Indian batting dilemma is over, Australia's on bowling attack persists

(Media Watch One for Dec 24, More to follow above this post)

With India finally deciding that Dravid will open (Dravid to ‘crack’ open puzzle in IE and in most news channels yesterday), it is clear that Sehwag will have to wait for his chance from the bench on a ground where he was so lethal with that 195 four years ago.

But one thing good about the decision is that it has been made three days before the test, rather than a day before or in the morning. It will help Dravid get into the opening ‘mindset’ sooner than later. Since now Yuvraj too knows he is in, there is going to be more intensity about his preparations. Sehwag can feel he was unlucky, but he will surely have his chance in January-Feb 2008.

However, the Australians may still not have decided on whether to include Chinaman Hogg, or go with all pace attack at the Melbourne Test. It will be wise for Australia to include a man about whom Muralitharan says that ‘’the World’s top batsmen can’t pick his wrong ones.’’ Indian batsmen are capable of clobbering a unidimensional pace attack at will on a benign pitch. Australia will certainly need some variety.

If one goes by what the curator has to say, it is not going to be a green top and even he has asked Australia to include a spinner.

And if it is not a green top, then even India must go in with their best attack. That is, two spinners and two seamers.

Soaring Hopes and a Mission not Impossible

Media Watch Dec 18

India’s departure for Australia was the biggest news in Indian Newspapers today.

''Indians fly off Down Under with Soaring hopes in tow'', was the headline in the Indian Express as the paper quoted Skipper Kumble that the experience of previous tours will come handy.

His optimism was reflected in his comment that ‘’We have the potential and the players to win the series.

Blog's Take: However, while the batsmen in the team have over 30,000 runs collectively, over 10,000 more than what they had when they toured last, they are also older by four years. The reflexes may not hold this time round against Lee and Tait. The last chance missed (in 2003-04) may well have been their last chance.

Meanwhile, Laxman was as down to earth as he has ever been, as he talked about the Australian potential.

‘’They are the best so it is pretty simple that you have got to give your best against them,’’ he said. Jaffer too said that ‘’it will be a big test for me’’.

Blog's Take: Surely, and Jaffer will also need stability at the other end whether it is Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj or Karthik opening the batting with him. It takes two to tango. Noting illustrates it better than the exploits of Sehwag-Aakash Combo which had set the tone for the last series.

HT, well they headlined it ‘’Mission: Not impossible’’. However, the paper did say that the lack of more than one warm up match before the first test will be a big problem for India. The Times of India simply said ‘’Team off to Oz, looking to make history.’’

Blog's Take: Kumble and company can be justifiably aggrieved about the absence of adequate number of warm up matches. With so much at stake, the issue needs to be addressed quickly in future. Players are not machines that they keep on performing relentlessly at the big stage in completely different conditions without adequate preparation. The absence of that opportunity to get tuned into conditions does make it mission impossible for a team still grappling with batting combinations at the top.

In the Times of India, there was an interview with Sourav Ganguly where he said that India had done better outside the subcontinent in last six-seven years compared to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In fact, he used the word ‘’wonderfully well’’.

He felt that this knowledge of beating West Indies, Pakistan and England in away series and drawing with Australia last time, will help India immensely. He also quoted India reaching the final of ODI World Cup in 2003 and winning the 20-20 Cup as among the important factors.

Blog's Take: Ganguly has shown that he has the skills to go with guts. A tremendous skipper, India will look at Ganguly for the kind of inspiration he showed in the recent series against Pakistan. Mission may not be possible, but that is possible!