4th Test: Australia v India at Adelaide Jan 24-28, 2012

[snoozer]

test is where it's at.

i don't really care if we lose a t20 game.

that's the difference.


back on topic.

starc has done enough in my books to have a future.he got better, which was the kicker for me.

rest him for sure - he's young and has plenty of time to get it together.let him bowl the house down in shield.

you could rest siddle or harry, but i don't think they'll do that.

 

[Hallatia]

No quick return for Watson
All-rounder set to be saved for the limited-overs series
January 16

Watson has been sidelined with hamstring and calf injuries since the tour of South Africa two months ago.

And although the 30-year-old is nearing full fitness, coach Mickey Arthur hinted Watson will be rested until the following limited overs matches.

"We're wanting a fit and firing Shane Watson for the T20s and one-day series and I'm pretty sure we're going to have that," Arthur said.

"Whether he plays in Adelaide or not, I'm not sure. But I do know that Shane Watson will be around our Twenty20 and one-day side.

"I don't see the need to change too much right now. I think we've got some really good momentum. We've had a lot of success with this squad."

In Watson's absence, Australia have seemingly stumbled across an opening partnership that may see him return down the order when he is eventually recalled.

David Warner and Ed Cowan combined in a match-breaking stand of 214 at the WACA Ground, to help pave the way to an innings-and-37-run win - and a 3-0 lead in the four-Test series.

Warner smashed the joint fourth-quickest Test century on way to 180 as he claimed man-of-the-match honours and underline his potential as more than just a limited overs player.

The stocky left-hander is wary though of resting on his laurels, revealing he was intent on prove he is not the all-or-nothing player some critics believe him to be.

Consistent
In his eight Test innings so far Warner has passed 20 three times - going on to score a century on two of those occasions.

"I've always said I'd like to be more consistent in all three forms that I'm playing," Warner said.

"You might get runs today and miss out in the next game but that's cricket. I'll keep working hard and backing myself.

"Hopefully this wasn't a one-off thing. It was my second Test hundred.

"I showed that I can play maturely as well in difficult situations [for his first Test century in Hobart]. Hopefully I can keep continuing with my form."

Warner's emergence this summer could be rewarded with the Twenty20 captaincy, with reports suggesting he will be installed in time for the start of the limited overs series on February 1.

Arthur further fuelled that speculation when he claimed that the 25-year-old was a future leader in any format.

"Davey has leadership potential. He has the ability to lead any Australian team in any form of the game at some stage," Arthur said.

"Whether that's in the next couple of weeks or whether that's in a year or five years' time I'm not sure.

"He has a very good cricket brain. He leads a lot by example. He trains the house down.

"The perceptions that everybody had of David Warner and the reality of David Warner the person are poles apart."

Sauce

 

[aussies1st]

Relatively good compared to Johnson, sure. He went ok in Perth, but like I said, so did Johnson last year. The conditions were perfect for him. Similarly in Hobart it was a bowler's pitch, although his economy there from my recollection was less to do with him bowling tight lines than the Kiwis refusing to chase too many really shit balls.

I've certainly never said that Starc can't or won't be a good bowler one day. But we have better options at the present and I wouldn't rely on him as part of a three man pace attack. Doubly so on a pitch like Adelaide that won't be as conducive to bowlers as the other pitches we've seen this summer.

I'm not talking about his potency, in Hobart no doubt he was impotent however in Perth that certainly changed and I believe Akram spell has helped with that. But in both matches he did keep it tight from his end allowing the other bowlers to take the wickets and that only happened because he didn't bowl the juicy half voleys or short and wide deliveries.

And I never said I wanted him for Adelaide, I was just pointing out he isn't as inaccurate as people think he is.

 

[Horrie Is God]

Warner a future captain, says Mickey Arthur

Brydon Coverdale

January 16, 2012

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/549624.html

Mickey Arthur: "The perceptions that everybody had of David Warner and the reality of David Warner the person are poles apart" © Getty Images



David Warner may soon captain Australia in Twenty20 internationals but the head coach Mickey Arthur has said he has the potential to lead his country "in any form of the game".

