Cricket Update: Australia vs. India Test Series
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy (the name given to the Test series between India and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746) is always a spectacle to behold. Apart from the enthralling cricket that one gets to witness between two of the game’s modern giants, the threat of players going for
each other’s throats at any moment of the series provides an interesting sub-plot for the viewers.
The tension between the two sides was even higher this time around, owing to the storm that was started last time the teams played in a series, because of the players’ fondly calling each other names (monkey was the most popular) and also both parties saying
things about the opposing side’s ancestors that are better left unspoken of here. The promise of things going haywire did not disappoint at all, as on the first day of the 1st Test at Mohali, Zaheer Khan and Ricky Ponting almost got into a fight
after Zaheer said something that Ponting did not appear to like very much (to put it mildly). Anyways, thankfully, the cricket took over from thereon in and the series concluded without any other major confrontation.
In the first test, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. They were rocked back very early in their innings, by Zaheer Khan who trapped Simon Katich lbw in the 5th over of the match. Captain Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson then got together
in a century partnership to guide Australia out of their nervous jitters. However, a mini collapse of sorts followed, with the next 4 wickets going down for just 68 runs. Though by that time Watson had completed an uncharacteristically watchful century, he
too got out soon after that, and it was the young wicketkeeper Tim Paine and Mitchell Johnson’s sensible batting which got the Australians to a respectable total of 428, with Zaheer Khan claiming 5 wickets.
The Indian batting replied very well with Tendulkar, Raina, Dravid and Sehwag all getting fifties and the Indians were eventually bowled out for 405, Johnson leading the way with 5 wickets. The match had by then entered the closing stages of a gripping day
3 with the aussies looking to score quickly and set India a daunting target, but no Australian batsman lasted very long except the openers Watson and Katich and in the end were left requiring a very gettable 216, considering their vastly experienced batting
line-up. There was still a twist left in the tale however, and India at one point slumped to 8 for 124, with Australia seemingly all but home. Then come one of the most level-headed innings under pressure that test cricket has seen for a long time from one
of its most stylish batsmen. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 making 38, Laxman guided India home with one wicket standing, and the thrilling encounter came to a fittingly dramatic
end.
The 2nd Test saw the Australians raring to go, with only revenge in their minds, the Indians equally determined to do everything possible to win the series. This time round too, Australia won the toss and their first innings followed a similar
pattern to their first innings in the 1st test with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 and Ponting scoring fifties but then quick wickets pegging them back. They found an unlikely hero in Marcus North though who made a career saving century, and wicketkeeper Paine also chipped
in with a 50 to get the Australians to their second score of above 400 in the series. India’s second innings, saw them a little anxious at 28 for 2, but then that champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar stepped in with a double century, weaving together as authoritative
an innings as any he has played so far looking supremely untroubled against any Australian bowler. Young opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035 played a very good supporting role, scoring a century to see India past 400 pretty easily. The Australians sadly collapsed once again,
only Ponting making a fifty, with all the Indian bowlers getting among the wickets, leaving the Indians with a modest 207 to get. This time though the home side got there with minimum theatrics, young Pujara making a good 72 and showing promise and Tendulkar
again making a fifty and India going on to win the match by seven wickets and the series by a margin of 2-0.
Looking back at the series, while the performance of the Indian batsmen like Tendulkar, Laxman and Vijay certainly stand out, the glaring truth is that the Australian bowling lacks depth and penetration at the moment. It would be fair to say that they haven’t
yet been able to fill the gaping hole left by the retirement of Mcgrath, Warne and Gillespie. Until they do not manage to find one or two really world class bowlers in the near future, it is hard to see them reclaiming the top spot from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, who certainly
look like a champion team at this point in time.
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