In the deciding test match between Australia & India at Nagpur, India ; a lot many NEW events appear to be playing around this match.
- Pitch & Stadium : This is a new stadium & a new pitch with no guesses on its character as to how will it play through the five days. Even net practices for both Indian & Australian teams were not held here. Further there is hardly any information from even first class matches held in the past. Being grass-less , it is expected to break and aid the slower bowlers. Dhoni thinks reverse swingers will have an advantage here. Ponting wants to debut off-spinner Krejza in place of the economic pacer Clark.
- Opening Pair: Gautim Gambhir, the Indian opener in form , will have to sit out this match due to a ban. In his place debuts M. Vijay of Tamilnadu , who hit the jackpot when he scored a double-century against Maharastra in Nasik & simultaneously got calls from both the national test & ODI teams . Among the Aussies , Mathew Hayden will look to whack a century for Australia after regaining form in the last test at Kotla.
- Middle Order : Ganguly & Laxman both will want to reach new highs to commemorate their respective milestones. Ganguly, for playing his last test match & Laxman for playing his hundredth. Hussey & Clarke intend , on the other hand, to continue their stroke making from where they left it at Kotla. Ponting & Tendulkar are match-ready too.
- Captaincy : The edge remains with the new Indian test captain MS Dhoni as Australia appears defensive with Ponting reportedly looking forward to a lucky spin in the toss to rule in his favour .
Overall, the test promises an interesting but uncertain saga that will roll out from today at the new stadium of Vidarbha Cricket Association.
Picture Source : Cricinfo.com (Inserted on 10th Nov, at match-end )
1 comment:
A great victory for India who retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy which they had lost to the Aussies in 2004. Interestingly the living legends, after whom the trophy is named, were present on the ocassion. Ian Chappel appeared to be a bad loser when he suggested that Ponting had been selfish in utlising slower bowlers when India was down 166/6 in their second innings. Chappel seemed to suggest that Ponting should have willingly broken the "over-rate" law had the penalty not been targetted the Captain.Ian speaks a lot of rubbish on the tube. Wonder what happened to Geoffery Boycott whose analysis has always been incisive . Boycott would also have been pleased, had he been at the ground today, to see his "Prince of Kolkata" end his career as a member of the winning Indian team.
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