Saturday, February 04, 2012

Relieved India aim for a positive start to tri-series

After going through a horror period during the Test series, the visitors lost the first T20I at Sydney but finally got the first win of the tour, thumping the home side with a solid performance in the second T20I at Melbourne.

The focus now shifts to the tri-series which includes a third team in Sri Lanka. India would be looking to carry forward the momentum into the first ODI as they meet Australia at the MCG.

The India bowlers were lackluster for most part of the first T20I but they hit back well in the death overs which was a little too late. Their batting order totally crumbled under pressure.

The bowlers rectified their mistakes and hit back well in the second T20I which pegged the Aussies back. The batsmen then played intelligently to achieve the team a much needed win.

Gautam Gambhir looks in fine nick after a promising half-century in the second T20I. Sehwag has been horribly out of form and needs to fire big time. Sachin Tendulkar will return to the ODI side after a nine-month lay-off so Rohit Sharma or Suresh Raina might have to sit out. Zaheer Khan will in all probability spearhead the pace attack after sitting out of the T20Is. They may go in with three seamers and Umesh Yadav may be included in the team.

Australia have lots of changes as compared to the T20I side, Michael Clarke will lead the side, while Rick Ponting and Michael Hussey will return to the team. The bowling department will be led by Brett Lee followed by Mitchell Starc and Ryan Harris.

The last time these two met in an ODI at the MCG, the visitors drubbed the home side by five wickets in 2008.

Both teams would be looking to start on a positive note and draw the first blood with a long series ahead.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Buoyed Pakistan look to inflict 3-0 whitewash

In spite of dominating most of the second Test, England surrendered abjectly in the second innings to lose the series. The focus now shifts to the third and final Test which will again be held in Dubai as a surging Pakistan would look to make it 3-0.

Having been on the back foot for most of the match in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan scripted a stupendous comeback and bowled out England for 72 after setting up a minuscule target of 145. Their spinners again came to the rescue as Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal ripped apart the English batting line-up with beautiful spell of spin bowling.

Bowling is not a worry for the Asian team but in the batting department, their middle order needs to toughen up. Having got starts, they have failed to capitalize and convert them to big scores. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has been in good form, while the others also have chipped in with important half-centuries. The only man who has missed out is Younus Khan who needs to fire big time.

Pakistan won’t be looking to disturb their winning combination, but there are chances that left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, who bowled just eight overs in the previous match, might be replaced by Aizaz Cheema.

It was the over-cautious approach in their second innings that lost England the match. They need to rethink their strategy before going into the third Test. Skipper Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen need to step up and perform, having flopped in both the Tests. Stuart Broad’s aggressive approach while batting in the first innings of the previous Test is something which the other batsmen should take notice of in order to succeed against spin.

Owing to their consistent failures against spin bowling, there are chances that Ravi Bopara, a good player of spin, may replace struggling Eoin Morgan in the starting line-up. With the likelihood of the track at Dubai assisting spin bowling in the latter part, England might stick with the same bowling line-up which includes two spinners in the form of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.

If Pakistan does manage to win the third and final Test at Dubai, they will achieve a consecutive series whitewash, having won the earlier series against Bangladesh, away, 2-0.