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Preview
Dhawan finally gets the thumbs up
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Clarke, Watson try to mend bridges
Struggling to make up his XI, Clarke keeps up brave face
Harbhajan gets tips on bowling from Sachin
Rayudu anchors chase as West win
West Zone with the Deodhar Trophy. — PTI
Indians up against Europe, Asia’s best
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In defeat and strife, that sinking feeling...
With only 12 fully fit players, Australia have few options to make up their XI for 3rd Test Gaurav Kanthwal/TNS
Their attack has taken just 22 Indian wickets in two Tests, many of them thrown away in chase of quick runs in the first innings in Hyderabad. They don’t seem capable of bowling out India even once. Exactly what would the Australians play for in the third Test, which they must win to remain alive in the series? With this sort of an attack, after the hiding in Chennai and Hyderabad, in the messy aftermath of Homework-gate, it’s difficult to imagine them escaping defeat here. A draw would appear to be the best-case scenario for them. Given their scrappy performances and recent turns of events, it can be safely assumed that the Australians are the extreme underdogs here. Yet, it’s impossible to take eyes away from them. The more they get surrounded by the clouds of uncertainty, the more fascinating they become. Each member of the 13-strong squad — or is it 12? We will come to know only in the morning — can elicit an hour-long debate. The team is left with few options in picking up an XI for the third Test. They have only 13 fit players to select from if wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is fit to play. His fitness seemed dodgy, if the net session today was reliable evidence. Wade seemed to be struggling with his fielding drills, troubled by his sore ankle. Brad Haddin, who reached Chandigarh yesterday morning, both batted and did a little glovework. If Wade doesn’t play, Michael Clarke’s options decrease by one — he’d only need to pick up 11 out of 12 available players. Who would be removed? The batting line-up, if Wade doesn’t play, would be something like this: David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin. Then, Australia have only two first-choice fast bowlers available, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc. Both will play, backed by Moises Henriques, the allrounder who bowls a lively medium-pace. That makes it eight of the 11. Spinners Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty could be safely added to the mix -10 men. That leaves two players fighting for the final spot — Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell. Smith, allegedly the most exciting Australian spinner since Shane Warne, hasn’t terrified batsman in the five Tests he’s played. But he’s young yet, 23 years old, and would surely improve his bowling average, which stands at 73.33 currently. He’s been more useful with the bat. With No. 4 Watson out and Clarke moving up the order, Smith might be a good fit among the top six. That should make up the 11 for Clarke. That’s only going to happen after the debate over the four penalised ones abates. Skipper Michael Clarke is not the one to look back — that will hardly solve any purpose, he says. “Decisions have been taken, we are only going to look forward now.” If there is any overriding theme of the match, it is just one: Erosion. Erosion, of Australian fabled discipline, of Australain resources, and Australain clout. In all this, India, the hosts and 2-0 up, have been lost somewhere in the margins of Kangaroo talk. All those questions which Australians are subjected to are applicable to them also, but in Mohali, they no longer hold any relevance. Even though Harbhajan has to come good with his guile, even though debutant Shikhar Dhawan has to take his first step towards cementing his place as opener, India are assuming a smooth sailing here. It’s almost a given that the hosts will do the needful. If they should fall short, God-forbidding, a draw won’t be such a bad thing. A draw for Australia would be the answer to their prayers. Squads: 3rd test India: MS Dhoni (captain), 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 (captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Moises Henriques, Xavier Doherty, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin. The conditions
Pitch: Michael Clarke says this Mohali pitch is “different”. “There's not much grass to cut off and it was quite dry yesterday so it's probably even drier today," Clarke said. The pitch is quite dry, and the dust and vestiges of grass were vaccumed-off in the evening. It’s likely to be another turner. Weather:
Cooler than the South. It has been partly cloudy for two days, and showers are forecast for the first day. |
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Dhawan finally gets the thumbs up
