India Register Their 1st Victory in Australia and Level the T20 Series 1-1

Australia v India, 2nd T20, Melbourne

The Report by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG

February 3, 2012

India 2 for 135 (Gambhir 56*) beat Australia 131 (Finch 36, Praveen 2-21) by eight wickets

India finally broke through for their first win of the tour thanks to a dazzling display in the field. Ravindra Jadeja provided the spark - and did no harm to his chances in Saturday's IPL auction - with a pair of run-outs as Australia's batsmen were constricted by intense pressure from the fielders, and were dismissed in the 20th over for 131.

That was always going to be hard to defend and so it proved, India reaching the target with two balls to spare and eight wickets in hand to draw the series 1-1. They began the chase needing only a fraction above six an over and as a result spent much of their innings in cruise control, Gautam Gambhir able to amble along at less than a run a ball without ever letting the pressure build.

The only time a hint of worry might have entered the Indian camp was when five dot balls came towards the end of the chase, and George Bailey had all his fielders in the ring in the final over with one run required. But Gambhir found a gap at midwicket to strike a boundary off Clint McKay and finished on 56 from 60 balls, with MS Dhoni also unbeaten on 21.

Virender Sehwag provided some excitement with one enormous six back over the head of the bowler Xavier Doherty but it was the only one in India's innings. They didn't need any more. Sehwag was caught at cover off a Brad Hogg full toss for 23 and Virat Kohli, who made a quick 31, was brilliantly caught when Matthew Wade dived to his right off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh, but they were Australia's only two moments to celebrate in the field.

Australia needed to build more pressure and while their work with the ball and in the field was not bad, it lacked the zip shown by their India counterparts. Four Australia batsmen were run out and another was stumped, the younger men brought in for the limited-overs games providing the energy that India lacked in the Tests.

It all started with Jadeja, who got rid of two of David Hussey's partners with run-outs and then picked up the wicket of Hussey off his own bowling. The big wicket was that of Aaron Finch, who was sent in alongside David Warner at the top of the order and showed his power with six fours, five of which were through the off side.

Finch launched drives and cuts at anything wide of off and at one stage he had aggregated more than 100 Twenty20 international runs without being dismissed, but that changed quickly. Finch was caught short when Hussey pushed into the off side and tried for a single that wasn't there, Jadeja's throw getting rid of Finch for 36 from 23 balls.

The captain George Bailey departed soon afterwards when he overcommitted as Hussey steered the ball to backward point, where Jadeja collected and threw to the bowler's end with Bailey (3) a long way short. Jadeja then induced a leading edge off Hussey, who made 24 from 29 balls, and that wicket left Australia in trouble at 5 for 93.

The fine work kept coming from India. Mitchell Marsh was stumped off Rahul Sharma, Dhoni collecting the ball close to the stumps and with no give in his gloves, he hardly had to move to whip the bails off and find Marsh just out of his ground. That was followed by what was effectively a knockout blow for Australia, when Matthew Wade was run out for 32 off 29 balls.

Wade had slog-swept a six and after his outstanding innings on Wednesday, he seemed like the man who might carry Australia to a competitive score. But he pushed to cover and took off only to be turned back by Brett Lee, and Rohit Sharma's direct hit had Wade short despite his full-length dive.

Australia were dismissed with two balls to spare, when Doherty was run out thanks to sharp work from Suresh Raina. They had lost 4 for 10 since the start of the 19th over.

Australia's innings had got off to a poor start with the early loss of David Warner, who was caught at deep midwicket for 8 when he skied a ball off Praveen Kumar. Shaun Marsh's miserable summer continued with a second-ball duck, his limp prod outside off resulting in an edge to first slip, where Sehwag parried the ball up to Dhoni to give Praveen his second wicket.

It was an excellent way for India to begin, and they didn't let the advantage slip. Now the question is whether they can carry some of this spark into the one-day series.

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India Looking to Level the T20 Series with win in 2nd T20 Tomorrow at MCG

Australia v India, 2nd T20, Melbourne

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale

February 2, 2012

Match facts
February 3, Melbourne
Start time 19:35 (08:35 GMT)

Big Picture

A change of formats seems to have not helped India, who struggled in the first Twenty20 at Stadium Australia on Wednesday night. Again it was a case of the top order failing to give the side a good start, and the batting will need to improve if they are to avoid a 2-0 defeat. Australia's new-look outfit, which has more of a Twenty20 specialist feel than any side they have previously fielded, displayed enthusiasm and talent, and they worked well together under the captain, George Bailey. The second and final Twenty20 at the MCG gives Bailey an opportunity to secure a series win in his first series as Australia's leader.

Australia relied heavily on spin in Sydney, and it was a ploy that slowed India's scoring to the point that they were unable to fight their way back into the chase. The MCG might offer a little more for the fast men, and it also offers the chance for an enormous crowd after a Sydney record of 59,659 turned out for the first game. A Friday night game in Melbourne means people can wander down to Jolimont after work and take in the action, and far more will be expected at this match than at the first ODI that follows on Sunday, also at the MCG.

