India vs Australia | India could have had a better day, suggests Allan Border

India vs Australia | India could have had a better day, suggests Allan Border

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Allan Border reckons that the Indian bowlers could have had a better day against Australia in Perth after they fortunately picked up three wickets in the third session as they finished at 277/6. Border further added that the hosts' first-innings runs might prove to be pivotal in the second Test.

India managed to reduce Australia to 266/7 at the end of the third session on day one of the second Test at the new stadium in Perth on Friday. Former Australian skipper, Allan Border, opined that the Indian bowlers ended up bowling a ‘little bit short’ which allowed the Australian batsmen to comfortably navigate their way throughout the course of day one.

"Given the amount of deliveries that went past the outside edge India will feel they could have had a better day. They bowled well but if I'm being supercritical they were a little bit short.

"With so many balls passing the outside edge you've got to err on the fuller side. You may occasionally get hit down the ground but any ball that moves off the seam is good chance of catching the edge. The good news for Australia is their bowlers will have learned from what worked and what didn't, and when it is their turn to bowl they will be confident. There were just enough balls bouncing awkwardly or moving off the seam to encourage them," Border wrote in a column for Foxsports.

With R Ashwin injured, Indian opted to go with fast bowler Umesh Yadav in the playing XI, which meant that they would play four pacers in their matchday squad for only the fourth time in the country’s history.

Off spinner and batsman Hanuma Vihari, who was included in the team instead of Rohit Sharma, managed to bag two Aussie wickets. Border hinted India might have missed a trick by overlooking the services of Ravindra Jadeja.

"Moving forward in this Test we'll see whether or not India has missed a trick by not picking a specialist spinner. Despite part-time off-spinner Hanuma Vihari's two bonus wickets, I still think this is a seamer's wicket," he added.

Border, who played a total of 156 Test matches for Australia, added that the home team’s first-innings runs might prove to be the turning point on the pitch in Perth.

"Both teams went hard on Friday but Australia finished it with their noses in front. On a surface like this runs on the board, particularly in the first innings, are like gold. At the same time, we won't have a true sense of where this game stands until India has also had the chance to bat on it," Border concluded.

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