Mohali, March 13 Shikhar gathers himself, leans back a bit on the chair, and readies himself to face the media, all this while swelling with pride and grinning in joy. “I was very happy to hear the news. I just want to grab this opportunity. Of course I was waiting for this day, but I don’t have any pressure right now. I am happy that whatever I dreamt of achieving, I have done that,” he says with a tinge of relief. After 5,679 runs from 81 first class games at 45.79, with 16 centuries and 24 half-centuries, he has probably earned it. The 27-year-old Delhi opener has ripened in maturity and learned the virtues of patience. He says, “There will be nerves but at the same time you have to perform well for your side. I guess it’s the same with every player.” Asked what he’s learnt from his Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag, whose spot he’s taking in the XI, Dhawan says: “He just told me to concentrate on my strengths. Also I keep watching all these seniors in the nets, and keep picking small things from them to better myself.” The recurring Ranji grind has instilled self belief and long hours of batting under the beating sun have made him aware of preserving his wicket for long hours. That’s where he has got his new-found consistency. His critics say that was a crucial aspect he had been missing. Nine years ago he was the top-scorer and the player of the tournament in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup. His teammates Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and RP Singh made it to the national team much before him but Shikhar had to take a long route upwards. But he has worked his way up. That he is a free-stroking, free-spirited player was never hidden from any one. His ponytail, twirled moushtaches and heavily tattooed body are not just a style statement, they say a lot about his personality. And when this Dabang player speaks, it’s obvious he doesn’t hide his feelings. His journey as an opener might have been fast-tracked due to the Aussies pushing the self-destruct button; along with it was the unwitting favour his Delhi mates, Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag, did him. Dhawan hopes he’d be able to match their exploits. “They (Gambhir, Sehwag) have played for so many years and have done well for India. But they have achieved whatever they have over a period of time,” he says. “It doesn’t happen overnight. Hopefully, if we (he and Murali Vijay) perform well over a period of time, we will be regarded as good as them.”
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Clarke, Watson try to mend bridges
Mohali, March 13 Pat Howard, Cricket Australia high performance manager, would reflect that he could have been less forthright with the media, to whom he insinuated that Watson was only “sometimes” a team man. Coach Mickey Arthur and captain Michael Clarke would probably accept that they could have managed things a bit differently, that they could have nipped indiscipline and other issues in the bud. Much, much before they were forced to drop four players from a Test match. Clarke and Watson, captain and vice-captain who, according to Howard, have some issues to sort out, tried to mend bridges today. Clarke hoped that Watson’s young one would oblige by arriving during the third Test, so that the new dad could be in India for the fourth Test in New Delhi. Clarke expressed this hope in dulcet, loving tones. “Shane has flown back for the birth of first child, which is very exciting for him and his lovely wife Lee and their family,” the captain gushed. “I know he’s really excited about that. I spoke to Shane as he landed in Sydney. And fingers crossed, hopefully all goes to plan and everything is well with Lee and the baby and the family... and they have the baby during this Test match and then Shane can hopefully fly back for the fourth Test and be part of hopefully our second win of this tour,” he said. On his part, Watson had also made pleasant noises back home in Australia. “The way relationships work, there’s always ups and downs like there is in marriages, friendships and everything,” Watson said. “I’ve been playing cricket with and against Michael Clarke since I was 12. We’ve got a lot of history as people. We’re obviously quite different people in certain ways but very very similar in a lot of ways as well.” “In the end, like you do in every relationship, it goes up and down and things are going really well at the moment with me and Michael. With Pat Howard, he’s only come on board the last year and a half. Myself and Michael go a little bit further back than a year and a half.” Perhaps there would be a happy ending, after all. |
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Struggling to make up his XI, Clarke keeps up brave face
