Madan Lal Attributes India's Pink-Ball Test Loss to Batting Collapse and Australian Dominance

New Delhi, December 8: Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal cited the lack of runs from India’s top order as the primary reason for their crushing 10-wicket loss to Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The match, held in Adelaide, evoked memories of India’s infamous 36/9 collapse at the same venue during a Pink-ball Test in 2020. While the 2024 defeat was less catastrophic, the manner in which Indian batters faltered against Australia’s lethal pace attack raised familiar concerns.

India’s decision to bat first backfired as they failed to cross the 200-run mark in both innings. Established players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and skipper Rohit Sharma succumbed to the disciplined bowling of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland.

Madan Lal emphasized India’s struggles with the unfamiliar Pink-ball format, saying, “We have a very good team, but scoring 175 or 180 runs does not reflect our potential. The conditions with the pink ball were difficult, and maybe we are still not used to it.”

Australia’s pacers exploited the worn-out ball to devastating effect, taking 14 wickets and conceding just 159 runs with the old ball. In contrast, India managed only four dismissals with the aging ball while leaking runs at a high rate of 4.27 per over.

Travis Head’s blistering 140-run knock further compounded India’s woes, shifting the match firmly in Australia’s favor. “The main reason for our loss was the lack of runs from our top batters. We should have scored at least 300 runs. Head’s innings completely turned the game around because on that wicket, a lead of 100 or 150 runs is massive,” Madan Lal noted.

The series, now tied at 1-1, heads to Brisbane for a pivotal third Test. While India’s commanding 295-run victory in Perth seems like a distant memory, Australia has rebounded strongly, silencing critics with their Adelaide performance.

“Australia has learned a lot from their loss in Perth. When you lose, you analyze your mistakes. They were criticized heavily, but in Adelaide, they responded emphatically,” Lal added.

As both sides prepare for the Brisbane Test, the series remains finely poised, promising another thrilling contest between the cricketing giants.