Sir — The public-private partnership to revive trams in Calcutta is welcome (“Heritage meets gastronomy on tracks”, Dec 7). Victoria on the Wheels, Calcutta’s first restaurant in a tramcar, is an innovative way to prevent trams from fading into oblivion. The idea of dining in a moving car is certainly palatable: it will attract passengers as well as foodies, thereby generating revenue. If this initiative becomes popular, it will not only help revive the lost glory of tramcars in Calcutta but perhaps also encourage other Indian cities to adopt this eco-friendly mode of conveyance.
Saikat Sinha,
Calcutta
Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates after reaching a century during the first cricket test between Australia and India in Adelaide AP
First class
Sir — The captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli, and his boys should be congratulated for their first-ever win in an opening Test match in Australia (“Kohli: We have to build on this win”, Dec 11). This victory is more satisfying as India managed to win without a sizeable contribution from Kohli’s bat. Cheteshwar Pujara played copybook cricket in both innings. He deserved the Man of the Match award. Even the Indian bowlers lived up to everybody’s expectations. This is probably the best Indian bowling side to tour Australia in a long time.
On the other hand, India’s batting was disappointing. Except for Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, none of the other batsmen fared well. It was the bowlers who managed to secure a victory for the team. Moreover, not only was the performance of Australian pace bowlers below par, the side was also playing with an average batting line-up devoid of big names like Steve Smith and David Warner.
For India, Rohit Sharma’s inconsistency in Test cricket is a matter of concern. Further, although Rishabh Pant equalled the world record for most catches taken by a wicketkeeper in a Test, his skill cannot always be depended upon.
It was also unfortunate that the match attracted only a small crowd. Yet, it was reassuring that both sides refrained, to a large extent, from sledging.
Somnath Mukherjee,
Calcutta
Sir — Kudos to the Indian cricket team for beating Australia on their turf. Once again, Australia failed to chase down the 300-plus target that was set by India. The only time it has managed a successful fourth innings Test run chase of more than 300 at Adelaide was 1902, against England. India’s victory was special because it did not ride on the shoulders of Virat Kohli.
It was the stellar performance of Cheteshwar Pujara that bagged the match for India. The Test revealed marked similarities between Pujara and the ‘great wall of India’, Rahul Dravid. In Test match against Australia held at Adelaide in 2003, Dravid — like Pujara has this time — slammed his 16th Test century in the first innings and — once again like Pujara — scored a half-century in the second innings. In 2003, Dravid won Man of the Match as Pujara has this time. A closer look at the statistics will reveal more similarities between the two players. But it would be unfair to compare Pujara with Dravid so early in his career.
Still, one hopes this performance will give Pujara, Kohli and the rest of the team the boost that they need to win the series against the Aussies.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad
Sir — India’s historic win against Australia in the first Test match Down Under has undoubtedly warmed the cockles of the cricket fanatics’ hearts. A victory on foreign soil is always special. Coming after India’s series loss in England, the win in Adelaide has established that the team has begun the tour with a positive mindset.
It is true that the Indian openers started the Test on a poor note, but Cheteshwar Pujara with his outstanding performance managed to gain victory for the team. Pujara, the new ‘Wall’ of Indian cricket, displayed a tenacious streak which helped India gain 250 runs on day one of the first Test.
Besides Pujara, all the Indian bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, among others, did a wonderful job by taking wickets at regular intervals and preventing the Australians from dominating the game. Virat Kohli’s captaincy was commendable too. India’s only area of concern is its tailenders who continue to buckle under pressure.
But one must not forget that Australia is without two of its most able batsmen, Steve Smith and David Warner. The Aussies will feel their absence throughout the series. This does not, however, take away from India’s memorable victory. It will give them some much-needed confidence for the upcoming matches of the series.
Aditya Mukherjee,
New Delhi
Sir — There is no denying that Cheteshwar Pujara was the hero of the first Test against the Aussies. His performance saved India from a total collapse. The Indian captain could not show his calibre as a batsman. The catch that ended Kohli’s run in the first innings, though, was superb. It must be admitted that Kohli’s captaincy was spot on. Indian bowlers, too, deserve praise for keeping the Australians under control. Hopefully, India will continue winning matches and return with the coveted trophy.
Benu Kumar Bose,
Calcutta
Sir — The 31-run victory against the Aussies was India’s third narrowest win in terms of runs but it was worth its weight in gold. The entire nation is proud of the team.
Shah Faisal,
Mumbai