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India Vs aUSTRALIA PREVIEW Ashwin keeps calm at scene of triumph |
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VVS says Dhoni the best man to lead India injury scare
From colts to senior cricket, Kohli and Kaul’s paths diverge
Binga not surprised by Chennai track
Prajkta denied visa, moves court
No dearth of talent in J&K: Coach
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Favourites India feel at home
Australian team jittery, indecisive after tasting defeat in first Test Rohit Mahajan/TNS
Hyderabad, March 1
Their ambition was to emulate some of the great fast bowling sides that have won series in India over the last 30 years — the West Indians of Clive Lloyd in 1983 and the South Africans of Hansie Cronje in 2000, for instance. Then, several teams have won stray matches, if not series, in India on the basis of exceptional quick bowling — like the West Indians in 1987 and 1994, or the New Zealanders in 1988. Australia won the series in India in 2004 with exceptional fast bowling too, though that series was actually handed to them on a platter by a contrarian administrator, Shashank Manohar who, to spite then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, provided a greenish wicket for the Nagpur Test. In Chennai last week, it was a brave gamble by Michael Clarke, and its failure can’t be held against the Australians. The gamble, actually, was dictated by the quality of their spin — their spinners have no outstanding quality apart from bravery. Bravery in the absence of exceptional Test-level skill is useless. But more than that, Australia’s gamble failed because this Australian pace attack — with James Pattinson, Michael Starc, Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques — doesn’t possess transcendental qualities. This attack can’t take the pitch out of the equation. Men like Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Patrick Patterson, Courtney Walsh, Richard Hadlee, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Glenn McGrath or Jason Gillespie have done it in India over the last 30 years. Pattinson and Co. are not in the league of these extraordinarily quick and resilient bowlers. Not yet. Thus the Chennai setback has, in a very harsh manner, forced the Australians to confront the reality, the horror of their situation: They don’t have the wherewithal to defeat India in India. While the track here isn’t going to be a rank turner, it’s definitely going to turn from the third day onward. On a rank turner in Chennai, their best spinner, Nathan Lyon, went for 244 runs and took only four wickets in two innings; in effect, he bowled two exceptional overs in the match, both on the third morning, when he got Sachin Tendulkar with one that turned a mile from the rough. That apart, he proved to be a sheep in Lyon’s clothing. Can he or Xavier Doherty do better on a less spinner-friendly track? Australia did not name their XI today, even a day before the start of the Test, for they’re racked by indecision. They don’t know which way to go, thus their steps are indecisive, short, slow. Contrast this with the first Test, for which they named their XI two days before the match started. Such was their certainty and belief. That certainty, that belief now lie shattered. In India, the general percept is to do what the Indians are doing. England did that in the recent series, throwing two specialist spinners into their XI after the defeat in Ahmedabad; the Australians would like to do that too here, bringing in Xavier Doherty in to join Lyon as specialist spinners. Australian media has speculated that Pattinson, their main pace bowler and the diamond in their shattered bowling crown, could be rested. That would be akin to shooting oneself in the foot, or even head — if Pattinson isn’t there, who will take the wickets? Clarke refused to discuss the possible composition of his team today; he insisted that all players remain available for selection for Australia, and that it’s not inconceivable that Doherty could be preferred over Lyon. He said that all options are available to Australia — which doesn’t exactly constitute groundbreaking news. Clarke speculated about the Indian team composition too, though only when invited to do so. He said he couldn’t see India playing less than two specialist spinners plus Ravindra Jadeja in the Test. “They’ll have a pretty similar team… They could bring Ojha in for Harbhajan or for one of their fast bowlers,” Clarke said. “But I’d be really surprised if they don’t pick at least two spinners and Jadeja.” How Clarke wishes he could do the same — pick up two specialist spinners in his team. But if he does that here, as is quite likely actually, it could be another shot in the dark, another gamble. With odds stacked higher against him than Chennai. Squads: 2nd Test India: MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Moises Henriques, James Pattinson, Xavier Doherty, Jackson Bird, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith.