Form guide

Australia WLWLL (Most recent first)
India LLLWW

In the spotlight

Matthew Wade could hardly have timed his Man-of-the-Match performance better. At a time when an out-of-form Brad Haddin has been told to rest by Cricket Australia, Wade has the Twenty20s and at least the first three ODIs to push his case for greater honours. He played some fine shots in his 72 from 43 balls in Sydney, and will be looking to build on that with another strong display on Friday.

It is hard not to feel for Rohit Sharma, who toured for a month with the Test squad without getting an opportunity, and then fell for a golden duck when he was given a chance in the first Twenty20. If anyone could use rust as an excuse, it was him. It will be interesting to see how he responds should he be given another opportunity.

Team news

Selectors are generally reluctant to change a winning side, but with so few matches before the World Twenty20 later this year, they are also keen to see as many players in action as possible. Aaron Finch did not play the first game and could come in at his home ground, as may Clint McKay. Shaun Marsh is a known quantity and the selectors may prefer to leave him on the sidelines and give Travis Birt another chance. It is, of course, all conjecture: the selectors might aim for a strong 2-0 series win by choosing the same XI.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Travis Birt, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Aaron Finch, 7 Mitchell Marsh, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Brett Lee, 11 Clint McKay.

Who knows what India's selectors will do after the loss in Sydney. Irfan Pathan looms as one potential inclusion, perhaps for Ravindra Jadeja, but with such a big squad, anything is possible. Given the MCG's long boundaries, they are likely to persist with two spinners.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Rahul Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

The drop-in pitches at the MCG are not renowned for pace, but the local batsman David Hussey expects "a very good batting wicket, a fast wicket". The forecast for Melbourne is a sunny day with a high temperature of 27C.

Stats and trivia

Matthew Wade has played three Twenty20s for Australia and already has a Man-of-the-Match award, but is yet to take a catch behind the stumps - mainly because none have come his way.
Should India lose at the MCG it will equal their longest losing streak in Twenty20 internationals - four.

Quotes

"I thought the Indians came out and fielded and bowled particularly well early. I just thought our bowling and fielding trumped theirs."
David Hussey on Wednesday's win

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Sutherland Looking For Longer Twenty20 Series

India in Australia 2011-12

Brydon Coverdale

February 2, 2012

Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland has raised the prospect of playing longer Twenty20 series in future after 59,659 spectators turned out to watch Australia's victory over India at Stadium Australia on Wednesday. It was a record crowd for an international cricket match in Sydney, beating the SCG's best of 58,446, set in 1928.

The second and final match in the series could also draw an enormous crowd, at the MCG on Friday night, and the two games follow on from the success of the inaugural Big Bash League. But then the schedule features a near five-week triangular one-day series, and the chances of drawing such large crowds at a drawn-out ODI competition are slim.

"I'm a little bit troubled by the fact we play a two-match Twenty20 series. It doesn't quite make sense," Sutherland told The Daily Telegraph. "I'd like to think that down the track we could change that. It's something that we'll certainly look at. We're not looking to play more international cricket, so there will be a reduction in other forms and that won't be Test cricket."

That would mean a slashing of the one-day international calendar, which has effectively happened in the past few seasons with bilateral contests replacing the tri-series until it was reintroduced this summer. Only once has there been a bilateral Twenty20 series of more than two games, when New Zealand hosted Pakistan in 2010-11.

But the format's popularity is undeniable. David Hussey, who played in front of the record Sydney crowd on Wednesday night, said he would like to see Twenty20 international series played across more games, and he suggested that the tri-series format could easily be transferred from one-day internationals to Twenty20s.

"I think Twenty20 is one of the future formats of the game that can go a long way," Hussey said. "Maybe a triangular series that involves Sri Lanka and you could go right around the country. You've seen the success of the KFC Big Bash this season domestically, everybody in Australia loves the competition and wants more of it. Maybe that's a step in the right direction."

Sutherland has in the past spoken of the possibility of Australia having an entirely separate Twenty20 team with no crossover to the Test side, so they could even be playing simultaneously. That vision could be getting closer, with David Warner the only current Test player who also represented Australia in Wednesday's Twenty20.

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Matthew Wade's Fifty Sets Up Easy Victory For Australia in 1st T20 at Sydney

Australia v India, 1st Twenty20, Sydney

The Report by Daniel Brettig at Stadium Australia

February 1, 2012

Australia 4 for 171 (Wade 72, Hussey 42) beat India 6 for 140 (Dhoni 48*, Hussey 2-4) by 31 runs

A punishing 72 from Matthew Wade and telling cameos with bat and ball from David Hussey delivered a 31-run victory for Australia over India in the first Twenty20 international at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which hosted events during the Olympics in 2000.

Watched by a crowd of 59,659, the largest ever for a cricket match in Sydney, Australia's new Twenty20 captain George Bailey enjoyed the winner's plaudits in his first match, just as Dave Gregory had done in the very first Test in 1877 when he was the last Australian to make his debut as captain.

His ingenuity in the field rather contrasted with India's captain, MS Dhoni. In the penultimate over, with the target well out of reach, Dhoni's bat flew from his hands as he attempted to make a defiant swing at Brett Lee. The tour has gone the same way, and it did not improve in the format of the IPL.