A poor run of scores in the Big Bash League has the incumbent T20 captain Cameron White looking over his shoulder, and Warner has advanced his leadership credentials greatly by leading the Sydney Thunder. He was also named captain of a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI for one of India's pre-series warm-up matches in Canberra, proof that the national selectors are not blind to the possibility.

Add to that a barnstorming 180 in Perth to set the course of the third Test and Warner's stock is rising fast. Arthur, also a selector, said his own perceptions of Warner as a brash T20 merchant had been confounded by working closely with him since his Test debut against New Zealand in Brisbane.

"Davey has leadership potential. He has the ability to lead any Australian team in any form of the game at some stage," Arthur said. "Whether that's in the next couple of weeks or whether that's in a year or five years time I'm not sure.

"He has a very good cricket brain. He leads a lot by example. He trains the house down. The perceptions that everybody had of David Warner and the reality of David Warner the person are poles apart."

Arthur further believes that Shaun Marsh can arrest his slump in the fourth Test in Adelaide after he saw signs of improvement in Marsh's batting at the WACA. Arthur also hinted that Shane Watson was more likely to make his comeback from injury in next month's limited-overs matches rather than in the Adelaide Test, where the offspinner Nathan Lyon might be the only inclusion.

While Lyon's return will force a reshuffle of the fast-bowling line-up, the batting group is unlikely to change, which will give the struggling Marsh and Brad Haddin a chance to regain their form. Marsh has made 0, 3, 0 and 11 in this series and he is the only one of the top six who has not made a significant contribution to Australia's 3-0 lead.

Cricket Australia has also cleared Marsh and Haddin, along with Lyon and Mitchell Starc, to play in the Big Bash League before the Adelaide Test, a sign that they are the few men who need more time in the middle. The rest of the Test players will remain out of the Twenty20 tournament while they prepare for the fourth Test.

"The stars have aligned for us in the whole series except in the No.3 position," Arthur said. "We haven't got anywhere near selecting the squad that's going to go down there. If Shaun gets that opportunity, which I'm hoping he does, I'm pretty sure he'll go out there and perform well.

"I saw signs of him coming back. I saw signs of his movement being a lot crisper. His weight transfer was a lot better. He looked really good at a point in this innings [in Perth]. I'm just hoping he gets through it and gets a score, because if he gets a score, Shaun is a player who, once he gets on a roll, is hard to bowl at. Hopefully Adelaide is the catalyst for him."

Marsh has a fine record at Adelaide Oval, where he has made two centuries and two fifties from five first-class matches and averages 64.44. Another big score there would ease the pressure on him after his lean patch, which followed a six-week lay-off due to a serious back injury that he picked up while batting in the Cape Town Test in November.

"We just thought he was tentative in the first two Test matches," Arthur said. "By his own admission he was as well. It's hard when you're coming back into the team after an injury, it's always tough. You need to get going, you start doubting yourself and your ability. You just need a score and he hasn't got that yet. Hopefully Adelaide is the place and hopefully he takes that into the Twenty20s and one-dayers."

Those shorter-format games, which begin with a T20 against India in Sydney on February 1, could also mark the return of Watson, who has not played a home Test so far this summer due to his injury problems. Watson has been battling hamstring and calf injuries this season, and whenever he returns to the Test side, it will mean a reshuffle for the batting order with David Warner and Ed Cowan having established a promising opening combination.

"We're wanting a fit and firing Shane Watson for the T20s and one-day series and I'm pretty sure we're going to have that," Arthur said. "Whether he plays in Adelaide or not, I'm not sure. But I do know that Shane Watson will be around our Twenty20 and one-day side.

"I don't see the need to change too much right now. I think we've got some really good momentum. We've had a lot of success with this squad."

The one change that does seem certain for the Adelaide Test, which starts on Tuesday next week, is the return of Lyon for one of the fast bowlers. Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus appear to be certain starters, especially with such a long break between matches, while Starc and Ryan Harris are the two men in danger of losing their place.

"All indications are in Adelaide you're going to play a spinner, there's no doubt about that," Arthur said. "Mitchell Starc came into the squad this time and he performed really well. It's part of us broadening the base of our quick bowlers. We'll have a look at how all the guys pull up."

