|
 Adelaide,
Dec 11: Having dispelled the notion of being vulnerable on
fast tracks with a remarkable fightback at the Gabba, a
resurgent India go into the second cricket Test against
Australia here tomorrow posing a rare threat of bringing
the world champions down on their knees. The heroic show
in the drawn first Test at Brisbane has not only given the
Indians a psychological edge but has exposed a few chinks
in the Australian bowling armoury on a pitch designed to
suit the hosts.
Sourav
Ganguly and his men, who countered the conditions
surprising well in the very first match, will be keen to
capitalise on the gains but may find the going tough as
the Aussies have already hinted of revising their
strategies. The Indian team management's decision to ask
for the services of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who
was surprisingly omitted from the original squad, will no
doubt bolster the bowling attack. Kartik is expected to
join the team later tonight and it remains to be seen
whether he is drafted into the playing eleven considering
that ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been struggling
to find his rhythm.
 The
hosts, who conceded a first innings lead for the first
time in ten home Tests, appeared to lack the intensity in
Brisbane but skipper Steve Waugh has warned the visitors
to be prepared for a more "aggressive" bowling
dose. "As a side, we probably were not as intense as
I would have liked in the first Test...We will have to
revise our strategies and be a little more aggressive in
our bowling," Waugh said. The world champions were
expected to pep up their new-ball attack by including Brad
Williams who could test the Indians with his fiery
short-pitched stuff.
The
Australians, who take great pride in their cricket, see
the Indians in a new light after the Brisbane encounter
and grudgingly acknowledge them as a "competitive
side" which is capable of halting their juggernaut.
The Indians would definitely take the field at the
majestic Adelaide Oval with a positive frame of mind, but
Ganguly has cautioned his players not to go overboard with
the Brisbane display but strive to improve upon their
performance. "Both sides got positives out of the
Test, but it is a new game here. It is how you play on the
given day that matters," Ganguly said.
 The
form of bowling trump card Harbhajan Singh has been a
cause of concern for the visitors who may fall back on the
experienced Anil Kumble or Kartik to shoulder the spin
responsibility. Though Ganguly did not come down too
heavily on Harbhajan's lacklustre show in the first Test,
the team management may have to take the unpleasant
decision of sacking the 'Turbanator' who has been
struggling to regain the form which saw him claiming 32
wickets when Australia toured India in 2001. The visitors
will be largely depending on their batting might to tame
the Aussies and the fact that the team could post a score
beyond the 400-mark on a grassy track last week will serve
as a huge confidence-booster in the remaining matches.
 The
captain himself led from the front and his classy 144 in
the Brisbane Test and has given the home team some
sleepless nights, particularly after the pre-series ploy
of pressuring him with the "chin music". Barring
Sachin Tendulkar, most of the other top Indian batsmen
managed to get some runs in the first Test and will be a
little more confident of negotiating the Australian
attack. Tendulkar perished to a dubious leg before
decision by umpire Steve Bucknor for a duck and the little
genius will be eager to make a significant contribution
with his bat.
The
opening combination has been a perennial problem for India
in the longer version of the game and there has been some
doubts about whether Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra
were technically sound to give the team a solid start.
(Agencies)
Published:
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Back
to Index
|
