Big battle down under
CHENNAI: An India versus Australia series Down Under has always produced exciting contests.
Right from the time Lala Amarnath's team met Bradman's Invincibles in 1948 to the 'Monkey Gate' involving Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh every series has been an intensely fought one with tempers high on most of the occasions.
Can one forget the Dennis Lillee vs Sunil Gavaskar fiasco that led to India almost conceding the Test which they won later.
Of all the nations affiliated to the ICC, Australian players both current and past have been the most vocal against the clout that the BCCI enjoys in world cricket today.
Therefore for Australia a series victory against India would not only signal its supremacy on the field but also give it a chance to take a dig at the Indian board.
Their logic would be 'what is the point in being a superpower when you don't have the team to match that status'.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reputation as the best captain in the world would be strongly scrutinised.
After the debacle in England, Dhoni will be under immense pressure to prove critics wrong, when the first Test between India and Australia starts on the Boxing Day (December 26) in Melbourne.
Do Dhoni and Co have it in them to win a series in Australia. On paper, India is a better side. With such a great batting line-up in the world, Dhoni's side has a good chance to put up a big total.
But its injury-ridden bowling is a cause for worry. VVS Laxman stating he is happy with seamers' fitness augurs well for the side, which is short on experience in bowling department.
Zaheer and Ishant fitness', besides their ability to bowl long spells effectively will decide not just the fate of the MCG Test but the series as a whole.
The newcomers in the side do not have the ability to trouble the best in the business a la Australia's James Pattinson, who has already made a mark in the just concluded series against New Zealand
Luckily Zaheer and Co do not have to bowl at powerful batsmen like Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Waughs. In place they have David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and David Hussey to contend with.
Ponting and Hussey form the Aussie line-up which is a shadow of its past, with the sole exception of Clarke. It looks like the Aussie selectors have picked the line-up with the past in mind.
Warner and Hussey have had good exposure to the Indian attack due to their IPL stints. Hussey by being part of the Chennai Super Kings has an insight into Dhoni's 'style' of captaincy.
Ponting, who is yet to a score a Test century in the last 24 months, is living on borrowed time. His terrific record against India has given him one last chance to extend his career.
This leaves Clarke to bear the burden of his 'fragile' line-up. When compared to its batting, the Aussie attack is far better. Peter Siddle, Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon have the potential to test India.
Siddle and Hilfenhaus are reasonably experienced. Lyon and Pattinson make up for lack of experience with surprise factor. Pattinson with his robust performances against the Kiwis is the man to watch out for.
In comparison, the Indian batting looks solid with Virender Sehwag back in form. Gautam Gambhir too has the ability to play perfect foil to Viru. The fate of the series will depend on how the trio of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkarand Laxman capitalise on the good starts that the Indian openers hopefully give.
Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman will be playing together for the last time in Australia. It is here the trio made their reputations and if they play to their strengths, it will be easy for Dhoni to shuffle his bowlers.
In-form Dravid is India's best bet to give team the platform to post a good total. Tendulkar has been bogged down with the expectations while approaching a big landmark.
He took his 'time' to jump from 34th to 35th hundred for breaking Gavaskar's world record. If Tendulkar gets his 100th international ton at MCG, the remaining part of the series will go on without the hype over an expected landmark.
It will be interesting to watch the duel between Tendulkar and Pattinson. Dhoni needs to chip in more as a batsman. If the Indian batsmen strike form it will help the bowlers to go full throttle at the Aussie batsmen.
Umesh Yadav would be the third seamer and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, man of the series against West Indies, should be the fourth specialist bowler.
CHENNAI: An India versus Australia series Down Under has always produced exciting contests.
Right from the time Lala Amarnath's team met Bradman's Invincibles in 1948 to the 'Monkey Gate' involving Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh every series has been an intensely fought one with tempers high on most of the occasions.
Can one forget the Dennis Lillee vs Sunil Gavaskar fiasco that led to India almost conceding the Test which they won later.
Of all the nations affiliated to the ICC, Australian players both current and past have been the most vocal against the clout that the BCCI enjoys in world cricket today.
Therefore for Australia a series victory against India would not only signal its supremacy on the field but also give it a chance to take a dig at the Indian board.
Their logic would be 'what is the point in being a superpower when you don't have the team to match that status'.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reputation as the best captain in the world would be strongly scrutinised.
After the debacle in England, Dhoni will be under immense pressure to prove critics wrong, when the first Test between India and Australia starts on the Boxing Day (December 26) in Melbourne.
Do Dhoni and Co have it in them to win a series in Australia. On paper, India is a better side. With such a great batting line-up in the world, Dhoni's side has a good chance to put up a big total.
But its injury-ridden bowling is a cause for worry. VVS Laxman stating he is happy with seamers' fitness augurs well for the side, which is short on experience in bowling department.
Zaheer and Ishant fitness', besides their ability to bowl long spells effectively will decide not just the fate of the MCG Test but the series as a whole.
The newcomers in the side do not have the ability to trouble the best in the business a la Australia's James Pattinson, who has already made a mark in the just concluded series against New Zealand
Luckily Zaheer and Co do not have to bowl at powerful batsmen like Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Waughs. In place they have David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and David Hussey to contend with.
Ponting and Hussey form the Aussie line-up which is a shadow of its past, with the sole exception of Clarke. It looks like the Aussie selectors have picked the line-up with the past in mind.
Warner and Hussey have had good exposure to the Indian attack due to their IPL stints. Hussey by being part of the Chennai Super Kings has an insight into Dhoni's 'style' of captaincy.
Ponting, who is yet to a score a Test century in the last 24 months, is living on borrowed time. His terrific record against India has given him one last chance to extend his career.
This leaves Clarke to bear the burden of his 'fragile' line-up. When compared to its batting, the Aussie attack is far better. Peter Siddle, Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon have the potential to test India.
Siddle and Hilfenhaus are reasonably experienced. Lyon and Pattinson make up for lack of experience with surprise factor. Pattinson with his robust performances against the Kiwis is the man to watch out for.
In comparison, the Indian batting looks solid with Virender Sehwag back in form. Gautam Gambhir too has the ability to play perfect foil to Viru. The fate of the series will depend on how the trio of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkarand Laxman capitalise on the good starts that the Indian openers hopefully give.
Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman will be playing together for the last time in Australia. It is here the trio made their reputations and if they play to their strengths, it will be easy for Dhoni to shuffle his bowlers.
In-form Dravid is India's best bet to give team the platform to post a good total. Tendulkar has been bogged down with the expectations while approaching a big landmark.
He took his 'time' to jump from 34th to 35th hundred for breaking Gavaskar's world record. If Tendulkar gets his 100th international ton at MCG, the remaining part of the series will go on without the hype over an expected landmark.
It will be interesting to watch the duel between Tendulkar and Pattinson. Dhoni needs to chip in more as a batsman. If the Indian batsmen strike form it will help the bowlers to go full throttle at the Aussie batsmen.
Umesh Yadav would be the third seamer and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, man of the series against West Indies, should be the fourth specialist bowler.
News Posted: 25 December, 2011
|
