2nd Test at Chennai
Chennai is definitely a happy hunting ground for quite a few Indian cricketeers. Tendulkar , i think has been scoring a century every test in Chennai or something like that. Harbhajan Singh has something like 22 wickets in two tests here- that includes that unplayable spell in the second innings against Australia in 2001 March. Kumble now has an amzing spell of 10 overs with 22 for 7 in Chennai. Ganguly must have been thrilled at retaining the Border Gavaskar trophy in Chennai. And today has proven to be another similar day....
Cricket in Chennai is really close to my heart since i spent almost all my early life (21 years) there in Chennai. Playing cricket in Chennai requires special skills (as Dean Jones showed in the tied test with his great knock) - skills to tackle the oppressive heat and fight off dehydration. Skills to maintain concentration when your body is wilting under the sun. Very few Australian cricketeers have in recent times shown that kind of application(Hayden's double century in 2001 is a case in point). It seems almost like the Australians are so clinical and efficient in most of their matches that when they are tested not just by the opponents but by the elements of weather also, they wilt. But I do not expect this Australian side to wilt. They are definitely waiting to produce a much better score in the second innings . That is exactly why it will be absoluitely essential to put a huge total on the board in our first innings. We are already down Yuvraj Singh. But anyway i didnt expect him to go past double figures(I'll discuss the opening slot later). The rest of the batting order which revolves against the wall Dravid and the magical Laxman have to click. Just like they did last time around when they scored 500 odd runs in Chennai.
India have to bat out of their skins and post a huge score. Because definitely chasing any target greater than 200 or so in the fourth innings of this test match against a bowling attack that boasts of the likes of Warne and Macgrath (Kasparowich is supposedly bowling great too) is never going to be easy- especially on the last day under prseeure. Moreover, i do not expect the Australian batting to crumble again in the second innings. Its fair to assume that they will score in the three hundreads in the second innings. So India needs to bat well and get a sizeable lead if they have to convert this strong position into a win.
Hoping for the best. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that Viru, Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman score big and of course Kaif makes use of his opportunity.
Cricket in Chennai is really close to my heart since i spent almost all my early life (21 years) there in Chennai. Playing cricket in Chennai requires special skills (as Dean Jones showed in the tied test with his great knock) - skills to tackle the oppressive heat and fight off dehydration. Skills to maintain concentration when your body is wilting under the sun. Very few Australian cricketeers have in recent times shown that kind of application(Hayden's double century in 2001 is a case in point). It seems almost like the Australians are so clinical and efficient in most of their matches that when they are tested not just by the opponents but by the elements of weather also, they wilt. But I do not expect this Australian side to wilt. They are definitely waiting to produce a much better score in the second innings . That is exactly why it will be absoluitely essential to put a huge total on the board in our first innings. We are already down Yuvraj Singh. But anyway i didnt expect him to go past double figures(I'll discuss the opening slot later). The rest of the batting order which revolves against the wall Dravid and the magical Laxman have to click. Just like they did last time around when they scored 500 odd runs in Chennai.
India have to bat out of their skins and post a huge score. Because definitely chasing any target greater than 200 or so in the fourth innings of this test match against a bowling attack that boasts of the likes of Warne and Macgrath (Kasparowich is supposedly bowling great too) is never going to be easy- especially on the last day under prseeure. Moreover, i do not expect the Australian batting to crumble again in the second innings. Its fair to assume that they will score in the three hundreads in the second innings. So India needs to bat well and get a sizeable lead if they have to convert this strong position into a win.
Hoping for the best. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that Viru, Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman score big and of course Kaif makes use of his opportunity.
posted by vashok | 9:27 AM
Select Text and Click to GmailThis!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home