The early finish to the Perth Test, where Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has given most of the players a chance to fly home before they reconvene in Adelaide.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

 

[Hallatia]

Nathan Lyon will definitely play.

I am hearing that Siddle may be rested and if he is, Starc will play. No definitelys there though

 

[aussies1st]

Squad unchanged as expected.

 

[Hallatia]

weird

Please don't drop me, pleads Ryan Harris
Jan 18, 2012

ADELAIDE: Australian pacer Ryan Harris has pleaded with the team management to retain him for the fourth and final Test against India amid speculation that one fast bowler will be dropped to make space for off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

With pace spearhead Peter Siddle refusing to take a break, the choice is between Harris and Mitchell Starc. Harris has just returned to international cricket after four months on the sidelines due to injury problems.

"Sidds wants to play. We are pretty keen to win the series 4-0," Harris said.

"It is probably out of me and Starcy to miss out of the bowling group. It is very competitive these days," was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

Harris has appeared in only four Tests in five months because of hamstring and hip injuries.

"My argument if they want to rest me is that I have had three or four months off. I struggle with stop-starts. Once I am up and going, I have to make sure I do keep going," he explained.

"I want to get that real strong feeling at the crease going in Adelaide and the only way I am going to do that is keep bowling and bowling."

Harris said he also wants to assure selectors that he is not prone to constant breakdowns.

"I stood there on the last day in Perth and liked how good I felt," he said.

"I got through a lot of overs, everything is good, no pain in my hip or anything."

The 32-year-old, who is based in Queensland, said playing a Test match at his former home ground would be special.

"It would mean a lot to play again in Adelaide in front of family and friends. I have to pinch myself," said Harris.

Harris' mother Gai died of cancer five years ago and the pacer said it would be quite emotional for him to play at Adelaide Oval, where she would turn up to encourage him all the time.

"I think of her each time I am about to bowl, touch my chest where I have a tattoo of her," he said.

"I think she would be proud. She used to watch me at Adelaide Oval."

Sauce

 

[Horrie Is God]

I can understand how he feels..

The poor bloke sneezes & breaks bones..When he is up & running it's best to keep him in the side..

Especially at Adelaide..

Starc looks like he is still a work in progress,whereas Harris is the finished article..

I doubt Harris will be in the side for the Windies anyway,with Cummins & Patto due back,& Sidds & Hilfy in ridiculous form..

He is desperate to make the most of his opportunities & wants the selectors to know it..

 

[Horrie Is God]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/550035.html

India in Australia 2011-12

Haddin 'drained' by Indian summer..

Daniel Brettig
January 19, 2012

Australia's wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has admitted he is feeling drained by a summer in which his name has seldom been far away from debate over the composition of the national team.

Haddin has endured a personally horrid series against India, struggling for runs while also missing chances, and his summer lurched into tragicomic territory on Wednesday with a second-ball duck and a dropped catch for the Sydney Sixers in the Twenty20 Big Bash League. It followed another zero with the bat in the third Test in Perth.

He said he had felt down on his usual energy and pep when preparing to captain the Sixers, an indication of the effort expended over the Test summer with one match still remaining against India, at the Adelaide Oval from Tuesday.

Brad Haddin's last two innings this summer have resulted in ducks © Getty Images



"I felt mentally and physically drained," Haddin told Sky Sports Radio. "It didn't feel right during the warm-up. How I felt, I just thought, 'Oh no, this doesn't look good'. I thought in Perth things were going well. I spent a lot of time catching leading into Perth, probably hit too many balls. You've just got to find that right balance."

Despite considerable public and media pressure on Haddin, he has retained the faith of the national selectors, who have not only kept him in the team but named him vice-captain to Michael Clarke in place of the injured Shane Watson, and also chosen him to captain the Prime Minister's XI against the Sri Lankan tourists on February 3. As a gutsy, aggressive former captain of New South Wales, Haddin's contribution to the dressing room is considered significant.

Another significant factor in Haddin's selection across the summer is the serious finger trouble afflicting his heir apparent Tim Paine, who played four Test matches in 2010 when the senior man was injured. Paine is recovering after another round of surgery on a badly fractured index finger, and his return to the game remains clouded.

