Sir john
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2nd and final test starting today.
Preview: India vs Australia, 2nd Test
Both sides will be emotionally drained after the heart-stopping, nail-biting, nerve-wracking thriller at Mohali, but Australia have to make a considerably greater effort to pick themselves up after such a shattering loss. India will have to climb down from their high to re-focus on what is likely to be five more days of intense cricket - if the weather gods hold up and the match is not affected by rain.
Australia will need to take a hard look at the composition of their playing eleven. Nathan Hauritz arrived as their Number One spinner, but was not trusted with the ball during the latter moments of India's tense chase at Mohali - with Ponting preferring the part-time spin of Marcus North. That was a telling indictment of the captain's faith in Hauritz, and he might make way for the young Steven Smith. That would mean Ponting will have to use his part-timers more - with North, Katich and Michael Clarke all coming into play. However, the spot of North himself is under question with his less-than-impressive showing in the first Test.
The Australian team management and selectors have backed North and he could yet get a chance to redeem himself. If they do decide to drop him though, Philip Hughes is likely to get a look in. Apart from Hauritz, the Aussies will be happy with their other frontline bowlers, with Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger all turning in good performances in the Mohali Test. On a more responsive track at Bangalore, the trio could potentially be even more devastating. Bollinger's stomach strain that prevented him from bowling for large parts of Day 5 is a source of worry though, and if he hasn't recovered in time, Peter George is likely to make his Test debut for Australia.
What Australia will really want though, is greater consistency from their batsmen. Only Shane Watson batted well in both innings at Mohali, and against a side that is as strong at home as India is, that is just not enough. Ricky Ponting has a very average record as player and captain in India, and this could well be his last Test to improve that. Ponting will be aware of that, and the Indians must be prepared for him to come out with extra determination. The failure of Michael Clarke hurt them badly at Mohali, since Clarke is looked at as among the better players of spin bowling worldwide, and they need their vice-captain to fire to hold the middle order together.
India's main problems are in the injuries department. Both Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir are out, and VVS Laxman's participation is far from certain. Gambhir's replacement is likely to be Murali Vijay - who will be having a deja vu of sorts. The last time Australia came to India, he had made his Test debut - again replacing Gambhir. If Laxman is unfit though, Cheteshwar Pujara could make his long awaited debut for India. Pujara ought to have been part of the Indian squad long before now (ahead of the likes of Rohit Sharma), but his time could have finally come. An upright batsman with a classical technique, Pujara's hunger for runs has been limitless in domestic competitions. Facing an international attack of the quality of the Aussies though is a different ball game alright, but Pujara seems to have the basics in place to succeed. It might not be a bad idea to draft Pujara in even if Laxman is pronounced fit, and have Rahul Dravid open the innings with Virender Sehwag. The batting order would then read Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, Raina, Pujara. However, given that Murali Vijay has previous Test experience and a decent record, it is unlikely the team management would prefer Pujara to him.
The bowling will be led by the redoubtable Zaheer Khan, whose new ball bowling partner is almost certain to be Sreesanth. Zaheer and Harbhajan had helped India escape with a draw with their batting heroics the last time India played Australia in Bangalore, and they will hope to replicate that performance with their bowling this time.
There is one threat looming over the match, and that is of the weather. The Bangalore rains have lashed the city with full force during odd hours in the day, and the players and spectators will be hoping they keep away for the five days of the Test. If they don't, and if the Test is drawn because of the rain, it would be a shame. The shame would not be in the fact that this Test was drawn, but that this marquee series between the two sides who have produced the most compelling matches in recent Test history should be a two-Test affair. But that's the way it is with the BCCI and their ad-hoc schedules, and fans might be thankful that what was originally a mammoth 7-ODI series has at least been changed so that two Tests were added.
Preview: India vs Australia, 2nd Test
Both sides will be emotionally drained after the heart-stopping, nail-biting, nerve-wracking thriller at Mohali, but Australia have to make a considerably greater effort to pick themselves up after such a shattering loss. India will have to climb down from their high to re-focus on what is likely to be five more days of intense cricket - if the weather gods hold up and the match is not affected by rain.
Australia will need to take a hard look at the composition of their playing eleven. Nathan Hauritz arrived as their Number One spinner, but was not trusted with the ball during the latter moments of India's tense chase at Mohali - with Ponting preferring the part-time spin of Marcus North. That was a telling indictment of the captain's faith in Hauritz, and he might make way for the young Steven Smith. That would mean Ponting will have to use his part-timers more - with North, Katich and Michael Clarke all coming into play. However, the spot of North himself is under question with his less-than-impressive showing in the first Test.
The Australian team management and selectors have backed North and he could yet get a chance to redeem himself. If they do decide to drop him though, Philip Hughes is likely to get a look in. Apart from Hauritz, the Aussies will be happy with their other frontline bowlers, with Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger all turning in good performances in the Mohali Test. On a more responsive track at Bangalore, the trio could potentially be even more devastating. Bollinger's stomach strain that prevented him from bowling for large parts of Day 5 is a source of worry though, and if he hasn't recovered in time, Peter George is likely to make his Test debut for Australia.
What Australia will really want though, is greater consistency from their batsmen. Only Shane Watson batted well in both innings at Mohali, and against a side that is as strong at home as India is, that is just not enough. Ricky Ponting has a very average record as player and captain in India, and this could well be his last Test to improve that. Ponting will be aware of that, and the Indians must be prepared for him to come out with extra determination. The failure of Michael Clarke hurt them badly at Mohali, since Clarke is looked at as among the better players of spin bowling worldwide, and they need their vice-captain to fire to hold the middle order together.
India's main problems are in the injuries department. Both Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir are out, and VVS Laxman's participation is far from certain. Gambhir's replacement is likely to be Murali Vijay - who will be having a deja vu of sorts. The last time Australia came to India, he had made his Test debut - again replacing Gambhir. If Laxman is unfit though, Cheteshwar Pujara could make his long awaited debut for India. Pujara ought to have been part of the Indian squad long before now (ahead of the likes of Rohit Sharma), but his time could have finally come. An upright batsman with a classical technique, Pujara's hunger for runs has been limitless in domestic competitions. Facing an international attack of the quality of the Aussies though is a different ball game alright, but Pujara seems to have the basics in place to succeed. It might not be a bad idea to draft Pujara in even if Laxman is pronounced fit, and have Rahul Dravid open the innings with Virender Sehwag. The batting order would then read Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, Raina, Pujara. However, given that Murali Vijay has previous Test experience and a decent record, it is unlikely the team management would prefer Pujara to him.
The bowling will be led by the redoubtable Zaheer Khan, whose new ball bowling partner is almost certain to be Sreesanth. Zaheer and Harbhajan had helped India escape with a draw with their batting heroics the last time India played Australia in Bangalore, and they will hope to replicate that performance with their bowling this time.
There is one threat looming over the match, and that is of the weather. The Bangalore rains have lashed the city with full force during odd hours in the day, and the players and spectators will be hoping they keep away for the five days of the Test. If they don't, and if the Test is drawn because of the rain, it would be a shame. The shame would not be in the fact that this Test was drawn, but that this marquee series between the two sides who have produced the most compelling matches in recent Test history should be a two-Test affair. But that's the way it is with the BCCI and their ad-hoc schedules, and fans might be thankful that what was originally a mammoth 7-ODI series has at least been changed so that two Tests were added.
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