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Ashwin keeps calm at scene of triumph
Hyderabad, March 1 New Zealand lasted just 141 overs in the match, after India had played 134 in their first innings. That the match entered the fourth day was only because 38 overs were bowled on the third day due to rain. That should make Ashwin a very happy man on his return to Hyderabad; on the contrary, as he came out to discuss the various permutations and combinations for this game, he was less than over the moon, less that completely forthcoming. He, perhaps, was doing the job that is required of cricketers on such occasions — you’re expected to speak and speak but say nothing, and stay very very clear of controversy. Thus, Ashwin said, without batting an eyelid, that he hadn’t examined the pitch yet — a scarcely believable statement. It can’t be true — if true, it would betray a sense of disinterest, a lack of professionalism on the part of a key participant in the Test match. Ashwin did say, though, that he’d seen the pitch from a distance, noted that it’s white, and heard that it’s going to be a good wicket in the first couple of days. “I haven’t had a look at it. I just looked at it from very far away. It seems a different soil; it looks whiter (as compared to Chennai),” Ashwin said. “I seriously do not know too much about the preparation of the wicket and all that but by the look of the wicket, you can make out what it is going to do… I heard it’s going to be a good wicket in the first couple of days.” In Chennai, while discussing his two off-spinners, Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had said that competition can add certain undercurrents, certain dynamics to a team. “At times, if two spinners of the same category are playing, one can be intimidated by the thinking that, ‘Is he coming to push me out?’” Dhoni had said. “It’s very important to concentrate on bowling, work as a bowling unit and not think about other things.” Ashwin, asked about competition among the spinners, played it down with a straight bat, saying that he doesn’t think about this at all. “I don’t even think about it… It’s going to exist, it’s going to continue to exist, it always used to exist and there is no point in thinking about it,” Ashwin said. “It’s up to people like you to compare and draw lines and tell where people have done well and who has not done well . When there are people delegated to do it (analysis), why bother about it?” Pragyan Ojha, who took six wickets against New Zealand last year, could miss out this time, like he missed out in Chennai. That was a bit strange, considering he had taken the highest number of wickets against England (20 at 30.85) while Ashwin had taken 14 at 52.64. At his home venue, Ojha would love to bowl. Ashwin dead-batted every other question — on the team composition, the possibility of playing three specialists spinners here, of winning the first Test against England too. He was visibly excited when he was asked about his captain’s innings in Chennai. “It’s kind of an innings where you don’t know whether you can replicate it again because he went in and got almost two hundreds in two sessions, which is extraordinary batting,” he said. “I haven’t seen such a knock before. It’s that you set the tempo as captain and it boils out to your field settings, bowling changes, everything. I don’t think we ever looked back after that knock. It would have been demoralising for any team fielding at that point of time.”
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VVS says Dhoni the best man to lead India Hyderabad, March 1 “The morning after announcing my retirement, I told my wife that I am happy that I have retired, I am a contended man,” Laxman said at a book launch here today. Laxman also tried to clear the air over the controversy that arose when Dhoni was not among the guests invited for a dinner at his residence here. “The one week after I announced my retirement was very tough. Suddenly, a dinner invite to a few friends became national news,” Laxman said today. “It was bound to happen as people didn’t anticipate it (his retirement just a week before his home Test). It’s part and parcel of the game.” Laxman said he has a good relationship with Dhoni, and that Dhoni is the best man to captain India. “I am friends with Dhoni. He’s an amazing person and one of best captains. He is the best person to lead India at the moment,” Laxman said. “I retired because I felt it was the right time. The next day I got up with a great deal of satisfaction.” “Initially, my aim was to beat Australia in Australia and then retire, but unfortunately we had a very poor series and I had a poor series,” he said. “But retirement was at the back of my mind for around six months. I could have easily played against England and Australia but I thought it would be better to give a youngster a chance to play 10 Tests at home before India's South Africa tour.”
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Wade suffers injury, his availability uncertain
Hyderabad, March 1 Wade was hit on his cheek while facing throwdowns during Australia's final training session. The pint-sized gloveman went on to bat through the session after the freak training incident but precautionary scans later confirmed a facial fracture to the player. Cricket Australia said in a statement that Wade is likely to take his place in the line-up for the second Test, but still left open the possibility that he could be ruled out if he was to wake up with swelling or bruising tomorrow morning. Wade is the only gloveman on the tour and if he was left out of the XI, Phillip Hughes may keep wicket, given that he has occasionally stood in at state and international level in the past. If the selectors were to require a second wicketkeeper to fly to India, Brad Haddin would get the job, but the team medical staff was confident Wade would be fit. "Matthew Wade copped a knock to the cheek while facing throw downs in the nets this afternoon but batted on during training," team doctor Peter Brukner said in a statement. “We sent him off for a precautionary scan after the session and he has a minor fracture, but has subsequently been cleared to play provided there is no excessive bruising and swelling overnight.” he said. — PTI