Matthew Wade, the Victorian gloveman, has performed strongly this summer and has won a place as Australia's Twenty20 keeper, but it appears the injured Paine is still the preferred candidate to replace Haddin at Test level. Haddin has brushed off the effect of speculation about his place, saying he always felt he was in a fight for his spot irrespective of how he was performing.

"What people underestimate is the pressures you're under whether you're doing well or not," he said. "It's a big effort to get yourself up for a four-Test series and I think [evidence of the drain of that effort] was the case last night."

The fast bowler Peter Siddle is an Australia team-mate of Haddin and a Victorian compatriot of Wade, who he said he was still very much behind the Test incumbent.

"I've played all my Test cricket with Brad and he's been amazing contributor," Siddle said. "He's had some tough times at the moment but he's a great player. He's obviously got a good first-class record which shows he can perform at the big times.

"I'm definitely backing him ... I think Adelaide will be a good wicket for him to bat on and hopefully we can get a few more nicks through to him to give him some support."

As for Wade, Siddle described the 24-year-old as a most impressive character and cricketer.

"Being a Victorian he's kept behind the stumps a lot of times for me. He's a great player and he's shown in the last couple of years how much he's matured," Siddle said. "He's a great leader for the team and his performances with the bat and the gloves have been outstanding.

"When Brad's time is up, whether that's in a couple of weeks or hopefully I'll get to play a few more years with him, Matthew is definitely a talented player."

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

 

[Horrie Is God]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/550171.html

India in Australia 2011-12

Cowan wants to force Watson down the order..

Daniel Brettig
January 20, 2012

Ed Cowan wants to force Shane Watson down the Australian batting order on his return to the Test team by making himself indispensable at the top.

Appointed vice-captain to Michael Clarke in April last year, Watson has missed every Test match of the home summer due to hamstring and calf problems.

Before his injury Watson, 30, had been Australia's senior opening batsman, but the promotion of Cowan and David Warner has opened an avenue for him to be shuffled down the order into a position more favourable to an allrounder. Cowan, 29, said he wanted to dissuade any lingering thoughts of Watson resuming at the top with a hefty score in the fourth Test against India at Adelaide Oval.

"He (Watson) is probably the best player in the country so they certainly do have to fit him in," Cowan said in Sydney. "It's no different to any other team, when guys are coming back you've got to hold your place in the team through weight of runs.

"How I see my job is to make it so difficult for the selectors that Shane Watson has to bat somewhere else in the batting order. That's simply done by me going out and making runs and the rest takes care of itself. If they're having a discussion 'should Shane Watson be opening the batting', then I'm not doing my job."

Successful as he has been as an opening batsman and change bowler since his Test match recall in 2009, Watson may still be capable of more. A tendency to be dismissed between 50 and 100 means he has never been able to make the truly match-shaping scores expected of the best openers, while he has admitted to struggling with the mental demands of walking off the park a bowler and zipping straight back out after the change of innings as a batsman.

Moved out of the top three, Watson would have more time to re-train his sights. Such a demotion would also sharpen the focus on Watson's bowling, a skill he has wrestled with jettisoning entirely at times during a career more speckled with injury than anyone would have liked.

Cowan's focus is entirely devoted to blunting the new ball then prospering aftewards, and he has already formed a partnership of ideal contrasts with the combative and aggressive Warner. However Cowan admitted that his scores so far had not yet made him safe in his position, as the selectors cast an eye ahead towards Test matches in the West Indies in April.

"Two fifties in three games ... that's okay, that's a pass, but it's not brilliant," Cowan said. "The only disappointing thing for me is to have two 50s rather than two 100s. I pride myself on being able to score the big score once I'm set so that's been a disappointing aspect but I am trying to rectify that this week.

"That's why there's excitement for this Test as well, to really cement that spot and make that a really difficult conversation for the tour of the West Indies."

There was an admission from Cowan that he had perhaps diverted his focus from the narrow objective of the next ball when he had advanced to 68 in Melbourne and 74 in Perth. Thoughts of a century had clouded his thinking, leading to his dismissal in each case.