At the start of what amounts to a five-match Twenty20 and ODI audition for a more permanent berth behind the stumps in place of Brad Haddin, Wade did his cause no harm with an innings of poise, power and some invention after Dhoni sent the hosts in to bat.

Wade and Hussey pushed Australia to 4 for 171, a steep target on a tacky pitch, before Bailey employed a trio of spinners to devastating effect. Hussey took the figures with 2 for 4 from his two overs, but the recalled 40-year-old Brad Hogg and the Twenty20 debutant Xavier Doherty also helped to sink India's chase after they had made a promising start to be 1 for 47 in the sixth over.

If the chase was to succeed, India's pursuit likely required a sizeable score from Virender Sehwag. He managed one cut that skimmed to the backward point boundary, but the early swing gained by Lee was enough to draw an edge from a bat angled towards mid-on, and Hussey held the sharp chance at slip.

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli prospered for a time, lifting the visitors to 1 for 47 in the sixth over. Bailey had brought on the spin of Doherty and Hussey to constrict the rate, and the latter made the vital break by coaxing Gambhir to drive to cover.

Next over brought Hogg's introduction and he found enough tweak and variation to cause doubts in the minds of the batsmen, despite their education by spin. Kohli tried to swing him out of the stadium, but found less of the middle of the bat than the toe, and was well held by Warner at long on.

India were now slipping badly, and Hussey added to their disquiet by finding a biting off break that bowled Rohit Sharma off his pads for a golden duck. As the reserve Test batsman on tour, Rohit had waited a long time for that one delivery.

Christian nipped out Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, all the while supported by Bailey's bright field placements and busy advice from mid-off or cover. Dhoni and Ashwin formed the most notable partnership of the innings, but it served only to decrease the margin of another defeat on tour for the visitors.

Warner had a new opening partner in Wade, and together they set about making a swift start against an opening attack comprising R Ashwin's spin and the swing of Praveen Kumar - much missed during the Test series.

As he had done in Adelaide, Ashwin kept Warner quiet to begin with, the first over going for only two runs. Wade's first boundary was a streaky edge off Praveen, and nine from the first 12 balls was a halting start.

But Warner found his range in the third, starting with an outrageous "switch punch" that sailed over wide long off, or long on depending on one's perspective. He followed up by driving a full toss to the point boundary then swinging another six over Ashwin's head.

The innings now had momentum, but Warner gave it up by miscuing Vinay Kumar and skying a catch to Raina, running back from extra cover. Warner left unhappily, but his replacement Birt was capable of hitting almost as hard. He found his stride by lofting Vinay over long off, without much apparent effort, but also played out a few dots before he drew blood from the hands of Rahul Sharma with a fearfully struck drive that was technically a dropped return catch.

Birt eventually perished to Ashwin, picking out Raina at cover, but his exit appeared to rouse Wade. To that point he had played neatly for 36 from 25 balls, but his next 34 were thrashed from only 14. Twice he cleared the fence, and each blow added intrigue to his battle with Haddin for the Australia wicketkeeper's spot.

A brief rain delay did not reduce Australia's allocation, but it did change the game's rhythm, and Wade was out to his second ball faced on resumption, bowled when trying to cut Raina off the stumps. Hussey and Bailey struggled initially to find the boundary, but Hussey connected with one clean blow in the final over to help the hosts past 170, a total that proved to be well beyond India.

Match Summary

Innings	Dot Balls	4s & 6s	Powerplay	16-20 Overs	NB/Wides
Australia	43	9      9	55/1	29/1	0/2
India	50	8      4	49/2	30/0	1/6

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Australia and India will Face Each Other in 1st T20 Tomorrow at Sydney

Australia v India, 1st T20, Sydney

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale

January 31, 2012

Match facts
February 1, Stadium Australia, Sydney
Start time 19:35 (08:35 GMT)

Big Picture

Nobody is more desperate to move on from the last six weeks than India's cricketers. Here is their perfect opportunity to do so. The first T20 not only pits two very different sides against each other, compared to those that played in the Tests, it also takes India and Australia to an entirely new venue for international cricket: Stadium Australia. The stadium, at Homebush in Sydney's west, was built for the 2000 Olympics and has a far greater capacity than the SCG. It will become the 19th ground in the country to host international cricket.

Appropriately enough it will host a new-look Australia team under the captaincy of debutant George Bailey. The 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg will make his comeback after a vintage campaign from him in the Big Bash League, while the fast bowler James Faulkner could be in line for his debut. David Warner and Shaun Marsh are the only men in the squad who took part in the Tests against India.

The visitors have more of a crossover from the Test series, but there has still been plenty of new blood injected into the group. A 17-strong party has assembled for the T20s and the triangular one-day series that follows, including relatively inexperienced men like Rahul Sharma and Manoj Tiwary, but who will get the nod for the first match remains a mystery. Both sides are also hoping to use the series to narrow down their list of potential players for the World T20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September.

