When India were done in by spin in their own backyard

Steve Smith of Australia checks the pitch during a training session at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on February 07, 2023 in Nagpur, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Preparation is the key to success. The Pat Cummins-led Australian side preferred not to play the usual practice match before the Test series, and instead prepared on their own at the four-day camp in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru. They created rough patches on the pitch, summoned Indian first-class spinner Mahesh Pithiya, among other spinners, and practiced against them.

Indians too, have left no stone unturned to prepare for the challenges posed by the world’s second-most successful off-spinner Nathan Lyon, along with others, by roping in six specialist spinners, including internationals Washington Sundar, Jayant Yadav and Rahul Chahar.

This routine by the Aussies brought back memories of how Sachin Tendulkar prepared to tackle ace leg-spinner Shane Warne for the three-Test home series in India in early 1998.

Tendulkar got leg-spinners, including Mumbai teammate Sairaj Bahutule and former India bowler Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to bowl on the rough outside the leg-stump. The preparation held Tendulkar in good stead.

As he writes in his autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’, “I was certain that’s what Warne would do if I succeeded in attacking him when he bowled from over the wicket. All that practice in Mumbai against Sairaj Bahutule and Nilesh Kulkarni and subsequently in Chennai against Laxman Sivaramakrishnan proved immensely useful, and by the time the Australians arrived in India in February 1998, I felt ready to face Warne.”

Tendulkar demoralised Warne even before the first Test, scoring his maiden first-class double century – 204 not out – for Mumbai in Australia’s tour game at the Brabourne Stadium, Warne’s figures read 16-1-111-0. Warne had no clue of the Tendulkar onslaught in the first Test in Chennai, with the Indian genius scoring 155 to signal the home team’s dominance in that series that was won 2-1. Warne ended with 10 wickets in the Tests at 54.00.

Warne, the world’s second-highest wicket-taker ever (708 wickets), was not effective in the three series – 1997-98, 2000-01 and 2004-05 – he played in India, picking up only 34 wickets at 43.11 in nine Tests.

Warne admitted in his autobiography ‘No Spin’, “My record in India is not as good as it should be”. He further writes, “Sachin was the best judge of length I played against – he was unbelievable in India on the ’98 tour – and very good on his feet. He got down the pitch easily and could sweep well too.”

Having said that, India, supposedly good players of spin, succumbed to the spin of Australia over time. Leg-spinning great Richie Benaud picked up 7 for 72 at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium, and 6 for 52 and 5 for 53 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in 1956-57, followed by 5 for 76 in Delhi three years later, all resulting in Australia victories. Benaud picked up 52 wickets in eight Tests across two series (1956-57 and 1959-60) on Indian soil at an average of 18.38. Without doubt, he is Australia’s most successful bowler in India, followed by current off-spinner Nathan Lyon with 34 from seven Tests over two previous visits, in 2012-13 and 2016-17.

Another off-spinner of repute, Ashley Mallett, picked up 5 for 91 and 5 for 53 to spin Australia to victory by 77 runs in Chennai in 1969-70. In that five-Test series that was won by Australia led by Bill Lawry, the visitors won 3-1 with Mallett taking 28 sticks at 19.11.

A couple of little-known Australian spinners made a big impact on the Indian pitches. Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe picked up identical 6 for 35 in each innings of the Pune Test in 2017 to bowl Australia to a 333-run victory and give the team a 1-0 lead.

Off-break bowler Jason Krezja picked up 8 for 215 and 4 for 143 on his Test debut in Nagpur in 2008 for match figures of 12 for 358, though India won. He played in only one other Test match for Australia.

Off-spinners Nathan Hauritz, Colin ‘Funky’ Miller, Greg Mathews (10 wickets in the Chennai ‘Tied’ Test, 1986) made the most of the turning tracks in India while part-time spinner Michael Clarke nearly bowled Australia to victory by picking up six wickets for nine runs in the second innings at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in November 2004. However, the Indian spin trio of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik averted an embarrassing defeat, guiding India to a 13-run victory.