"I have probably thought about it too much once I am in," he said. "There was that moment in Perth where I looked up and thought 'I am flying again this morning, if I keep going like this I will be 100 by lunch' and all of a sudden I was sitting on my bum back in the change room.

"The key to those big scores [in the lead-up to his Test debut] has been to continue with my rhythms and mental routines and maybe not look at the scoreboard too much."

Australia's players flew into Adelaide from home ports on Friday afternoon, reconvening for the chance to inflict a second 4-0 drubbing on India in as many away series for the world's No. 2-ranked Test team. Cowan said he detected no trace of relaxation among the hosts despite the series being won conclusively in Perth.

"It's exciting that we're on the verge of something special as a team," he said. "Four-nil would be an absolute drubbing of the second best team in the world."

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.

 

[Twizzle]

good on him, saw the interview and he seems pretty determined

may the best man win

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Harris doesn't need to play the cancer card, he'll play instead of starc. Lyon has to play, 4 pacemen is a short term solution, contary to what a lot of people think the West Indies is not a fast bowlers paradise, with Trinidad in particular a spinners wicket.

 

[beads6]

Latest rumour is Hilfy won't play. Doubt that very much tbh.

 

[aussies1st]

Well that completes the set.

 

[Horrie Is God]

Here's a bit of the Indian perspective..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-australia/interviews/Selectors-cant-get-swayed-by-big-names-says-Greg-Chappell/articleshow/11582807.cms

Selectors can't get swayed by big names, says Greg Chappell..

Sumit Mukherjee, TNN | Jan 22, 2012, 12.06AM IST


ADELAIDE: It's hard to stop listening when Greg Chappell talks cricket. But the current generation of cricketers, Indian and Australian alike, have found it is hard to practise what he preaches. Contrary to the general belief that he would be having quite a chuckle after watching Team India coming apart at the seams, Chappell is saddened by the rapid decline of a team that was No. 1 in the world six months ago.


As Team India coach, Chappell had suggested a gradual phasing out of senior players. His statements, then, had been considered blasphemous. The hard-nosed Australian betrayed no emotion as he shared his thoughts on many issues pertaining to the ongoing series when TOI caught up with him at the Adelaide Oval. Excerpts...

When is it a good time to say goodbye to great players?

I don't blame the players at all. They are here to play, entertain and earn a living. I have always believed that it is the job of the selectors to not only pick the players at the right time, but also move them on when the time is right. A robust selection panel, backed by a pro-active administration, can keep the system healthy and clean.

What if the big players show no inclination to walk into the sunset?

As a selector, you can't get swayed by the big names or their magnificent records. If you give 10 Tests each to a great player who is past his prime and to a talented youngster, they may both score two hundreds each. However, the senior player will have nothing to give you after that, whereas the youngster will have acquired the confidence to deliver in at least 25 more Tests.

You reckon Indian selectors have to take a few hard decisions in order to rebuild the side?

Rebuilding is a continuous process that should be built into the system. It's not about picking and dropping players at random. I was surprised to know that Vinay Kumar became the 273rd Test player for India in Perth. But I was shocked to learn that more than 150 of them have played fewer than 10 Tests. It can mean only two things - either these players did not deserve to be picked, or they were given a raw deal. Either way, it's a sad state of affairs.

Has Warner been pushed into Test cricket too early?

Not at all, and I'm not surprised by his early success. I'm for blooding young players in Test cricket. Take the case of Yuvraj and Raina. They should have played Test cricket much earlier. Limited exposure to Test cricket hasn't helped their cause.

Warner has acknowledged your role behind his transformation from a T20 basher to a Test player. What did you do to make it possible?

We just told him, 'we know you can slog, now show us that you can bat'. That was after we picked him for Australia 'A' and we went to Zimbabwe. Basically, we made sure that he did not throw his bat at ball hoping to connect, but connect with the ball every time he hit it.

Doesn't he remind you of Virender Sehwag?

I've said it before, and I still maintain, that I have not seen a better timer of the ball than Viru. In terms of aggression, I would club him alongside Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) and Viv (Richards). If he has not been as consistent as he should have been, it is because he lets his motivation level drop quite sharply at times. It was frustrating to work with him at times, but he is a likeable bloke.

Why is Sehwag looking like a pale shadow of his old self on this tour?

