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Both teams will look to prove a point

A. Joseph Antony

CRICKET / Rain may delay start

HYDERABAD: Time was when Australia was seen in isolation for its invincibility, separating itself as the island of excellence.

The all-conquering cricketing side from down under was looked up to with a view verging on reverence.

Its surrounding oceans posed too wide a gulf to be bridged, the awesome Aussies setting themselves apart in every sphere of the game.

That spectre of supremacy was shaken to its roots by a wristy player from this very city — V.V.S. Laxman.

The Hyderabad stylist’s 281 at the Eden Gardens, besides being adjudged the greatest Indian innings by Wisden, instilled in the Indian psyche immense self-belief that seeped down to almost every level of the game.

Indian hurdle

Over time, the Aussie juggernaut couldn’t quite manage to trample everything in its way, hitting hurdles, mostly Indian, both at home and away.

In the first match of the ongoing ‘A’ series at Bangalore, the host had the visitor on the mat but was not able to avert the stalemate finish.

Much as they seemed hemmed in, with their backs to the wall, the famed Australian fight-back came during their follow-on.

In the second three-day contest, which commences at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here on Tuesday, both sides will press to make a point, in the process consolidating their individual prospects in readiness for a national call-up.

Competing for slots

With the senior teams set to engage in cricketing battle by the month end, the hunger to step into vacant slots likely to come up will become even more acute.

At the Chinnaswamy Stadium last week, it was spin to the fore, with wickets tumbling like nine pins, before the batsmen came into their own.

It will be a different ball game here though with the hard and bouncy track unlikely to assist spin, thus denying the host the edge it enjoyed early in the lung-opener.

Going by the recent performance of both sides and if appearances don’t prove deceptive, the positive vibes exuded by the Indian squad may see it pull off what it couldn’t accomplish in Bangalore.

A torrential downpour lashed the city on Monday evening. Curator Y.L. Chandrasekhar said the supersoppers would be pressed into service early on Tuesday and anticipated a delay in the start.

India ‘A’ skipper Badrinath said the spin trio of Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla and Mohnish Parmar would figure in the 12, with Robin Uthappa and Sahil Kukreja expected to open the batting.

Harris sidelined

Australia ‘A’ coach Simon Helmot said Ryan Harris had been sidelined with a broken finger.

“It’s a lovely pitch,” he said while hoping his boys would carry that second innings momentum from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

The teams (from):

Australia ‘A’: Simon Katich (capt.), Marcus North, Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges, Ashley Noffke, George Bailey, Bryce McGain, Douglas Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Beau Casson, Jason Krejza and Peter Forrest.

Coach: Simon Helmot.

India ‘A’: S. Badrinath (capt.), Mohd. Kaif, Robin Uthappa, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli, Piyush Chawla, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, R. Vinay Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Sudeep Tyagi, Mohnish Parmar, Amit Mishra and Sahil Kukreja.

Coach: Dav Whatmore.

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