A series billed as a clash between the king and the challenger is at its business end. And in the true tradition of Indian hospitality, protocol has been revered and respected. Australia remains the champion team and India continues to raise hopes of a fightback before ebbing away.
On Wednesday night, Ricky Ponting’s men will lay their hands on the Hero Honda Cup series trophy. But before Ponting and company nurse their frothy beverages for a job well-done, there is also the small matter of playing the seventh and final One-Day International of the series at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Stadium here on Wednesday.
The venue, fringed by the foothills of the Western Ghats, is hosting its first ODI and a sliver of excitement was evident despite a steady drizzle and stifling security measures.
Fighting spirit
The skies remained overcast through Tuesday and the covers remained on the centre-square but Australia, leading the series 4-2 and assured of the silverware, still hit the ground running hard with a spirited practice session. It was a testimony to the squad’s never-say-die attitude that helped it tide past a tour made difficult by a slew of injured players gifting hopes to health insurance agents.
The Indian players though skipped their pre-match routines. A day off from the game might help M.S. Dhoni’s men to get over the bruises of a series defeat and think in terms of winning the last game and regain some spirit ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.
India has struggled for consistency with a batting order made in heaven often imploding with feet of clay. M.S. Dhoni’s 124 at Nagpur and Sachin Tendulkar’s 175 at Hyderabad were mighty efforts but overall the top-order has failed to present a picture of cohesion.
Virender Sehwag is yet to score a fifty in this series, while Gautam Gamhir after beginning well has lost his way a bit. Yuvraj Singh too has not dominated the bowling, with a 78 at Delhi being his lone memorable knock. Recurring partnerships have remained a mirage and it is a malaise that has forced the team to fall short in close matches.
Adding to the woes
A bowling attack that has begun to unravel has also aggravated Dhoni’s headache. The failure to impose pressure and Harbhajan Singh’s gradual return to a semblance of form meant that the series was already lost by the wayside.
Unlike the Indian skipper, who has struggled with a core group that has failed to get its act together and fringe players who are yet to gain their voice, Ponting has been blessed with cricketers who have put their hands up and performed.
Shane Watson, opener and death-bowler, has belatedly proved his mettle and everyone in the middle order have enjoyed their sunny stints. However, Watson and Mitchell Johnson are returning home ahead of Wednesday’s match as Cricket Australia is keen to preserve the two players for the long season ahead.
Brett Lee’s absence and Johnson’s blow-hot-blow-cold spells have not damaged the effectiveness of the Australian attack and Ponting has largely managed to control the flow of runs during the middle overs. The Australian fielding has been top-drawer too though a few catches went abegging at Guwahati.
Extra element
The pitch here played well and true during the inaugural Indian Premier League last year, but Tuesday’s persistent rains may add an extra element to a match in which the Indian team will hopefully score a belated but welcome victory.
Ponting though wants to sign off with a victory and not suffer a dead-rubber loss like the one he had against England at Chester-le-Street while his team won the NatWest series 6-1.
The teams:
India: M.S. Dhoni (capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra and Sudeep Tyagi. Coach: Gary Kirsten.
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt.), Michael Hussey (vice-capt.), Cameron White, Graham Manou (wicketkeeper), Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Jon Holland, Clinton McKay, Andrew McDonald and Burt Cockley. Coach: Tim Nielsen.
Umpires: Asoka de Silva and Amish Saheba. Third umpire: Sanjay Hazare.
Match referee: Chris Broad.
Match starts at 2.30 p.m.