I think the bounce has been his undoing. He loves playing square of the wicket, and unless you can trust the bounce in the pitch, batsmen can get into trouble.

Indian batsmen have also been troubled by the swing and deviation off the pitch?

If you care to look at the history of Test cricket, you will find that swing and seam movement has troubled batsmen in every era. What has surprised me most about Indian batsmen is their lack of footwork. Quite a few of them are throwing their hands at the ball without moving their feet and getting bowled in the process.

Why are most of them getting out while trying to defend?

Batting is all about scoring runs. It has never been about self-preservation. You cannot defend endlessly without making a mistake. With no counter-pressure being applied by Indian batsmen, Australian pacers have been successful in forcing the error from their rivals.

Has Sachin Tendulkar's approach to batting changed much?

Not really. He is obviously no longer the player he used to be, but he is still a very good shadow of his old self. From what we have seen in the three Tests, he is still India's best batsman. His partnership with Rahul (Dravid) in the first innings at the MCG had Australia on the backfoot till Siddle got one through the Master's defence.

Are you surprised that the century of centuries continues to elude Sachin?

I have no doubt in my mind that he will get it sooner or later, but it must be beginning to affect him. If he misses out in Adelaide, I am sure he will get it in ODIs where the onus is to restrict batsmen from scoring and not getting them out.

Don't you think any team would have struggled against such a disciplined Australian pace attack?

Our pacers have followed the Chinese water-torture method. Just as the water goes drip, drip drip, our bowlers have kept pegging away outside the off-stump, secure in the knowledge that sooner or later a batsman's resistance will break. If fit, Harris is our best bowler. Siddle was too short last season. He has bowled fuller against India. So have Pattinson and Hilfenhaus. Craig (McDermott) has been very good with them, too.

What about the Indian attack?

Zaheer has bowled well within himself. Umesh (Yadav) has been most impressive, but Ishant has been disappointing. He has bowled well in patches, but pitched it too short to catch the edges. India could have done with Sreesanth. It's shame he is injured. He is as good a swing and seam bowler I have seen. He tends to get distracted very easily, but if managed properly he can be a match-winner.

How important is it for the out-of-form Indian batsmen to practice in the nets?

What you do in the nets is important, not how long you do it. I used to bat in the nets long enough to make sure that my body - hands and feet in particular - are in sync with my mind. The worst thing you can do when you are out of form is to punish yourself with a relentless practice regime. It was not fair on the part of the media to flay the Indian players for taking time off for go-karting.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-australia/top-stories/Sehwags-misery-away-from-home-costing-India/articleshow/11575850.cms

Sehwag's misery away from home costing India..

PTI | Jan 21, 2012, 10.20AM IST

ADELAIDE: A couple of scores in single digits during the upcoming fourth Test against Australia and Virender Sehwag's average, for the first time in 26 months and 25 Tests, could fall below 50 per innings.

More hands would go up on the likelihood of such a possibility than otherwise, which is a reflection on how Sehwag's stocks have fallen abroad in the last four years.

Stats of this period show that on the last four tours to New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia, Sehwag's average has never touched 30.

In 21 innings, he has less than 500 runs and just two 50s -- stats which don't fare well in comparison to even Harbhajan Singh, leave alone Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Suresh Raina.

Also noticeable in these 21 innings are his 16 dismissals at the hands of quicker bowlers. Anyone with a decent swing in perceptible conditions could hope for the scalp of Sehwag, till recently the most destructive batsman in world arena.

Even in his pomp, Sehwag was an average performer in New Zealand, England and South Africa, barring an odd innings or two. Since the Test at this very venue in Adelaide in 2008, even such a rare sighting has been missing.

Sehwag's strength has always been to flash at deliveries leaving his off-stump or tuck them away to onside if they are within his stumps.

There have never been those dramatic hooks or pulls or punches straight down the ground. Sehwag liked room on the off-stump and he loved getting inside the line of a delivery on stumps.

The length bowled to Sehwag on this tour, rather the consistency of this ploy, has been the key. It's a length which isn't allowing him to swing his bat in an arc.

He also can't hit through the line as it seams and swings. If he tries to force the issue, two gully positioned, are catching even a fly.