Form guide
(Most recent first)
Australia LWLLW
India LLWWW

In the spotlight
Who else but George Bailey? Not since Dave Gregory in the very first Test match has a man made his international debut for Australia as captain. And with plenty of attention having been paid to Bailey's record in the shortest format, he will be hoping to show what he can offer at No.5, while also marshalling his troops in the field.

India always appear a more dynamic outfit when Suresh Raina is present, and he will provide spark not only in the batting line-up but also in the field. Spark is precisely what India need to rediscover after their Test slump.

Team news

Australia have named a 14-man squad and as the selectors cast an eye to the World Twenty20 they are likely to give each player an opportunity in at least one of these two games. Shaun Marsh is in the group despite having been dropped from the upcoming ODIs, and this could be a chance for him to free his mind and play naturally. Daniel Christian and Mitchell Marsh could be battling for one spot, while Xavier Doherty and Hogg are the two slow-bowling options. The selectors will probably want to see what the uncapped Faulkner can deliver, while Clint McKay is also in the squad.

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Aaron Finch, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Travis Birt, 7 Mitchell Marsh / Daniel Christian, 8 Matthew Wade (wk), 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Brett Lee, 11 James Faulkner.

India have a big group to choose from, and the make-up of their attack is not yet clear. Ravindra Jadeja and Irfan Pathan might be competing for the same spot, and the extra spinner could be desirable if the drop-in pitch proves slow.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja / Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Pitch and conditions
As a new international venue, it will be interesting to see what the Stadium Australia pitch offers. The former Adelaide Oval curator Les Burdett has been brought in to prepare surface. Like most drop-in pitches, it is unlikely to have much in the way of pace and bounce.

Stats and trivia

At 40, Hogg will be the third-oldest man to play a T20 international. He played two T20s for Australia back in 2006 and 2007, but didn't take a wicket.
Australia and India have met in four T20s for two wins each - the first two went India's way and Australia won the second two

Quotes
"I'm nervous about both [captaincy and debut], from the playing aspect you're anxious to get out there and perform really well, and the captaining side of things I'm really comfortable with that, it's more getting to know the players as quickly as I can."
Australia's new captain George Bailey

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If There is a Better Man,Give Him the Job - Dhoni

India in Australia 2011-12

MS Dhoni isn't making any predictions about giving up Test cricket or any other format after 2013. But his matter-of-fact statements are open to interpretation

Sidharth Monga in Sydney

January 31, 2012

"I just said my statement. The best thing about statements is, you can assume it the way you want to."

That was MS Dhoni's response when told how his statement that he might have to give up Test cricket at the end of 2013 if he is to captain India to their World Cup defence was seen by many as a general disinterest in Test cricket.

"Maybe by 2013 I'll have to," Dhoni said. "It is two years away, and the kind of cricket we are playing - IPL, 45 days; Champions League; and back-to-back series; lots of games. We have to see where we last. It's not a calendar year where you get a lot of rest, and you get away with small niggles during that rest period."

Dhoni then sought to clarify his thought process. "I said end of 2013," he said. "Now it's the start of 2012, 2013 is two years. I don't know whether I will be alive in two years. That's a long time. What I said was, by the end of 2013, I will have to see whether I can play the World Cup. It wasn't about one format, it was about cricket. I can't play till 2014 and say I am not fit enough to survive till the next World Cup. And you'll have a player coming in who has played just 25 games."

When pointedly asked if he was as interested in Tests as he was in other formats, and whether Test cricket was as important in his mind, Dhoni's response was emphatic. "Of course. Test cricket is the real cricket." However, he went on to say he wasn't running down the other formats either.

"Every form of cricket has its own challenges," Dhoni said. "You have the Test format, the longer version. You have ODI cricket where you can see glimpses of Test cricket and Twenty20s, especially with two balls getting used. And all of a sudden a team loses three or four wickets, and you go and do the consolidating job and then go on with the slog. And then there is the shortest format where you lose five wickets, you go in and the longest consolidating period you get is one over and you start hitting again. All of them are very interesting, and as long as I am able to, I will play all the three formats."

Dhoni was then asked where he felt he was on his Test journey. "I am still on my way. I have not reached any place," he said, suggesting there might finally be something in a Dhoni press conference that might reveal his inner feelings, before going on to show it was just a tease. "If I remember, the thing I said was 2013, which is two years from now on. I don't know if you will be covering cricket or not. I don't know if I will be playing cricket or not. That's a long time."

That's the thing with Dhoni. You never know. If you haven't been to a match, you won't be able to tell from Dhoni's face if he has won it or lost it. There is a sense of detachment, whether real or rehearsed, that has worked for Dhoni, ridding him of the pressures Indian captaincy brings. It has consumed the best of them, even the best tactical captain India has had, Rahul Dravid.

Dhoni has fought it by not acknowledging it, but over the last 12 months, especially after India won the World Cup, you wonder if he has been too detached when India needed a more involved leader to oversee the transition to the next phase. In Australia, loss after loss brought the same combination, same strategy, same faces, same answers. You didn't get a feeling somebody was taking charge. You didn't see Dhoni change his tactics on the field. You can't blame the thinkers for thinking he didn't care. Dhoni, though, will tell you only he knows how much he cares. However, people who wanted to see a sign didn't get to see one.

