Agneepath says the TV channels, announcing the start of a series that holds a lot of promise for many cricketers involved from both teams. India goes Down Under for their next series after the famous Monkeygate scandal. Things have changed, not just in the personnel involved but also in terms of improved relations with the players on both sides. The key protagonists during the last tour, Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh, went on to play on the same side for the IPL while both the then captains are no longer in the hot-seat (even though one of them plays for his team).
The Oz team has seen most of their star players leave and has seen some ordinary performances from their team (47 all out against South Africa and a defeat against NZ at home after more than 2 decades). The Indian team is rebuilding after their own debacle in England where they suffered a white-wash. They are still ranked high in the ICC rankings but that does not mean anything when both the teams go head to head on Boxing Day.
The Indians score on the batting front thanks to their strong lineup that has proven itself Down Under as well as everywhere else in the cricketing world - Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman will walk into any team that is currently playing international cricket. The supporting cast consists of players who are technically good as well as played key knocks for their state team in Ranji matches - Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli will be looking for the one slot that remains in the batting position. The 2 warm-up matches will prove a good pointer to who will make the cut. Rohit with his previous experience and recent form (even though against WI at home ODIs) will be my favorite.
Duncan Fletcher, after the English debacle, has favored the promotion of fast bowlers into the Indian line-up (though that seems to have been impacted by the injury to Aaron). Will Zaheer play a full series this time around (note that this is his third series and he has not finished one complete tour still) is the key factor for India's fortunes. Ishant will be itching to repeat his form of last tour while the third seamer's position is up for grabs. Considering his performance in WI and England, Praveen Kumar's absence will hurt. Mithun can bowl the long overs which is very vital for such a grueling tour. Umesh Yadav has looked fine in his appearances for the country but can he bring it all together for a longer period? Vinay Kumar can swing the ball both ways but his pace is nothing to write about - he has played in Australia earlier and how much he can impress the team management in the warm-up will decide who plays. The lone spinner's slot favors Ashwin more because of his batting talent. The Sydney test will see both of them coming into the eleven and that will represent India's brightest chances to win a test.
The Indians score better on the spin option while there is inexperience on both the sides in the pace bowling department. Zaheer Khan can stand out and make it count for the Indians - is he fit enough is one question that the entire country is waiting desperately. As Dhoni mentioned in his recent press conference, India can beat Australia this time around. Hope KJo and Hrithik Roshan bring their Agneepath luck to the Indian team!
The Oz team has seen most of their star players leave and has seen some ordinary performances from their team (47 all out against South Africa and a defeat against NZ at home after more than 2 decades). The Indian team is rebuilding after their own debacle in England where they suffered a white-wash. They are still ranked high in the ICC rankings but that does not mean anything when both the teams go head to head on Boxing Day.
The Indians score on the batting front thanks to their strong lineup that has proven itself Down Under as well as everywhere else in the cricketing world - Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman will walk into any team that is currently playing international cricket. The supporting cast consists of players who are technically good as well as played key knocks for their state team in Ranji matches - Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli will be looking for the one slot that remains in the batting position. The 2 warm-up matches will prove a good pointer to who will make the cut. Rohit with his previous experience and recent form (even though against WI at home ODIs) will be my favorite.
Duncan Fletcher, after the English debacle, has favored the promotion of fast bowlers into the Indian line-up (though that seems to have been impacted by the injury to Aaron). Will Zaheer play a full series this time around (note that this is his third series and he has not finished one complete tour still) is the key factor for India's fortunes. Ishant will be itching to repeat his form of last tour while the third seamer's position is up for grabs. Considering his performance in WI and England, Praveen Kumar's absence will hurt. Mithun can bowl the long overs which is very vital for such a grueling tour. Umesh Yadav has looked fine in his appearances for the country but can he bring it all together for a longer period? Vinay Kumar can swing the ball both ways but his pace is nothing to write about - he has played in Australia earlier and how much he can impress the team management in the warm-up will decide who plays. The lone spinner's slot favors Ashwin more because of his batting talent. The Sydney test will see both of them coming into the eleven and that will represent India's brightest chances to win a test.
The Indians score better on the spin option while there is inexperience on both the sides in the pace bowling department. Zaheer Khan can stand out and make it count for the Indians - is he fit enough is one question that the entire country is waiting desperately. As Dhoni mentioned in his recent press conference, India can beat Australia this time around. Hope KJo and Hrithik Roshan bring their Agneepath luck to the Indian team!
No comments:
Post a Comment