India ‘way laid’ Australia in Adelaide! While it was true that Smith-Warner’s absence in the Australian XI had weakened them considerably, but it was nevertheless a wonderful win for Kohli’s Men.
India beat Australia in the Adelaide Test 2018 mainly because of two “Ps”: patience and partnership.
Pujara showed exemplary patience that is required in Test Match batting. His ‘priceless’ innings of 123 had 182 dot balls. Bharat Sundaresan wrote, “Or is intent what Cheteshwar Pujara brings to the crease every time he walks out to bat? The desperation to grit it out, however innocuous he might look while at it. The desperation to face the heat, literally and figuratively like he did in the 40 degrees of merciless heat in Adelaide, and not give in to any form of temptation for 246 deliveries. The desperation to stay out on the pitch. The conviction to keep making tough choices even as your colleagues keep taking the easy way out at the other end.” Andrew McGlashan contrasted Pujara’s patience with Rohit Sharma with some telling statistics: “Rohit dominated the fifth-wicket stand of 45 with an innings that included three sixes, one a magnificent lofted drive off Cummins, while Pujara went scoreless for a period of 29 deliveries on 11.” Sanjay Manjrekar explained the unique patience of Pujara when it came to batting when he wrote, “While others in his team attack out of instinct or insecurity, Pujara attacks only when he is running out of partners. What a blessing that is for India!” He stitched match-turning partnerships with the tail in the first innings and the partnership he had with Rahane in the second was indeed match-winning. The Indian bowlers – Ishant, Shammi, Bumrah and Ashwin – superbly complemented each other. Ishant bouncing out Aussie batsmen Head in the final day with a well-directed bouncer was a sight for sore eyes! Were we watching a West Indian quick in his heyday? Rishabh Pant was trying to put ‘ants in the pants’ of the Aussie resistance with his irritating behind the stumps commentary. And when the Aussie tail wagged stubbornly in the fourth innings (Australia batted 23.4 overs more than India did in this Test – Sidharth Monga) even the impatient Kohli was quite patient. A wicket off a no-ball, a dropped catch just delayed the inevitable. As the Bible says in the book of Proverbs, ‘through patience a ruler can be persuaded’ (Prov. 25:15) and yes, through patience a Test Match can be won in a foreign soil!
Our Lord’s is immensely patient (I Tim. 1:16) and expects us to live a “life worthy of the Lord” which includes a display of “great endurance and patience” (Col. 1:10-11). The writer to the Hebrews put it this way: “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Heb. 6:12). As believers we must be patient – patient for the Lord’s return (James 5:7). The waiting time before Christ’s return should become the time for winning souls because the Jesus said, “The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). A believer must seek partnerships with other believers to keep his spiritual fervour up. “Christians are like coals. Together they are red hot, apart they die out!” That is why we must be regular to our local church and other fellowships God has placed us in (Heb. 10:24-25). That is why we must build accountability relationships that will be help us beat stubborn temptations (Eccl. 4:10-11).