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From colts to senior cricket, Kohli and Kaul’s paths diverge
Hyderabad, March 1 It was a balmy Sunday evening in March 2008, when skipper Kohli indulged in wild celebrations, as Kaul's tight final paved the way for India's title triumph. Cut to March 2013, Kohli entered the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here as Indian cricket's new superstar, and Kaul as one of the net bowlers provided by the local association for helping the stars with a few hits ahead of the second Test against Australia. Quietly waiting for his turn to bowl at the nets, the stark difference in the manner that Kaul and Kohli's careers have panned out wasn't missing. While the 23-year-old Kaul is just one among the dozens of performers in the domestic cricket, his once-upon-a-time team mate, Kohli, is the heir apparent to incumbent Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "It happens in life. There will be times when you get your dues late," the soft-spoken lad from Chandigarh told PTI when discussion turned to Kohli's sky-rocketing international career. It was interesting to follow their body languages during the session today. Fresh from his century in the first Test at Chennai, Kohli looked in fine touch as he faced the likes of Ashoke Dinda and Ishant Sharma. On the other hand, Kaul could hardly be recognised in the swarm of net bowlers, although with 43 wickets in Ranji Trophy, he is second only to Ishwar Pandey. Kabhi Kabhar, kisi kisi ko time lagta hain par aap koshish karna bandh nahin kar sakte. (Some people take more time to reach a level but that shouldn't deter you from trying hard)," Kaul said. It wasn't difficult to gauge his disappointment as he didn't even get to bowl to top players like Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni and Virender Sehwag; not even to Kohli. Kaul only bowled to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Ishwar Pandey, in that sense, was fortunate enough. While Kohli will tell you how he would like to tackle the reverse swing of James Pattinson, Kaul, at best, can call it a "good exposure" for him. "Obviously, it is a nice experience to bowl at the Indian nets as there are so many quality players," his answer was as predictable as India going into a Test match here with three spinners. Did he get any tips from the likes of Dhoni and Sehwag on how to improve in certain areas, he said, "They are busy with the Test match and I will be going back tomorrow." A similar thought crept in while watching UP pacer Imtiyaz Ahmed at the nets. In November last year, Ahmed had decimated a Delhi batting line-up that comprised Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Mithun Manhas. Bhuvneshwar did precious little in that match. Today, at the nets, Ahmed was finding it difficult to even walk up confidently towards his state-mate to strike up a conversation as he was sitting alongside some of the senior India players. — PTI
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Spin will again play a big role: Clarke
Hyderabad, March 1 He felt the 22-yard strip at the Uppal Stadium was pretty "similar" to the one at Chepauk, where they were thrashed by eight wickets. "There are a lot of similarities to the Chennai pitch in regards to the wicket. It looks as if it (pitch) was prepared quite early. It's going to be quite a dry and obviously spin will again play a big part. There will also be up and down bounce. I would be very surprised if India don't play with three spinners," Clarke told reporters on the eve of the second Test. Clarke's decision to play to his team's strength backfired in Chennai and probably that's the reason why the New South Wales man preferred to keep the cards close to his chest. “Let me have a look at the wicket and then I will sit with the selectors and decide on the XI. I will have to check whether playing an extra spinner will be a better option than playing an extra fast bowler. We want to assess the conditions well and then make sure that we select the best XI," he said. Clarke, however, clarified that opener David Warner was fully fit and available for selection. "You will see him playing again," he said with a smile. The stylish right-hander made no bones of the fact that just like the Indian team is comfortable playing in home conditions, the 'Baggy Greens' are an equally formidable opposition in their backyard. "When you come to India, you know that the Indian team will be very comfortable because they play here on a regular basis. It's the same with the Australian team. We are very comfortable playing in our own backyard. "The challenge is to make sure that you perform all over the world. Personally, this tour of India is a huge challenge for me as a captain. We have had a pretty consistent success rate in Australia and we want that to happen on overseas tours as well," he stated. Clarke chose to defend Phillip Hughes, who had single digit scores in both innings. "He got a really awkward delivery in the second innings as it jumped off the rough. He is working very hard just like others in the team. I am confident that our first five or six batsmen can score runs consistently." He is undoubtedly the best player of spin bowling in the current Aussie set-up but Clarke believes that each individual has his own way of countering the turning deliveries. "I don't expect others to play spin in a manner that I do. I have had success with my approach and there have been times that I failed. The key thing is to have a plan and have courage to stick to it," he said. Nathan Lyon went for over 200 runs in the first Test and the skipper was non-committal about whether the offie would get a start or not, provided they again go with single spinner. — PTI Yadav resumes training at NCA
