Net result, as lunchtime practice shows O’Keefe how to skittle India

MINOR tweaks to his bowling after the lunch break made all the difference for left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe who claimed a career-best six for 35 to put Australia ahead in the opening test against India on Friday.

Playing only his fifth test and first in India, O’Keefe took all his wickets in the space of 24 deliveries, including three in one over, to trigger a spectacular collapse and help Australia bundle India out for 105 in their first innings.

Australia skipper Steve Smith handed the ball to O’Keefe

as early as the second over of the innings but the 32-year-old hardly made an impact as the Indian openers Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay handled him with ease.

During the lunch interval O’Keefe returned to the practice nets to work with former India leftarm spinning all-rounder Sridharan Sriram, who is mentoring Australia’s slow bowlers on the tour.

It immediately bore fruit as he ran through India’s batsmen to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul.

“I’d been working in the nets with some other variations, just changing the seam angle and arm angle,” O’Keefe said, also thanking captain Smith for backing him. “You probably don’t notice it, but for me it made all the difference.

Australia lost nine consecutive tests in Asia before arriving in India, who are the world’s No. 1 side and are undefeated in their last 19 tests.

The team’s last victory in India was in 2004 and they have a chance to break that jinx after taking a lead of 298 runs with six wickets in hand.

But O’Keefe was not ready to think too far ahead.

“Right now, we’ll enjoy. We had a good day, but that’s all it is,” he said. “We all know how good this Indian team is, how well they can bat, and even in spinning conditions they are exceptional players.”

● India coach Anil Kumble gave a measured response on Friday after his team’s spectacular collapse against Australia in the opening test, calling it just one bad day for his world No. 1 team.

India’s meltdown started after lunch when opener Lokesh Rahul departed after a well-made 64 as Australia left-arm spinner O’Keefe wreaked havoc with six wickets for 35.

“You are bound to have one bad day. It was disappointing,” former India captain and leg-spinner Kumble told reporters.

“We were in a pretty decent position when Rahul and Ajinkya (Rahane) were batting out there. But once Rahul got out, we lost those four wickets in five or six balls. That certainty pushed us back,” he said, referring to the pitch as “challenging”.

The hosts also dropped four catches in Australia’s second innings, including three missed chances with Steve Smith to compound their problems.

Smith remained unbeaten on 59 with the tourists leading by 298 runs. India are staring at a steep four-innings target on a wicket providing prodigious turn for the spin bowlers.

Kumble was backing his side, who have won their last six series, to chase down any target.

“We would like to restrict them to as little as possible,” Kumble said. “We dropped a few catches. It has hurt us in the past, especially in this game you need to hold your chances even if half chances.”

The pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has attracted a great deal of criticism on its debut as a test centre but Kumble refused to blame the surface.

“It is a challenging surface which requires application, aggression and a bit of caution as well. You need a mix out of that,” he said. “We have to give credit to the Australian bowlers as well.” – Reuters