Monday, January 23, 2012

Ominous Australia aim for 4-0 whitewash

After a closely fought battle in Melbourne, Australia dominated the proceedings entirely in the next two Tests and clinched the series with a thumping win at Perth. The focus shifts on to Adelaide and India has nothing but to play for pride, while the home side would be looking to inflict their first series whitewash over the visitors since 1999-2000.  

The third Test saw one of the best batting line-ups in the world surrender abjectly to a comparatively inexperienced Australian pace battery at the WACA. After being bowled out for a dismal 161 in the first innings, the visitors were forced into submission by a David Warner blitzkrieg. The big four, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, failed to put up a good fight in the second innings and the Indians crumbled within two and a half days by an innings and 37 runs.   

The only positives for the visitors were the promising performances of Umesh Yadav, who staged a 1st innings fightback with a maiden five-for, and under fire Virat Kohli, who played a brave knock of 75 in the second innings.

Meanwhile, the Australian middle order faltered but the damage was already done by Man-of-the-Match David Warner. Their bowlers bowled with great discipline which fetched them key wickets at crucial junctures. 

The Adelaide Oval pitch will have something in it for the fast bowlers early in the first day, but will gradually slow down. For Australia, Nathan Lyon will most probably return in the final Test in place of Mitchell Starc. Brad Haddin and Shaun Marsh could retain their places in the playing eleven despite flopping in the previous three Tests. 

For India, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha will replace suspended Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They might go in with two spinners and  off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha may replace Vinay Kumar and Ishant Sharma in the starting line-up. Rohit Sharma has a slight chance of making it to the playing eleven if the selectors decide to drop out-of-form VVS Laxman, but the chances are very bleak. Virender Sehwag will lead the team in the absence of MS Dhoni.

The fourth Test venue will offer some confidence to the visitors as they have a draw and a win under their belt in their last two Tests here. The home side on the other hand have won just one of their last four games at this venue.

The Indians need to up the ante and the big four need to perform in order to end the series on a high and salvage some pride with a consolation win in the final Test. A win would amount to a huge confidence boost ahead of the T20s and the ODI series.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Resurgent Sri Lanka Aim To End Series On A High

Sri Lanka meet South Africa in the fifth and the final ODI at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

Having lost the Test series 2-1 and the first three ODIs of the five match series, the visitors desperately needed to hit form and get a win on the board. They replied in a great manner in the fourth ODI at Kimberley, chasing down a mammoth total of 300 under pressure. Out of form Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan led from the front and played an important knock of 87. The middle order too performed well and stitched some crucial partnerships before Thisara Perera took the game away from the home side with a swashbuckling innings of 69 coming down the order. Earlier, their bowlers did well in the death overs to peg the home side back who looked on course for a total beyond 350.

With the team finally performing well, the visitors won’t be looking to disturb the winning combination. But there are chances that all-rounder Kosala Kulasekara, who showed promising signs in the first three ODIs, may replace Lahiru Thirimanne in the starting line-up.
Mahela Jayawardena, who did not play the last ODI, has been ruled out for the next few weeks with a back injury.

For South Africa, their biggest concern, opener Graeme Smith, finally struck some form and hit a fine half-century. Skipper AB de Villiers looks in great nick and the middle order seems stable. There shouldn’t be any changes in the batting department but we can expect a change in the bowling department with off-spinner Johan Botha replacing Robin Peterson in the starting line-up.

Out of the three matches played between these two sides at Johannesburg, South Africa have won two and lost one. The last time these two played at this ground, the home side battered the Lankans by six wickets in November 2002.

After a disastrous beginning, the Lankans would be looking to end the series on a high and salvage some pride with a 3-2 scoreline.