We were able to execute our plans: Michael Clarke
Indian captain M.S. Dhoni said the team's fifth consecutive defeat abroad — four in England and one here — was a consequence of the batting flopping.
“Our batting flopped in both innings,” said Dhoni. “If you see, we had a partnership going in the first innings, but we couldn't really capitalise on that. To some extent you can say that the collapse in the first innings was the turning point. The bowlers were getting tired, and if we could have seen off the new ball, it could have been different.”
Dhoni credited Australia's seamers, who took 19 of the 20 Indian wickets that fell.
“They consistently bowled well. It wasn't really the short deliveries.
“This wicket had a bit of spongy bounce, and the bouncer wasn't coming on. It was the line outside the off-stump. Some balls went away and some balls came in. You have to give credit to them.”
Asked if the runs Australia's lower-order had scored in both innings had deflated India, Dhoni said, “It didn't deflate us, but we need to keep an eye on it. We have to come up with ways to get them out. If we had got them out for 240-250-odd runs, it was gettable. I think 290 was also pretty gettable, but the batting failed.”
Questionable decisions
There were some questionable decisions in the match, reopening the debate on the Decision Review System (DRS), which the Indian board didn't want to be used for the series. Dhoni reiterated his point about technology not being 100 per cent accurate, and added that he backed the umpires on the field.
Australian captain Michael Clarke said his side had had to play at its best to defeat a very good Indian side.
“Our tail was outstanding with their batting, and we have to give full credit to the bowlers,” he said.
“You always want to have plans against whatever team you play and we were able to execute the plans. Credit has to go to Ponting and Hussey as well. India is a fantastic team. It is great to have them here in Australia. We know they'll come hard at us in Sydney.”
Clarke didn't read too much into India's poor batting in the match.
“When you get conditions like these where it swings and seams, you are going to nick balls,” he said.
“If you knock over someone as strong as India, it just shows it. These are the reasons we have been having trouble with these conditions as well. These bowling-friendly conditions are not easy to bat on.”
James Pattinson, who was named the Man of the Match for his six wickets and 55 runs (unbeaten), said he was pleased with his success against a “great” Indian batting line-up. “I wasn't even born when Sachin Tendulkar began playing cricket,” he said.
“I just wanted to attack. That's the way I have been brought up, that's the way I bowl.”
Keywords: India's tour of Australia




It is just outrageous that Gambhir is still in the eleven; had his name been a Raman from south India either a keralite or from Tamil Nadu or from A.P/Hyderabad, he would have been dropped from the team in a jiffy as if he were a hot potato; but lo and behold its gambhir from Delhi/north India so he will be in the team for at least 2 more tours with all his nadir failures every day especially when he gets backing/support from his crony Shewagh. Just ludicrous how the team spirit works or is it more like doesn't work?
I have doubt that India will win any of the four Tests. To my judgement for the team election for 2nd test, Gambhir should be dropped and Rohit Sharma should be brought in.
I cannot agree with the comments of Raja and Jagannathan. When the seniors are out, the young guns like Kohli, Rohit (leave him out because he was not in the first test), Raina and others are not performing outside the subcontinent. See how they played against the weak West Indian line-up in the recent West Indies tour. We need experience and youth, but the Indian defeat came because of the Australian tail-enders and the under-performance of the middle order in the first innings including Dhoni.
There can be only two possibilities in cricket, one is batting and the other is bowling and it is not a rocket science to tell us, what made the team to loose. The Sad truth is, except Sachin and Dravid we do not have the batsman who can play in any turf. The Way Shewag and Gambhir batted was atrocious to say the least.With regard to our bowlers, they never posed any threat unlike their counterpart. So many wasted deliveries from all the three made me to wonder what these people are doing with the ball. And finally a better Suggestion is to promote Ashwin in the batting order who seems to possess better batting skills than Dhoni.
India calling themseleves the Top test playing country. Not won in
Australia a single series since 80 years..Why kid yourself. Stop playing
and go and support Lok Pal anti graft movement. That is the best you
could do. Retire please..
We Indians have this diehard tendency to celebrate beyond reasonable limits every time the team performs well in India. We readily take things to head and dizzy heights and feel we are UNBEATABLE. Rarely do we keep in mind that we have performed only occasionally well overseas - in places like Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa. We put tremendous pressure on our players with our heads completely stuck in cloud cuckoo-land. It's time we expected less from our players and demanded more so that they keep their feet on the ground rather than praising heap on them indiscriminately. Our guys are as good as the other players around the world but Indians have this debilitating attitude to become complacent. It's in our blood that after acheiving so little, we feel as if we were on top of the world rather than pressing relentlessly for continuous excellence. It's all in the mind. Everything begins and ends there. Full stop.
I am grateful to the editor here. Unlike most indian newspapers, the headline isnt abt tendulkar missing his ton, but about india shamefully losing to Aussies. Aus never lost so badly when Bradman was there. So stop the comparisons please. I hope India plans a tour to Kenya, Tendulkar gets his ton, and Indian cricket gets a move on. Till that happens, i am sure, this is the way we will keep losing.