Then there was intrigue off the field. There were reports of Virender Sehwag wanting the captaincy, and that he was not very appreciative of Dhoni's work. Not to forget that Sehwag can't be very appreciative of his own work, either as batsman or captain at this stage. Sehwag, of course, denied all that. Now that the series is gone, though, rumour mills are abuzz again. Dhoni's captaincy in Tests away from subcontinent is bound to come under scrutiny.

When asked where he saw himself vis-à-vis the captaincy issue, Dhoni said: "It's an added role and responsibility for me. It's not a position that belongs to anyone. That responsibility was given to me three-and-a-half years back. I have been trying to do well, get along with the team, perform well wherever we play.

"It's just a position I hold. It's something I'll always look to do well till I am in the job. It's not something I want to hold on to or stick on to. If there's a better replacement, it's a very open thing. He can come in. At the end of the day you want India to perform. If there is someone who can do a better job, then it's a place that should be given to him. It's not something you have to cling on to."

When asked if, given his workload, he had enough left to go on and lead India's attempt at rebuilding from the defeats, Dhoni said: "It's not an individual who decides whether he is good enough or not. It's others who decide if you are good enough or not. When it comes to effort, I am still giving my 100%."

To paraphrase Dhoni himself, the beauty of statements is, they are open to interpretations. As are the last two. Is he resigned to losing his Test captaincy? Is he so detached he won't fight if it is taken away? Will he not be desperate to correct the lasting memory of his captaincy - back-to-back whitewashes? Or - and this is interesting - is he daring the powers to find a man better suited to the job because there isn't anybody in sight at the moment?

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Youngsters will Raise Our Fielding - Dhoni

Australia v India, 1st Twenty20, Sydney

Sidharth Monga in Sydney

January 31, 2012

Twenty20 internationals often go through an identity crisis. They are neither World Twenty20, nor leagues like IPL and BBL where every game takes you towards a larger goal. On international tours, Twenty20s - often one or two in number - run the risk of being seen as just exhibition games.

Not for India this time. MS Dhoni has said that the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia will not be used as glorified nets for the bigger triangular ODI series that follows. He said the presence of youngsters will make the team more energetic on the field.

These might be India's last two Twenty20 internationals before they split up to play for their respective IPL teams and go into September's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, an event where they have been knocked out in the first round in their last two attempts.

"We don't get to play too many T20 international games," Dhoni said. "Usually it's one match on a tour. It's good we have two games. We'll try to make the most out of it. We'll look to play the XI best suited for that particular occasion, not thinking about the ODIs."

The first occasion for India will be at Sydney's Stadium Australia, a multi-purpose venue originally built for the Olympics. India have no clue what to expect from the ground. They practised there yesterday, but could only do fielding drills because the practice pitches - in a corner, almost under the roof - were damp. Today India, like Australia, shifted base to the more traditional SCG. Dhoni said that shouldn't be much of a handicap because Australia too haven't played much at the venue.

"I don't think there are many who have played there," Dhoni said. "It remains quite the same for the home team as well as the touring team. That's something pretty even. Of course we would like to spend a bit of time there. We had to shift the practice session because the wickets were damp there, and we weren't able to practise. We will see exactly how it is. The outfield will be important. It is not a cricket ground, which means the sand content is more. Hopefully it goes out well."

Dhoni, though, is looking forward to what the fresh faces will bring to the team. "Our one-day side looks very different from our Test side," Dhoni said. "The new boys who have come in are a lot more noisy, which really helps lift the dressing-room atmosphere. They love to pull each other's leg, which means it gets more and more lively. I don't think it's very difficult [to stay positive despite a disastrous tour so far]." He likened the difference they brought to shifting from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul.

When asked who he would rather work with, the Bollywood legend of the old or the new-age Jamaican rapper, Dhoni picked the middle path. "I am someone who keeps adjusting. That's one good thing. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music. Good to have these boys around."

However, Dhoni spoke of the importance of having young legs in the side. "We have really improved as a fielding side, especially in the ODIs where we have seen a mix of players who are experienced and the youngsters coming in. So on an average out of four fielders three of them can really stop the batsmen from taking a quick single. And the opportunity of getting a batsman run out is very critical in an ODI or a T20.

"When it's needed at the slog overs, they can field at the boundary without much hassle. It really helps me in the sense that I don't have to be too worried about placing the right fielders at the right position. They do it amongst themselves. They are very good. They know where they need to be at the right time. It helps me think on the right things, where I can put emphasis."

Dhoni said it wasn't going to be easy to forget how the first half of the tour has gone down. "It's not easy," he said. "We play with a lot of emotion. Indians are known to be emotional people. But it's not something we haven't done in the past. We have been able to do this. In England when we went into the ODIs I felt the boys performed really well apart from the rain that affected our bowling performance because of the wet ball. Apart from that the fight was good over there. Not really worried. Hopefully it will go our way."

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Bailey Defends His T20 Record

Australia v India, 1st T20, Sydney

Brydon Coverdale

January 30, 2012

George Bailey has conceded he will only win respect as Australia's new Twenty20 captain if he scores runs himself, regardless of how the side performs. Bailey's highest score in the shortest format is 60 and he has made only one T20 half-century in the past three seasons, but he said batting at No.5 opportunities were often limited and his record "stands up against anyone".

