India takes on Australia in a must-win game at SuperSport Park on Monday. The crucial Group `A' match will test the side's character.
India has to regroup quickly after its defeat against Pakistan here on Saturday. The lack of a fifth bowler hurt India when Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf built the match-winning partnership.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was critical of his specialist bowlers too after the 54-run defeat. “It seemed we had three or four part-time bowlers. You cannot set a field for bad bowling,” he said.
This said, Dhoni himself erred by employing non-regular bowlers Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan when he had an opportunity to put Pakistan, struggling at 65 for three, under pressure. Spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh could have been used as an attacking option. Instead he came in to bowl after the 25th over when Shoaib and Yousuf were well set.
Malik said later that Dhoni made a mistake in employing two part-timers at a critical phase of the innings. Dhoni justified his decision. “It has been seen in the past that when I bring on Harbhajan and a part-timer, the batsmen just play Harbhajan carefully and milk the bowling from the other end. Also, I did not want the part-timers to bowl after the 40th over.”
India has to get the balance of its attack right ahead of a perform-or-perish encounter. Keeping the nature of the pitch here in mind, the chances are that India would seek to play an additional spinner in leggie Amit Mishra for left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh, who was largely disappointing on Saturday.
India might pick the hard-hitting Abhishek Nayar – he can also send down useful medium pace – for Virat Kohli. The side could go in with two pacemen and two spinners with Nayar to chip in with his seamers. This attack is better suited to the conditions.
India has to re-think its batting strategy as well. For instance, the side should have taken batting Power Play immediately after the arrival of Yusuf Pathan at the crease during the chase against Pakistan. This would have changed Yusuf's mind-set.
Dhoni would be hoping that key batsman Rahul Dravid is fit for fray. Dravid appeared to have hurt himself while stretching to reach the crease during his run-out dismissal.
Australia would have make the adjustment from the juicy Wanderers track to the rather slow pitch at SuperSport Park. The side was given a scare by the spirited West Indians but goes into Monday's game with a win under its belt.
Will vice-captain Michael Clarke recover sufficiently from a sore back? He is arguably the best player of spin in the Aussie ranks – he does use his feet and the crease well.
The Australian middle-order was wobbly at the Wanderers – the team essentially recovered through a blitz from all-rounder Mitchell Johnson.
Irrespective of the nature of the pitch here, the Indian batting will have to contend with a probing Aussie pace attack. Brett Lee and Johnson can swing the ball and beat the batsmen with speed. Peter Siddle, with his sharpish pace, movement and aggression can be a handful. And Nauthan Hauritz, the off-spinner, could fancy his chances on a dry surface.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will face-off against the Aussies again. The combative off-spinner with his flight, turn and variations has turned several matches against Australia in India's favour. But then, he was
off-colour against Pakistan and needs to find his rhythm in a jiffy.
The contest between Harbhajan and Ponting will be watched with keen interest. Mishra too has had his moments against Australia in Test cricket. He could get the ball to grip and spin.
There could be several duels within duels. Lee thundering in at Tendulkar, Ishant Sharma testing Ponting with sharp off-cutters, and Johnson attempting to breach Dravid's defence, the stage is set.
The teams: India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), S. Tendulkar, G. Gambhir, R. Dravid, S. Raina, A. Nayar, Y. Pathan, Harbhajan, A. Nehra, A. Mishra, I. Sharma, D. Karthik, V. Kohli, P. Kumar, R.P. Singh.
Australia: R. Ponting (captain), S. Watson, T. Paine, M. Hussey, M. Clarke, C. Fergusen, J. Hopes, N. Hauritz, B. Lee, M. Johnson, P. Siddle, C. White, A. Voges, B. Hilfenhaus, D. Bollinger.
Match starts at 6 p.m. IST.
