Prey Turns Predator

Sania Mirza’s match will be the first one at Rod Laver Arena at 7.30 PM Melbourne Time (5.30 PM Perth time and 2 PM Indian Standard Time). The trend at Perth should be clear by that time!

As of now, the chance is that the 31st seed has more chance of winning against Venus Williams, than Australia has of preventing India from reducing their lead to 1-2 in the series!

Probably, even the die-hard cricket fans in India might get so much bored of the Indian domination, that they will keep surfing the channels to watch Sania in action.

It is ironical indeed that the Indian team, expected to be mauled by the rampaging Australians before the series began, is actually having the better of exchanges.

I can still recall the words of Pat Symcox on NDTV before the series began, when he had said that it was important for India to take the game into the fifth day to win. Experts on various others channels were also of the same view that India must stay in the test for long, to win it.

It is ironical that now, with 348 runs still needed, Australia might need to take the game into the fifth day to win! Though, realistically, a win for either team should come today. Considering that the Australians score at 3.5 to four runs per over irrespective of the situation, and after the 1st day dominated by batsmen, as many as 26 wickets have tumbled in next two days.

As Sunil Gavaskar had said, India must guard against complacency. The batsmen who have not scored runs, now must score them on the field. That is the point number one for India to succeed.

The second is that they must always pitch the ball up. They will get hit, but their swinging deliveries will bother the Australians more than the short-pitched stuff. Though the one that got Gilchrist in the 1st innings was a beauty, and a great surprise tactics by RP after he was hit for three consecutive fours!

It also won’t be a bad idea to try part-time bowlers in between, to unsettle the set batsmen. Michael Clarke was the second most economical Australian yesterday, while Andrew Symonds chipped in with two at critical junctures. Australia could well have been chasing 450 plus, with a tiring frontline attack, had these two not been bowling.

Even if a partnership is worth over 100 runs, India must not get ultra-defensive. One wicket on this track yields at least one to two more. Australia will need at least two very good partnerships of over 100 to win this game. And it is the fourth innings!

Even after all this, if the Australians win, Indians must join in the celebrations as that will be a tribute to their never-say-die spirit, and never ending search for excellence.