Bailey will make his T20 international debut on Wednesday against India in Sydney, and he will do it as captain after Australia's selectors axed Cameron White from the T20 leadership. A successful state captain with Tasmania, Bailey, 29, is seen by John Inverarity's panel as the man who has the best chance of steering Australia to success in the ICC World Twenty20 in September.

However, he will need to ensure he doesn't succumb to the same fate as Michael Clarke, who was viewed as a tactically shrewd T20 captain but whose own batting skills were not suited to the game. Bailey is a more powerful striker than Clarke and has a T20 strike-rate of 132, but it remains to be seen whether he can turn himself from a good domestic batsman into an international one.

"You are captain but first and foremost you're in there to perform," Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. "That dictates a hell of a lot of the respect that you have. Part of my performance will be my captaincy but the majority of it will be with the bat. I have to perform. I certainly would have liked a few more runs in the Big Bash but since Twenty20 started being played I certainly think my record stands up against anyone, particularly for someone who has batted for the majority in that middle order."

Bailey scored 114 runs at an average of 19 for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, where he was captained by White, the man he has succeeded as national skipper. But as a man who often bats in the lower middle order, Bailey believes his average is less relevant than it would be in one-day or first-class cricket, because his opportunities are fewer.

He is part of a squad that Australia's selectors hope can form the core of the side that will challenge for the World T20 title in Sri Lanka later this year, and Inverarity has spoken of the importance of building a group that works well together. Bailey echoed those thoughts and said it was vital the squad was well-balanced.

"I think there are a lot of facets of Twenty20 cricket that we're still working out how we measure whether someone has been successful," Bailey said. "Part of naming a squad and starting to work out who's going to fit into the jigsaw puzzle of September is exactly that, what will be a group that harmonises well together.

"You could pick the top six or seven run scorers from the Big Bash and the top five leading wicket takers, but in terms of getting a team together it's about melding all those skills of being able to score quickly and being able to score consistently, keeping runs down and taking wickets and putting all of those things together into a team.

"We're getting closer and closer and we have more data on T20 cricket but certainly batting in the middle order it's always going to be a challenge, compared to a Test cricketer where you get to the end of your career and you say well you averaged this and it gives you some indication. I think in T20 you look at whether people are contributing in partnerships, or what stage they come in, or when they hit their boundaries and their sixes, to be an effective cricketer."

Some Australian fans might judge whether Bailey is an effective cricket based on his first two T20 outings this week, if they have not already seen him play. While the pressure of performing as the national captain cannot completely be avoided, Bailey is confident that he shut out any such distractions against India on Wednesday and Friday.

"It's not something I'll be feeling in the group," he said. "Cricketers are aware that we play in a performance-based game and the pressure sometimes of what other people are thinking, that's often built up in the media. Once you're out there performing, you're just out there doing your job to the best of your ability."

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Australia Thrash India By 298-Runs to Complete 4-0 Whitewash in Test Series

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 5th day

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 28, 2012

Australia 7 for 604 dec and 5 for 167 dec beat India 272 and 201 (Sehwag 62, Lyon 4-63, Harris 3-41) by 298 runs

Before the Sydney Test, Glenn McGrath gave his typical prediction that Australia would win the series 4-0. Few people truly expected it to happen. But such has been the gulf between the two sides that four weeks later, Australia wrapped up a whitewash within 59 minutes on the last day at Adelaide Oval, the only Test in the series that India managed to take to a fifth day.

Australia's 298-run victory was finalised when Nathan Lyon found the edge of Umesh Yadav's bat and Brad Haddin gloved the ball cleanly, which led to celebrations from the Australians. Not wild celebrations, though. The restrained type of self-congratulation that follows a long period of work, with the knowledge that even more toil remains ahead.

That the 4-0 series win was not enough to lift Australia out of fourth position on the ICC rankings is an indication of how far the side had fallen, and how much work remains for Michael Clarke and his men. But they are the on the way up. Their next Test tour is to the West Indies in April, and there they can move up the rankings list, closer to their goal of regaining the No.1 spot.

For India, this was the culmination of a miserable year away from home. They remain in third spot on the rankings, but only just. They began the day at 6 for 166, with no hope of chasing the target of 500 or batting all day to play out the draw. The first wicket came when Ishant Sharma edged behind off Ryan Harris for 2, and that was closely followed by Wriddhiman Saha (3) also edging behind off Peter Siddle.

R Ashwin and Zaheer Khan stole a few boundaries but it was only ever a question of which bowlers would get the wickets. Zaheer skied a catch off Ben Hilfenhaus for 15 and the final wicket came when Yadav edged behind with the total on 201. That gave Lyon 4 for 63, an encouraging end to a series in which he was the least effective of Australia's four main bowlers, against batsmen adept at handling spin.