Recovering from a back problem, India fast bowler Umesh Yadav has resumed training and is hoping to attain match fitness as early as possible, although he could not give a specific time frame. "It's all better now. I started bowling this Monday, for the first time in one-and-a-half months. The pain is gone now; now I have to train again and gradually start bowling at 100%," Yadav said. Yadav has been out of action with what he calls "stress reaction" since the Ahmedabad Test against England last November. He is itching to get back on the field but Yadav hasn't been given a certain time frame by which he can expect to be back in action. "Have just resumed training so it will take time. It's not like I can start bowling immediately now that the pain is gone. Will have to take this slowly. Next week, I will start bowling in the ground, at 30-40%. Then we will decide how much more I should do in the week after that," he said at the National Cricket Academy, where he is undergoing rehabilitation. Yadav has had a stress fracture three years ago, and is glad that his condition was detected early this time around. “This was not a stress fracture. This was what we call a stress reaction, which happens with too much load on the back, but it is good we came to know of it early because if you keep adding onto it, it becomes a fracture,” he said. — PTI |
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Binga not surprised by Chennai track
Mumbai, March 1 “I am not surprised by the conditions over here. The ball does turn square in India but we all know that as foreign players coming over here we have to deal with the conditions here... because when you are playing in India, it's all about how do we deal with the spin and we know that that's what is going to happen," 36-year-old Lee said. "We should choose a team that is appropriate, naturally when you have to play spin. I am not surprised with the (turning) wickets when you know it is going to happen in India,” said Lee. The Chennai pitch, on which the Indian spin trio of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh captured all 20 Australian wickets, had drawn criticism as the track turned from the first day itself, but Lee said one always expects spinning pitches in India. — PTI
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Jeev third in Tshwane Open Chandigarh, March 1 “The wind was blowing hard today and I was a little conscious of the fact that I needed to drive it well. I hit a couple of shots offline and got unlucky when they hit the trees and bounded out of bounds which resulted in a big score. I also made two three putts which put me in the position that I am in. Play has been suspended due to lightening but I have a seven-footer for birdie on the 16th and will try and made a couple more when I come back tomorrow," said Jeev on the phone from South Africa. Jeev bogeyed the fifth and sixth holes but his worst was yet to comes as he dropped three strokes on the seventh hole. Another bogey on the tenth did not help his score either. He finally made a birdie on the par-four 12th and carded another three pars before play was called off due to a "dangerous situation." However, he has dropped to 92nd place and has just just three holes left to ay when he comes back to finish his round tomorrow. Meanwhile South African Charl Coetzee who carded a seven-under-par today leads the tournament with a total of 12-under-par after two days.
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Prajkta denied visa, moves court
Mumbai, March 1 Sawant is scheduled to leave on March 3. However, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah today said the court could not do anything at this stage, but asked the Centre and the Union Sports Ministry to take up the matter with the UK High Commission. Badminton Association of India (BAI) told the court it had given a letter to Sawant, declaring that she had been selected for the tournament. According to Sawant, the UK High Commission office in Hyderabad refused her visa on the ground that her name was not found on the BAI website. But BAI lawyer said that it had recommended Sawant for visa. BAI does not process the visa applications of the players and every player has to apply individually, the lawyer added. However, upon Sawant's plea, the Court asked BAI to give a new letter addressed to the High Commission immediately, requesting the authorities to grant her visa. The bench suggested that BAI should persuade the High Commission by putting in its best efforts. Next hearing would be on March 4. Earlier, Sawant had moved the Court against Pullela Gopichand after she was denied entry into all India national camp. — PTI
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No dearth of talent in J&K: Coach
Chandigarh, March 1 “Parvez performance has shown, that if given a chance, players from the region too can compete at the highest level and perform equally well,” he said. The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) coach is confident that in future there will be many more players from the region that will break into the national side in different age categories. “We have a talented crop of junior cricketers who are doing well in the domestic circuit. In coming years they too will be playing on the big stage, he said. The 44-year-old coach has been instrumental in honing Rasool’s skills in his formative years. Dhar has big role in motivating and inspiring Parvez while he was climbing the ladder of success. “Rajesh Sir has played a big role in my career. Even as a 17-year-old budding cricketer, he used to goad me to work harder as he believed that I can play for India. I really owe my success to him,” Parvez said. Rajesh is confident that Parvez will soon find a place in the Indian team as he is a utility player who can bowl, bat and field well. “He is a genuine all rounder. He can bat at any position. His off-break is lethal. He flights the ball well and gets bounce from the pitch. His is an exceptional fielder too,” he said. Dhar, who is a lecturer (sports) in a government school in Jammu, feels that there is lack of opportunities and infrastructure in the state, which is a major reason why talent from the region does not comes up. — TNS
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Punjab bow out of Santosh Trophy Bhupathi-Llodra in Dubai ATP final India's tour of NZ to be trimmed: Report
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Hyderabad, March 1
Hyderabad, March 1
VVS Laxman has laid tore st the controversy that erupted after his retirement, saying that it was his personal decision and it didn’t have anything to do with MS Dhoni. 
