‘Take the game on’: Australian tailenders hoping to avoid horror 111-year low

Australia’s lower order is on track for its worst batting performance in Test history, with the tailenders urged to counterattack in this week’s series finale at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

Batting depth has been a glaring difference between the two sides throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with India’s lower order contributing valuable runs to frustrate the Australians.

Axar Patel is India’s second-leading run-scorer with 185 runs at 92.50, including fifties in Nagpur and Delhi, while Ravichandran Ashwin was involved in the only century partnership of the series. Even Umesh Yadav plundered a valuable 17 in the first innings in Indore, slapping a trio of boundaries to ensure India reached triple figures.

Meanwhile, Australia’s No. 8-11 batters have contributed 84 runs at 4.94 throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the team’s lowest in a Test series of at least three matches. Captain Pat Cummins is the only Australian tailender with a score higher than 10, peeling off 33 in the first innings in Delhi.

“It’s not like we’re not training hard,” Australian spinner Nathan Lyon said.

“We’re batting for long periods of time – I was in the nets for probably the longest I’ve batted in my career a couple of days before this last Test.”

In contrast, India’s No. 8-11 batters have scored 307 runs at 25.58. Chalk and cheese.

Lowest batting average for australian tail in test series

4.94 vs IND, 2023

5.28 vs ENG, 1912

5.78 vs PAK, 2002

6.40 vs RSA, 1912

6.66 vs WI, 1991

* Minimum three matches

“It’s a big plus to have your batting go as deep as possible. It is something we’ve been trying to get for many years,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said last month.

“It gives you that advantage as well when the bowlers are a little tired after bowling 60-70 overs, these guys come in and play some shots.

“All of them are quite talented – they can take on the bowlers and that gives you an opportunity to put the pressure back on the opposition.

“With these three guys it’s actually quite a blessing for us because they’re damned good bowlers … it holds us in good stead moving forward, especially in these conditions. Because of the pitches we are playing on, we need the batting to go as long as possible.”

Australia’s lack of batting depth was exposed in Delhi and Indore — the team’s lower order couldn’t stem the flow of wickets, with the visitors losing 8-28 and 6-11 in chaotic batting collapses.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori encouraged the team’s bowlers to take a more aggressive approach with the willow in hand.

“I think we all understand defence is not necessarily the way through that situation because of how much the ball is turning and how good the bowlers are,” he said.

“Pat did that exceptionally well in the first innings in Delhi and the lower four have got an understanding how to do it. It is just having the courage to take it out there.

“You see an innings like Umesh Yadav that can make such a difference in the scheme of things – we have got to push our lower four to have the confidence to take the game on.”

Australia's lower order batting woes in India

Pat Cummins — 6, 1, 33 & 0 (average 10.00)

Nathan Lyon — 0*, 8, 10, 8, 5 (average 7.75)

Matthew Kuhnemann — 6, 0, 0* (average 3.00)

Todd Murphy — 0, 2*, 0 & 3*, 0 (average 1.25)

Mitchell Starc — 1 (average 1.00)

Scott Boland — 1, 0 (average 0.50)

Mitchell Starc, who boasts two Test fifties in India, has already proven he can effectively counterpunch in the subcontinent, smacking 61 (63) in Pune in 2017. Four years earlier, he scored a career-best 99 in Mohali in 2013.

The left-hander was bowled by Yadav for 1 during last week’s Test in Indore, but he’ll be eyeing a late cameo in Ahmedabad this week.