Harris ended up with 3 for 41 but it was appropriate that all four frontline bowlers, including Man of the Match Siddle, picked up at least one wicket. It has been their constant pressure throughout the summer that has kept India's powerful batting line-up in check. Significantly, it was not until the final Test of the series that India found a centurion, and then it was the newest member of the top six, Virat Kohli.

VVS Laxman averaged 19.37 for the series, Virender Sehwag averaged 24.75, Rahul Dravid 24.25, Gautam Gambhir 22.62, MS Dhoni 20.40 and Sachin Tendulkar 35.87. None of them scored as many runs as Kohli, whose 300 came at 37.50, and such results should encourage the selectors to give more opportunities to fresh batsmen.

The Indian bowlers were also below-par. Zaheer finished with 15 wickets at 31.80, a decent result and an indication that he keeps working hard even in trying circumstances, and Yadav showed promise with his 14 wickets at 39.35. But Ishant's five wickets at 90.20, Ashwin's nine victims at 62.77, and the folly of picking Vinay Kumar at the WACA all stood out as disappointments.

Hilfenhaus and Siddle headed the Australian attack throughout the series, and they were wonderful. Clarke and Ricky Ponting were outstanding with the bat. It was a complete display from an Australian unit that heading in the right direction. And a squad that can always look back on this 4-0 result with pride.

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No Decision about Retiring - Dravid

India in Australia 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff

January 28, 2012

Rahul Dravid has said that he has not made a decision on whether to retire or not. There had been reports in the media about Dravid's imminent retirement after the defeat in Adelaide, which prompted the Indian team management to issue a statement saying that none of the senior players were about to quit. That point was reiterated by the acting captain Virender Sehwag, and now Dravid has said there was no need to make decisions immediately.

"I am definitely nearer the end than the beginning, there is no doubt about that," Dravid told Channel Nine. "I haven't made any decision and there is no need to make any decisions now, we're not playing another Test match for seven to eight months so we'll see how it pans out. At my stage in my career it's always about taking it a series at a time and not looking too far ahead, so we'll see what happens."

Dravid was in bad form during India's 0-4 whitewash in Australia, scoring only 194 runs at an average of 24. His failure came after good performances in his previous two series - 319 runs at an average of 64 against West Indies at home, and 461 runs at an average of 77 in England.

None of the other India batsmen averaged over 40 either in Australia and their collective failure led to India's second consecutive 0-4 overseas whitewash. Dravid said it was important that India try and regain ground as a Test team.

"We haven't done so well abroad over the last couple of series but I'm hopeful that some of the young kids will come through. It might take a bit of time but we'll build up a strong base.

"India needs to be a strong Test-playing nation, there are not too many countries playing cricket and I think if India is competitive in Test cricket it does make a difference."

India now play a tri-series in Australia, against the hosts and Sri Lanka, after which they travel to Bangladesh for the Asia Cup in March. The Indian Premier League is scheduled for April and May, after which India will play more limited-overs cricket. Their next Test series is only in August, at home against New Zealand.

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No Need For Anyone to Retire - Sehwag

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 5th day

Sidharth Monga at Adelaide Oval

January 28, 2012

None of the senior players is retiring as of now, the India team has said. There have been reports during the series that VVS Laxman (during Perth) and Rahul Dravid (during Adelaide) might have played their last Test match. After India's 0-4 whitewash, though, the team spokesperson read out a statement saying the reports were rumour and incorrect.

"The team takes note of the stories in the media suggesting the imminent retirement of a member of the Indian team," the spokesperson said. "We would like to clarify the situation by stating categorically that these are not correct and are baseless." The statement didn't name any of the players. "No players from the Indian team will be retiring. It is a rumour. Baseless. Incorrect."

Virender Sehwag, the stand-in captain, said, "I clarify that there is no need for retirement from anybody in this team. And they will take their call when they need it and when they think that their time is up."

The speculation, though, remains rife, especially because India don't play an away Test for the next two years, and it doesn't make sense to carry any player further unless he will be fit and ready for those overseas tours. When asked if he felt the seniors should be phased out, Sehwag said it wasn't his decision. "That's the team management and selectors who will decide," he said. "It is not me or anyone else who will decide. If they think we need something to change, they will do that. If they think we should carry on with the same, and just wait for other players to perform, and if you perform, they will take the call."

Sehwag also supported coach Duncan Fletcher, under whom India have lost eight away Tests in a row. Fletcher's record as a coach in Australia now reads one Test win and 13 losses. "He is a good coach," Sehwag said. "He is talking to a lot of the batsmen and giving his input and making a lot of strategy. When you can't execute your strategy, nothing happens.

"Why should I blame him [Fletcher]? It's the players who let the team down, not the support staff. They are very good. They are giving everything the players ask for. They were throwing to a lot of the batsmen. Thanks to the support staff. They are working hard to make sure the players perform. Make sure they give a good atmosphere for the players to perform."

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Australia Four Wickets Away From a 4-0 Whitewash against India in Test Series

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 4th day

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 27, 2012

India 272 and 6 for 166 (Sehwag 62, Lyon 3-57) need another 334 runs to beat Australia 7 for 604 dec and 5 for 167 dec (Ponting 60*)

Whitewash, clean sweep, shutout. Whatever you like to call it, Australia were on track for a 4-0 series victory over India by stumps on the fourth day in Adelaide. Four wickets stood between Michael Clarke's men and the completion of a remarkable feat. India finished the day needing a further 334 for victory, but a comeback from Kapil Dev is more likely than one from India in this match.

