The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : India gets ready to thwart Australia's last frontier push

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

India gets ready to thwart Australia's last frontier push

By Sanjay Rajan

BACK TOGETHER?: Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra, if they return as the opening pair, will be keen to continue their good showing against the Australians. _ Photo: V.V. Krishnan

BANGALORE, OCT. 5. Sourav Ganguly didn't smile as widely as Adam Gilchrist during the unveiling of the TVS Cup for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy four-Test series on Tuesday.

As the leader of a team that ended Steve Waugh's winning streak in 2001 with a 2-1 series win and drew the four-match series one-all quite sensationally Down Under last season, Ganguly's India is no more the underdog.

And in what is a role reversal of sorts, India will fend Australia's thrusts, beginning with the first Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.

The uncertainly surrounding Sachin Tendulkar's availability vis-à-vis the opening Test was finally laid to rest. "He won't play this one. Hopefully, he'll be fit for the next. We'll miss his experience. Yuvraj Singh will replace him in the XI," said Ganguly.

Gilchrist said he would not allow Tendulkar's absence to affect his team's focus. While admitting that Tendulkar's absence would ease his side of considerable pressure, the stand-in skipper said, "With due respects to Sachin, he has not been the one to have done most damage in the last two series. He has played a few remarkable innings, but it has been the Laxmans and the Dravids who have really hurt us. Sachin is one of the best batsmen I've seen, but the side also has some very good batsmen."

Pitch in focus

The pitch has been in focus for a few days now. Ganguly described it as bone dry. "I haven't seen one so dry in Bangalore. I must say there is a possibility of playing all three spinners," said the skipper. It must be said here that Ganguly hasn't played much in the Garden City.

Watching the Indian team at nets, you realised what they were expecting. The services of local spin bowlers, particularly leg-spinners and left-arm spinners, were used. Former pace ace Javagal Srinath was among the medium-fast bowlers who bowled in the other net.

A few of them operated consistently from around the wicket and pitched it short.

Ganguly said the XI would be decided on the morning. One would logically stick to a settled combination, especially at the top of the batting order, in the opening Test of a crucial series. If Aakash Chopra opens with Virender Sehwag, Ganguly would walk in at No. 4 with Yuvraj at No. 6.

There is also the possibility of the Indian think-tank opening with wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and Sehwag.

The pair had done duty in the third Test at Pakistan and would provide Ganguly with options, to play an extra batsman in Md. Kaif, who is in form.

No pressure

Gilchrist said he feels no pressure standing-in for Ponting. This will be only his fourth Test as captain.

"Hopefully we'll have Ricky (Ponting) back for the third Test. India is demanding both physically and mentally. But we have planned well. And having been involved in that planning, I'm really excited," he said.

"We have an experienced side and the game runs almost by itself. Steve Waugh and Ponting have shown the boys the direction. I won't change that. I'll use the experience around me," he said.

Speak to the big-made wicketkeeper and you realise that Kolkata 2001 has left an indelible mark in his memory. Gilchrist said aggression is in the nature of every Australian.

"Actually, it was that very aggression that left the door open for India in Kolkata in the last series. Since then, we have had a lot of time to ponder that decision. We have learnt from that experience and have this time around planned on the lines of what we think is the right approach."

"Whether than means being a little more patient, that remains to be seen. Even if we are patient, we have got to maintain strength. Moreover, we also gained a great deal of experience in the sub-continent since," he said.

Plenty of options

Gilchrist said they hadn't yet finalised whether to play three medium-pacers. "There is inclement weather. We'll wait till the morning. I have plenty of options to choose from."

Australia is expected to play three pacers though and have part-time spinners like Darren Lehmann and Simon Katich support trump card Shane Warne. "Michael Kasprowicz stands a good chance, considering he has done well in India," he said.

The question is who would bat at No. 3 in Ponting's absence. There was talk that Gilchrist would. It might just be too much pressure, considering that he is burdened with the cares of captaincy already.

It could be either Simon Katich or Michael Clarke, both considered quality players of spin with Gilchrist coming at No. 7.

The teams (from):

India: V. Sehwag, A. Chopra, S. Ganguly (captain), R. Dravid (vice-captain), V.V.S. Laxman, Y. Singh, P. Patel, I. Pathan, Z. Khan, A. Kumble, H. Singh, M. Kartik, Md. Kaif, A. Agarkar and S. Tendulkar.

Australia: A. Gilchrist (captain), M. Clarke, J. Gillespie, M. Hayden, N. Hauritz, S. Katich, M. Kasprowicz, D. Martyn, G. McGrath, J. Langer, B. Lee, D. Lehmann (vice-captain), S. Warne, S. Watson, C. White and B. Hodge.

Umpires: Messrs S. Bucknor (WI) & B. Bowden (NZ). TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash. 4th umpire: V.N. Kulkarni. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL).

Hours of play: 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., 12.10 p.m. to 2.10 p.m., 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

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