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Australian on threshold of a new mark

S. Ram Mahesh

India’s batsmen will need to adjust quickly to the pace and bounce

Perth: Some cricketers are betrayed by their names. Is it difficult to intuit how Trumper and Gavaskar batted, or how Chandrasekhar and Lillee bowled?

The rhythms of their names unlock images: Chandrasekhar, for instance, fully conveys the sinister build-up and the brisk release of the champion leg-spinner; Trumper can’t have been anything but royal and emphatic.

In much the same way, Perth and the WACA connote a sense of pace and bounce. Perhaps it has to do with the abruptness of the name ‘Perth’ and the springiness inherent in the arrangement of the letters in ‘WACA’; perhaps it’s just the endless list of apocryphal tales — Jeff Thomson’s bouncer flying over Rod Marsh and bouncing just once before hitting the fence, the best of them.

Change in character

The strip changed character as the millennium turned, slowing, easing and causing great despair among the faithfuls. But, the one being readied to host the third Test between India and Australia from Wednesday contains the promise of a return to older, simpler times.

While curator Cameron Sutherland was wary of fuelling the hype (one has but to ask an Australian about the Twenty20 game played on a “lightning-quick” track late last year to be met by sharply drawn breaths), he admitted the strip had added pace. Sutherland has renovated the top layer, introducing soil of heightened clay content (mid-70 per cent), though the base has remained untouched. Cross and heavy rolled meticulously, the strip, Sutherland says, has a binding stratum of grass growing through the top surface.

“It won’t be raging pace,” said Sutherland. “But, there’s definitely going to be plenty of bounce and it certainly has quickened since 2005. And if the weather cools, the Fremantle Doctor will help the into-the-wind swing bowler.” At its fastest, Perth presents a unique, thrilling spectacle. The four-Test series, waylaid by all sorts of murky matters, can do with visceral cricket, stripped to its essence.

Need to move on

India, down 0-2, must win to keep the series alive, although it has already surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Anil Kumble, the captain, has emphasised the need to move on from the second Test at Sydney, where the touring side justly felt short-changed.

Gary Kirsten, India’s coach-in-waiting, said, “Certainly the team wants to get over the controversy of the last week. We want to get out there and play cricket and it’s going to require a couple of guys to step up to the plate and show that they are ready for this very big battle.”

The Australian side, which regrouped here on Sunday, fancies breaking the record of most consecutive Test wins, set by Steve Waugh’s team and equalled at Sydney. “We’re desperately keen to get the 17th,” said Adam Gilchrist, vice-captain and wicketkeeper. “Particularly, having had that experience before and setting a record that I thought would never be broken. Everyone is very excited to try and be a part of a team that sets the new record.”

Australia’s bowlers, Gilchrist said, will look to “open up any little scars or wounds” the Indian batsmen may have sustained during the ODI here in 2004, being dismissed for 203. In that case, would the extremely fast Shaun Tait play? “If Tait does play he would be a really useful weapon,” said Gilchrist. “The way Ricky uses him will be important — the way he injects him in ODI cricket is the way he should be used in Tests.”

The last time Australia fielded a four-man pace attack, without a recognised spinner, was in 1991 — incidentally, the last time India played at this venue. An 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar cut, hooked, and back-drove his way to what he rates as his finest Test century.

India’s batsmen will need to adjust quickly to the pace and bounce, but they will know this a fast-scoring ground. As Mark Taylor once said, the first half-hour is the toughest anywhere in the world, but, once settled, it’s the best to bat.

“There is definitely a technical difference in playing here,” said Kirsten. “It takes great courage to get into the right positions to play on such wickets. It is up to the individuals to mentally sort it out.”

Ganguly ill

Both sides have injury troubles. Australia has called up Chris Rogers in case Matthew Hayden fails a fitness test on Wednesday morning. For India, Sourav Ganguly missed Monday’s practice session with a suspected viral infection.

The teams (from): Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt.), Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.

India: Anil Kumble (capt.), Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, R.P. Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, V.R.V. Singh and Pankaj Singh.

Umpires: Billy Bowden and Asad Rauf. Third umpire: Bruce Oxenford. Match referee: Mike Procter.

Hours of play (IST): 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10.40 a.m. to 12.40 p.m., and 1 p.m. till close.

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