Nathan Hauritz targets Indian test series
Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz is targeting the two test match series against India in October, labelling it as the biggest challenge of his career. It is true, considering some solid batting talent in the Indian line which is rated as one of the
best in the longest format of the game.
Hauritz hit the headlines with an inspired performance against Pakistan who gifted him 18 wickets in the three test match series down under which the hosts won 3-0.
This off-spinner, who many felt was not good enough to last at the highest level of the game, silenced his critics with his performances against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. Nevertheless, the test series against India, especially in their own backyard, would be the ultimate
test for him.
He claims that he is well prepared for battle and is looking forward to toppling a line up stacked with world class performers led by the ever green Sachin Tendulkar - the highest run getter in both tests and ODI formats of the game.
"I'd say so definitely playing against India in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 in those conditions. The wickets where we are playing are not normally the traditional spin-friendly ones, but Tendulkar and those sorts of guys; it will be a great challenge."
"The main thing is to know my game really well," Hauritz said. "It's going to be tough enough bowling against those players, but at the end of the day they are human and they do make mistakes. I've seen enough of Tendulkar's career through
the last 20 years to know how he plays and what he likes to play to spin”.
Hauritz knows that it is not Tendulkar alone that is going to cause problems to him. There are a number of excellent performers in the shape of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid. Besides, young guns like Suresh Raina and Yuvraj
Singh are equally good players of spin bowling.
"I'm going to have my individual plans against those guys and if they don't work I've definitely got plan B and plan C to go from there. It can be quite tough to bowl over there because the wickets can be very good to bat on and the outfield
can be very fast."
The two tests are vital on many counts for Nathan Hauritz as the Australian team for the Ashes series against England is going to be sorted out from the lot that is travelling to India.
The series is vital for the hosts after they surrendered the Ashes to England in their backyard in 2009.
Hauritz has thus far played a total of 15 tests, capturing 57 wickets which is undoubtedly an impressive start. The player averages close to 4 wickets per test match which is surely a good start to any bowling career.
He has also proved to be handy with the bat in the longest format of the game, scoring two half centuries at nearly 27 runs per innings. The series is crucial for Ricky Ponting as he is aiming to regain his fledgling career as a leader,
and only success can guarantee him the leadership for the World Cup that will be played in the sub-continent next year.
He has had some mixed results off late and was widely criticized for his decision to bat first in the second neutral test against Pakistan at Headingly which http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 lost. The Australians were rolled over for 88 runs in the first innings which led to Pakistan’s
first test win over the Aussies in 15 years.
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