Says Geoff Lawson, Australia's former fast bowler, "Like the great West Indian batteries of the 1980s, the current Australian fast bowlers give you few opportunities to score...they are making square cuts and clips to square leg rare indeed."

To top it, there is the bounce. Sehwag could still prosper if the height of the ball is below waist. It's a rib-cage height in Australia and it's defeating his methods of forcing shots off the backfoot.

He has tried to be patient, letting deliveries go beyond off-stump, but even here the Aussie pacemen are winning the war of nerves.

"Virender Sehwag's stationary base, which works on low-bouncing pitches, has been exposed by the movement and he has been captured in the slips," observes Lawson.

It's noticeable since the first innings of the Melbourne Test, Sehwag has managed just one boundary on the onside. Hitting a six has been out of question. It's the same length, the same movement, the same paralysed reaction from Sehwag.

It now brings him to Adelaide. The knock of 151 revived him in 2008. A similar effort could do likewise. Does he go about it by being patient as he was in 2008?

Or should Sehwag try to ride his luck? Should he try standing on the off-stump to cover the swing and whip an odd ball or two to onside? Should his stance be well outside the batting crease?

All these possibilities presently are running through his head. Usually phlegmatic, his methods at nets aren't giving much away.

He also isn't a great fan of facing up to bowling machines. He is an instinctive bat and averse to allow logic be a part of his methods at this stage of his career.

He now has the added responsibility of leading the side. He hasn't lost a Test in the three matches he has led so far. But leadership hasn't helped his batting. He averages 28.33 and has a grand total of 173 runs from these three matches.

His opening partner Gautam Gambhir urges not to expect miracles from his senior state player.

"Ultimately, I have always believed that a captain is only as good as his team. Captains don't make a difference, it's the 11 players on the field that make the difference.

"It's not about Viru (Sehwag) and what difference he can bring to the team."

India needs two hours of Sehwag at the crease. It would ensure a score of 300 or more. Or else, a repeat of England is only a week away.

 

[aussies1st]

He makes good sense with phasing out of the oldies. Too bad India didn't listen to him back when he was coach.

 

[Red Bear]

You'd imagine Siddle and Hilf wont be seen much during the ODI series, they can rest then. That's when Starc will get more opportunities as well you would think.

 

[Valheru]

All reports are suggesting a typical Adelaide track with the current heat there hardening it rapidly.

I get the dreaded feeling that if India don’t lose quick wickets they will bat forever with the aim of drawing to ensure there isn’t a whitewash

 

[Horrie Is God]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/550525.html

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide

Australia aim for 4-0 whitewash..

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale
January 23, 2012

Big Picture

Four weeks ago, the first Test started in Melbourne on Boxing Day amid great expectations of a closely-fought tour and India's best chance of pulling off a series win in Australia. Now after three Tests, none of which have lasted five days, the best India can hope for is a consolation victory in Adelaide. They will do so without their captain MS Dhoni, who was suspended after India's loss in Perth due to slow over rates, and under the guidance of the stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag. At least Adelaide Oval is a venue that will give the Indians hope: in their past two Tests there, they have managed a win and a draw.
As is so often the case in dead rubbers these days, there are plenty of sub-plots to keep things interesting. There is the question of whether leadership will bring out the best in Sehwag, who has had a disappointing tour with only one half-century. There is debate around the future of VVS Laxman, the most vulnerable of the seniors in India's middle order. And there's the ongoing hundredth hundred saga.

Virat Kohli has shown there is batting talent in India beyond the established seniors © AFP


For Australia, Michael Hussey has announced his intentions to play on for the next Test tour, but the last Test of the home summer is traditionally a time for farewells, so for Australia there is the chance, albeit slim, that Ricky Ponting or Brad Haddin might call it quits after the game. There is the matter of whether Shaun Marsh or Ed Cowan can score a big hundred to secure their place whenever Shane Watson returns.

There are enough reasons to watch this Test over the next five days. Now let's just hope the match lasts that long.

Form guide
(most recent first)
Australia WWWLW
India LLLDW

Players to watch ...