Feel MSD is getting isolated by Seniors. There was hardly any interaction between the captain and the seniors. Together, they all folded like a pack of cards. If they can't stand 50-60 overs, let alone chase just a little less than 300, it is time to give the top order a honourable boot. A shameful batting display, which merely continued from England. Australia would already be smelling blood. Well Done Australia; you deserve it. Brilliant MSD! You are obviously not bothered about anything. Hope you will do something not only to save the historically ignominious double wish-wash but also the series and your job.
From the above news story its clear that Indian players' failure doesn't only lie upon its poor batting but also on the whole process and unble to study the situation. Of course pre planning is the best tool to overcome or gain victory but some times it needs to be changed as per the situation. Further its not a point of discouragement for Indian players but a lesson to learn... how to execute plans in foreign play ground which is completely unfamiliar.
It is obvious and everybody know that it was a batting collapse, but we need the solution not the explanation of the cause. The inexperienced yadav did amazing spells, why couldn't the master, the wall and Laxman atleast made half a century!!!!!!!! It was really very disappointing morning on thursday, but thanks to Lokpal that the media didn't focus much on losing the match:)
we should not give so much hype to cricket only ignoring rather i should say insulting other sports which are pride of india. Why we ask this gentleman where we went wrong, what happened, making him star unncessarily when we all know what went wrong. forget it yaar, its we people who made them stars and bring huge money in their lives. they are simply a player as pf other games and others do not have a single rupee when compared with these losers.
Brilliant analysis, captain!
Asked if the runs Australia's lower-order had scored in both innings had deflated India, Dhoni said, “It didn't deflate us, but we need to keep an eye on it" . Dhoni needs to keep an eye on it. His field setting was that of scared captain; allowing the tail enders to rotate strike.
India lacks killer punch and this is mainly due to your traditions and customs. This will be washout series and definetly aussies will win all the four matches.
Indian captain M.S. Dhoni said the team's fifth consecutive defeat abroad — four in England and one here — was a consequence of the batting flopping. “Our batting flopped in both innings,” said Dhoni. Even a child will say BATTING FLOPPED. But why? This is not the old australian team. This team was beaten by new zealand few days back Average score of the top 7 batsman in the second innings, including Dhoni, was 12.25.
Another abject performance by the Indian team. Another batting collapse. How can they be deemed to have the best batting line up in the world. They very rarely deliver outside India. They need to toughen up mentally, have better warm up matches and longer pre-test build ups.
India's batting nightmare continues. In their disastrous tour against England there were some excuse to fall back i.e. injuries, IPL, lack of preparation, etc. But the lack of application from senior batsmen and continuous inability to fight back from much younger/future super stars of Indian cricket needs to change. Lost five overseas matches in a row, acceptable in the 80's when India was slowly emerging into a test playing nation. But now a cricketing super power unable to produce results. Not acceptable. Poor start, Hope its not a poor series again!
Old Guards need to be changed......WE need Killer instinct !!!
Sooner this record hungry Tendulkar, then Dravid are eased out to give way for others like Badrinath who are waiting on the wings
Indians never win aboard and cannot bat well against some good fast bowling on fast pitches....the BCCI needs to spend a fraction of their money to create world standard fast pitches instead of flat pitches ...when will Indians learn..it is not about just winning in India ...what about fielding did you see how indian players field ..when will Indians be super athelets....
I hope when Dhoni says there was a batting flop he includes himself. As a captain he could have shown more determination. Also, India dropped two important catches. Butterfingers Rahul Dravid who dropped a sitter of Michael Hussey, and Zaheer Khan who dropped Pattinson, that cost India atleast 100 runs. Dravid has been in a habit of late to drop key catches. The batsman have to show more pride. Our tailenders did better. Hang your heads in shame. India your fans deserve better, play for your country not yourselves. Also, Dhoni is not a good mentor as Ganguly was, he seems aloof.
Same old story I have been watching this since my childhood. The indian bowlers let the tailender wag their tail and then our batsmen crumble under pressure like a house of cards, going down without a fight. It was a spineless performance by our so called best batting line up in the world. We should pick players on current performances and not on past laurels. There is no mental toughness in our players. The attituded on the australians on the field said it all. Our players had "defeat" written on there faces.
Reforms are needed in the top order batting at the moment. All the so called senior players flop at times and . . Never underestimate the tail end batting of any team. Your mistakes are their success. Cheer up Dhoni! Provide the team with attacking fielding any time. Negligence in fielding had punished our team most often. Wake up Indian team. You have 3 more to go and display some dedication.
Unfortunately that is a lame defense and a paradox too. For someone who has been heard and quoted not believing in the past and only on "what you do on the day", seeking refuge in the history that they have always been tentative starters is utterly disgraceful. Dhoni is capable of a better analysis.
The first session on Day 4 was enough to tell any supporter or even a neutral observer that Indian think tank was in limbo. To not attack a no.10 & a no.11 batsmen and to let them add to your fourth innings chase that way can only be attributed to a lazy, careless mental state with no conviction. What on earth were they thinking? It is perhaps as inexplicable as the defense Dhoni put up above.
One cannot be faulted for suspecting that there is more to it than meets the eye. Anyway, whatever it is, it will be resolved in the team room and hopefully not through leaked reports or blogs or tweets.
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