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India ready to face Australian backlashIndia ready to face Australian backlash
Mumbai, Oct 31: Having dented the Australian pride with a comfortable win in Gwalior, India may have to brace themselves up for a likely backlash from the world champions when they meet for the second time in the triangular series one-day match here tomorrow.
Mumbai, Oct 31: Having dented the Australian pride
with a comfortable win in Gwalior, India may have to brace
themselves up for a likely backlash from the world champions
when they meet for the second time in the triangular series
one-day match here tomorrow.
The Indians will be eager to capitalise on the
second-string Australian bowling attack and keep the momentum
going in what promises to be pulsating day-and-night encounter
at the Wankhede Stadium.
After a disappointing start to the series when they were clobbered by Sachin Tendulkar and Venkatsai Laxman for a 37-run day-night defeat at Gwalior last week, the Aussies seemed to have got their campaign back on track with an eight-wicket demolition of arch-rivals New Zealand in Faridabad on Wednesday.
The home team was leading the points table with eight points from two matches and a victory against the formidable Australians will help them consolidate their position for a berth in the final.
The World Champions, on the other hand, were just one point behind the Indians and Ricky Ponting and his men were unlikely to give anything on a platter to the hosts. New Zealand, the other team in the fray, were at the bottom of the table with three points.
The Aussie pacers got a lot of assistance from the Faridabad track and could find the going much tougher at the Wankhede Stadium which was likely to favour the batsmen. The victory must have given a lot of confidence to the Indians and Captain Rahul Dravid, standing-in for Sourav Ganguly who is recovering from an abscess on his left thigh, handled the team well.
Dravid made some intelligent bowling changes to stem the Aussie onslaught and was flexible with the batting order, by promoting Ajit Agarkar in the slog overs.
"Flexibility is very important in one-day cricket and the captain will decide over the batting order for tomorrow also as per the situation" Indian coach John Wright said.
It would be interesting to see how Tendulkar and Co. treat Williams and the rest of the Australian attack whom they punished in the last match. A win here tomorrow would add credibility to the previous win and soothe further their psyche which might still be haunted by the ghosts of the humiliating world cup final loss. Bureau Report
After a disappointing start to the series when they were clobbered by Sachin Tendulkar and Venkatsai Laxman for a 37-run day-night defeat at Gwalior last week, the Aussies seemed to have got their campaign back on track with an eight-wicket demolition of arch-rivals New Zealand in Faridabad on Wednesday.
The home team was leading the points table with eight points from two matches and a victory against the formidable Australians will help them consolidate their position for a berth in the final.
The World Champions, on the other hand, were just one point behind the Indians and Ricky Ponting and his men were unlikely to give anything on a platter to the hosts. New Zealand, the other team in the fray, were at the bottom of the table with three points.
The Aussie pacers got a lot of assistance from the Faridabad track and could find the going much tougher at the Wankhede Stadium which was likely to favour the batsmen. The victory must have given a lot of confidence to the Indians and Captain Rahul Dravid, standing-in for Sourav Ganguly who is recovering from an abscess on his left thigh, handled the team well.
Dravid made some intelligent bowling changes to stem the Aussie onslaught and was flexible with the batting order, by promoting Ajit Agarkar in the slog overs.
"Flexibility is very important in one-day cricket and the captain will decide over the batting order for tomorrow also as per the situation" Indian coach John Wright said.
It would be interesting to see how Tendulkar and Co. treat Williams and the rest of the Australian attack whom they punished in the last match. A win here tomorrow would add credibility to the previous win and soothe further their psyche which might still be haunted by the ghosts of the humiliating world cup final loss. Bureau Report