class.
Usman Khawaja’s front-foot press was heavy and left him nowhere else to go against Ravindra Jadeja’s quality spin. O’Keeffe pointed out that Khawaja’s hands were low and bat-face angled, but overall Jadeja was too clever.
Then on the stroke of lunch, Shaun Marsh was undone by a very clever piece of bowling to the point where it was almost unfair. Marsh left four of the first five balls alone outside the off-stump before Bumrah delivered a surprising slower ball at 111 clicks that dipped on the veteran, hit him his big toe and was trapped plumb LBW.
It was a moment of genius from Bumrah.
Post-lunch, you could argue Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head dismissed themselves.
Marsh played against the spin but didn’t get to the pitch of the ball, consequently turning a Jadeja half volley into a rip-snorter. The Kookaburra spun out of the rough, brushed Marsh’s outside edge and straight to first slip.
Head fell to undoubtedly the most irresponsible shot of the Test to date. He attempted to smash Bumrah over the mid-wicket fence but was beaten for pace, with Bumrah hitting the stumps clean. When Australia needed Head to play a Pujara-like knock, he failed. They all did.
“Both Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head lost their shape when getting out. The imbalance of Paine and Head at point of contact … shape let them down. Shape’s everything,” O’Keeffe said.
“The techniques that prosper are the Cheteshwar Pujara’s, who stay side-on as late as possible and play the ball late and accordingly. So many of the Australians square-up in defence and it hasn’t been lost on the Indian think tank. They’re squaring them up all the time and waiting from some variation in the air or off the pitch.
“Intelligent campaign from the visitors thus far.”
With bat and ball, India was disciplined and methodical. Most importantly, every player executed their captain’s plan perfectly.
And it badly exposed the Aussies.
“When you looked at the Indian side and you looked at what did they do well, you look at Pujara,” the legendary Shane Warne told Fox Cricket.
“What did he do well? He had patience, he wore the bowlers down, he made them bowl to him, he didn’t take on the short ball because of the up and down bounce and was prepared to wear a few on the body.
“Have the Australian batsmen got the patience to hang in there and try and wear down the Indian bowlers? So far, that balance between putting pressure on the Indian bowlers and having patience is what they’re struggling with.”