Mohali, March 13 His chin resting on his fist, he seemed to be contemplating a deeply significant metaphysical question, a question that could cause a great deal of thought and distress — the end of the world, possibly. Or possibly the gradual and certain disintegration of his Test dream. The one-Test penalty he’s been handed, along with three others, probably seems like the end of the world to him. It probably arouses the corresponding level of distress and anger in him. Mohali could have marked Khawaja’s return to Test cricket. The Islamabad-born 26-year-old has played six Test matches for Australia, sparkling intermittently but not overwhelmingly. Mohali almost certainly would have been the seventh. Phil Hughes, Australia’s desperately woeful No. 3 batsman, has made just 25 runs in four innings, off 85 balls. His show against spinners has gone from tragic to comical, bowled around the legs the last time around in Hyderabad. He’s been dismissed in each of his innings by spinners, against whom he averages 1.5 runs an innings, having scored six runs from 51 balls bowled by spinners. All this leaves Michael Clarke in a very unenviable position. For a man in such a dire situation, having to pick up men with practically a gun to his head, captain Clarke was remarkably sanguine today. He even managed to guffaw good-naturedly when he discussed the severely grassless pitch; he said it was one of the biggest challengers of his career, but then went on to talk about winning this game, and then next one. “As a captain and selector, you always would like to be able to select from your full range of players, the full squad,” he said. “But with the circumstances we have, we still have 13 players, if Matthew Wade is passed fit, to select from. And I’m very confident with the 11 we decide to go with, we can have success and win this third Test.” The Mohali track is dryer than what Clarke remembers, and he said it’s likely to help the spinners. His own spinners have been, to put it mildly, quite inept in this series. Xavier Doherty (3/131), Nathan Lyon (4/244) and Glenn Maxwell (4/127) have taken 11 of the 22 Indian wickets that have fallen in the two Tests. But their impact has been in the region of zero. “Yes, we have three spinners, Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell, who is an all-rounder and who had some success in the last Test match,” Clarke said. “We have got some options there... It’s about us trying to work out what our best bowling attack and what our best batters are to take the field. Hopefully, it give us the most success in this Test.” |
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Harbhajan gets tips on bowling from Sachin
Mohali, March 13 In the three-hour practice session of the Indian contingent, the last 15 minutes of net practice turned out to be interesting when Harbhajan’s hunger for wickets and adding to his abilities was witnessed. For this, leaving no stone unturned, he approached his good friend and guide, Sachin Tendulkar. When the entire team was shifting to the changing room, the bowler, who hopes to perform well in his home ground, was seen taking tips from Tendulkar over his delivery’s flight, length and release. Bhajji was seen struggling hard to aim for the target in the nets. As soon as he finished his batting, the bowler approached Tendulkar to seek tips. After judging two-odd balls, Tendulkar provided his teammate with the best of advice and later asked him to bowl another set of 10 deliveries, and some short throws, to make sure that every ball fall where intended. They seemed glad with what they achieved, but the suspense remains — will the ‘Turbanator’ complete his 100-wicket haul against the Aussies in Mohali? |
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Rayudu anchors chase as West win
Guwahati, March 13 In reply, Ambati Rayudu anchored the chase with a well-made 78 (not out) as West successfully reached the target in 48.2 overs. It was skipper Parthiv Patel, who started the chase in right earnest hitting 52-ball-58 while Kedar Jadhav with a punishing knock of 57 off 43 balls also played his part to perfection. Young Manprit Juneja (56) also hit a half century as a collective effort by the batsmen was responsible in the title triumph despite poor bowling and shoddy fielding effort. North captain Gautam Gambhir’s ploy of opening the bowling with young off-spinner Parveez Rasool worked partially as he got rid of Vijay Zol who was adjudged leg-before trying to play the sweep shot. However, Parthiv and his statemate Juneja added 84 runs for the second wicket in 14 overs. Mishra gave away 63 in 12 overs while Gony was blasted for 52 in six overs. Yusuf Pathan (6) was dismissed by a well disguised short-pitched delivery from Siddharth Kaul but Jadhav and Rayudu took the match away from North. The duo added 87 runs in 13.1 overs but more importantly got a boundary and at times even couple of them in an over. Earlier, Unmukt and Yuvraj added 120 runs for the third wicket which enabled North reach 289-8. Unmukt’s 88 came off 124 balls with seven fours and three sixes.
— PTI |
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Indians up against Europe, Asia’s best
Greater Noida, March 13 The event’s first and only Indian winner is SSP Chowrasia, who bagged the title in 2011. Last year, none of the home golfers figured in even the top-20 and ties. “The fairways are quite wide here, so unless the rough is thick I think the scoring will be quite low,” said Chowrasia, Also among the strong contenders is India’s Anirban Lahiri. The seasoned pros in the fray would include Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur and Chowrasia. — PTI
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Mohali, March 13
Guwahati, March 13
Mohali, March 13
