Sunday, Jan 04, 2004
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Cricket
What an outstanding batting display by India in Sydney! The Indians have brought the mighty Australians down to their knees with a clinical effort. Sourav Ganguly's men now have a great opportunity to make history as the first Indian team to win a Test series in Australia. The Australians are going to be under enormous pressure in the remaining three days. I feel this Sydney pitch, that already seems to be wearing a bit, will assist the spinners increasingly as the match progresses. Anil Kumble and Murali Kartik should be in the thick of things. India's stunning performance with the bat, showed what team-work was all about. Correctly, the emphasis was on building partnerships. A lot of credit is due to openers Virender Sehwag and Akash Chopra for providing India a firm platform, after Sourav Ganguly won the toss. The duo was up against Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie and there was some help for the pacemen in the first session of the match. However, the pair held firm. Chopra had his share of luck initially, but he stayed put at the crease to once again see off the threat from the new ball in the company of Sehwag. With their contrasting styles, Sehwag and Chopra have the makings of a good pair. Then Sachin Tendulkar rediscovered his touch, and there could not have been a better time for him to return to form, from an Indian perspective. I was impressed with the manner Tendulkar applied himself during his unbeaten double hundred. The great batsman knew the importance of the occasion and was determined not to lose his wicket. This was very evident on the second morning when Tendulkar cut down on risks and focussed on staying at the wicket to prevent a repeat of the happenings of the third Test, when India, from a dominant position, allowed the Australian bowlers to come back during the first session of day two. Tendulkar will treasure this innings because it surfaced during a difficult period for him and a vital moment for the team. Like always, some of his strokes were simply breathtaking. What can I say about Laxman. Playing against Australia seems to bring the best out of this talented Hyderabad batsman. During the period Tendulkar was quiet on Saturday morning, Laxman played a lot of scintillating strokes to take the pressure off the master batsman. It is very difficult to set a field for Laxman because he times the ball so well, using his wrists to place the cherry in the gaps. And he has strokes all round the wicket. This series has confirmed Laxman's stature as one of the leading batsmen in world cricket. In the past, he has not always received the credit due to him. In his last Test, Australian captain Steve Waugh ran out of ideas and the highly-rated Aussie bowlers were reduced to a state where they just appeared to be going through the motions. For a team used to crushing its opponents, this must have been a humbling experience. India should declare first thing on Sunday morning and then attack relentlessly. This is an ideal opportunity for Sourav Ganguly to set attacking fields, and pile on the pressure on the Aussies. The home team will be fighting for survival from now on. www.kris-srikkanth.com
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