Last time the Adelaide Oval hosted a Test match, Nathan Lyon's main job was to cut the grass. Now his brief is to bowl offbreaks to some of the world's best handlers of spin. It has been a remarkable rise for Lyon, who joined the groundstaff in Adelaide last summer before being plucked out of net sessions by the state coach Darren Berry to play in the South Australia side. The rest is history. Expect plenty of support for Lyon in his first Test at his adopted home venue.
Virat Kohli has shown that there is batting talent in India beyond the seemingly untouchable seniors. He is yet to make that big hundred that will really launch his Test career but his 44 and 75 at the WACA were impressive contributions as wickets tumbled through India's two innings. He should enjoy batting at the Adelaide Oval, where he can make himself a permanent member of the Test side with a maiden century.

Team news

The offspinner Lyon will return, and the only question for Australia was which of the fast men would make way. The answer came on the day before the match: the left-armer Mitchell Starc was squeezed out and was named 12th man. Starc was impressive in Perth but still falls below Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris in the pecking order.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Dhoni's suspension will mean the inclusion of the backup wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, while R Ashwin should return after the ill-fated experiment of using Vinay Kumar as a fourth seamer at the WACA. A progressive selection panel would consider giving Rohit Sharma a chance at the expense of the out-of-form Laxman, but India's selectors are expected to stick with the proven Laxman.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Pitch and conditions

The Adelaide Oval pitch is usually viewed as a batsman's paradise, but often there is something in it for the fast bowlers early on the first day. "It will always produce spin later on as the game goes," the curator Damien Hough said. "Normally there will be a little bit of inconsistent bounce on days four and five, so I wouldn't expect anything else."
The forecast for the match is hot and sunny for all five days, with temperatures expected to hit 37C on the first day.

Stats and trivia

Virender Sehwag has captained India in three previous Tests, for two victories and a draw
Ricky Ponting needs 81 runs to reach 13,000 in Test cricket
Should Australia win, it will be their first series whitewash against India since 1999-2000
Australia have won just one of the past four Adelaide Tests
Quotes

"Anything less than a 4-0 defeat of this powerful Indian team will be a disappointment to all of us."
Michael Clarke
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.

 

[snoozer]

the indians are f**king clueless.



India opener Gautam Gambhir on Sunday taunted Australia's batsmen, saying their techniques on turning pitches will be put under the microscope when they tour India again.

​

Despite what Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough said on Friday about having no contact with Cricket Australia regarding the preparation of the pitch, Gambhir accused Australia of tailoring wickets to suit their strengths in the four-Test series. (**i pissed myself laughing at this!!)

​

But Gambhir is already looking ahead to Australia's Test tour of India in 2013.


India's batsmen were bowled out for 161 and 171 on a bouncy WACA pitch in the third Test in Perth earlier this month to lose by an innings and 37 runs in less than three days of play.
India went to England in 2011 as the No.1-ranked Test side but lost four-nil and they're in danger of repeating the result against Australia.
"We're beginning to realise that when we go overseas, every country prepares wickets according to their own strengths," Gambhir said.
"We need to prepare according to our advantage as well. There should not be a lot of talk when Australia, South Africa and England come home that we should not be preparing turners.
"We should be playing to our strength. If we can prepare rank turners, their technique and their temperament will be tested.
"We've seen in the last three Test matches and even in England that there was a lot of grass and that helped the seamers.
"So once these people come to India, I think that we should not be hesitant in making turners.
"That's when we will get to know whether they're mentally strong. The kind of chit-chat they do when we go overseas and talk about our techniques, that's when they will be tested and see how good they are against spin bowling."
Australia's openers David Warner and Ed Cowan shared a 214-run partnership in the Perth Test and engaged in some "chit-chat" with paceman Ishant Sharma who challenged the Aussie batsmen to repeat their runscoring feats in Indian conditions.
Meanwhile, Gambhir says a victory is more important than Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth international century.
"When you are playing for your country you don't think about individual records or what one individual has to do," Gambhir said.
"Zero-three is far more hurting than Sachin not scoring his hundred.
"If we can make it three-one, even if Sachin doesn't score a hundred, it's far more satisfying."





http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket...tam-gambhir-says/story-fn2mcu3x-1226250720693