At stumps India were 6 for 166, having been set a target of 500. To put that in perspective, the highest successful chase in all of Test history was 418 by West Indies in Antigua nine years ago. The best in Adelaide was the 315 that Joe Darling's Australia chased down against England 110 years ago. In the past century, the highest Test chase in Adelaide was less than half of what India required in this innings.

Ishant Sharma was at the crease on 2 and Wriddhiman Saha was yet to score when India walked off, any minuscule hope they had having disappeared along with VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli in the dying stages. Laxman and Kohli had steadied, relatively speaking, with a 52-run partnership when Laxman fell victim to his own wristy tendencies.

Clarke set a leg slip, a short leg and a short catching midwicket for Laxman facing the offspin of Nathan Lyon, and on 35 the batsman complied with a flick straight into the hands of Shaun Marsh at short midwicket. The ball had rocketed off the bat but Marsh's reflexes were good enough, and Laxman was left to wonder if it would be his final act in Test cricket.

But even more remarkable was Kohli's departure. India had sent in Ishant as a nightwatchman, traditionally a position that requires a lower-order batsman to maintain the strike and protect the specialist. Instead, Kohli wanted so desperately to face the last over of the day that he pushed the final ball of the penultimate over wide of mid-on and raced off for a risky single.

The ball was collected by Ben Hilfenhaus, whose momentum was carrying him away from the stumps, but his fast throw hit the stumps and Kohli was run-out for 22. It was a wonderful piece of work from Hilfenhaus, hardly the nimblest of Australia's fielders, and as Kohli walked off he thumped his fist on his own helmet in frustration at his ill-judged run.

Already Australia had seen the backs of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. It was the wicket of Tendulkar that really got the hosts going, as it left India at 4 for 110 and ensured that despite Tendulkar's greatness, he had had no serious impact on the series, finishing with 287 runs at an average of 35.87.

Tendulkar was caught for 13 at short leg when he inside edged onto his leg off Lyon and the ball bobbed up to Ed Cowan. Tendulkar walked off to a standing ovation, but at least Australian fans will see him bat again, during the one-day series. Another all-time great, Dravid, almost certainly walked off an Australian ground for the last time a short while earlier.

On 25, Dravid's thick edge off the bowling of Ryan Harris was snapped up by Michael Hussey at gully. Australia were making good progress after Sehwag gave Indian fans a brief glimmer of hope with a brisk half-century. He was so aggressive to anything wide of off stump that 54 of his 62 runs came through the off side, including all 12 of his boundaries, as he gave little regard to the risk of being caught.

Eventually his downfall came when he miscued an attempted slog off a Nathan Lyon full toss and was caught at cover. Already India had lost Gambhir, who will finish the series with a disappointing average of 22.83 after he pushed at a Harris delivery and was caught behind for 3.

India had come to the crease after Clarke allowed his own batsmen to play for three overs after lunch in order to set the target of 500, before he declared with Australia on 5 for 167. Ricky Ponting finished unbeaten on 60 and Brad Haddin was on 11.

As Homer Simpson once pointed out after observing that it was time to play the waiting game, "the waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!" Such was the case in the first session as Australia accumulated more and more runs without any sense of urgency, despite already having ample to defend, with both teams waiting patiently for Clarke's declaration.

Australia added 104 in the first session for the loss of two wickets. Clarke had just started to lift his tempo against the spin of R Ashwin when he feathered a catch behind for 37 off Umesh Yadav, and Hussey was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma for 15.

As the innings moved on, India's batsmen could see that some runs remained in the pitch but the surface was only going to become more difficult, perhaps another reason why Clarke delayed his declaration. Whatever the case, India knew they would have to completely rewrite history in order to escape with a victory.

By stumps, any slim hopes they had were gone.

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Australia in Control Despite Kohli’s Maiden Ton in Adelaide Test

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 3rd day

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 26, 2012

Australia 7 for 604 dec and 3 for 50 (Clarke 9*, Ponting 1*) lead India 272 (Kohli 116, Siddle 5-49, Hilfenhaus 3-62) by 382 runs

It took until the third-last day of the series, but India finally found a Test centurion on this tour after Virat Kohli showed the fight that his colleagues have lacked. But on the national holiday of both India and Australia, there was more for the hosts to celebrate, as Peter Siddle finished with five wickets and Australia ended up with a lead of 382. By stumps, India still faced a major challenge to save the Adelaide Test and avoid a whitewash. If they do lose 4-0, it won't be Kohli's fault.

He was the last man out in India's innings as he chased quick late runs, and was lbw to Ben Hilfenhaus for 116. The Indians fell 133 short of the follow-on mark but Michael Clarke chose not to enforce it, preferring to give his bowlers a break and ensure India had the task of batting last on a pitch where that isn't always easy. By stumps, Australia were 3 for 50, but unless India could skittle the rest cheaply on the fourth morning, the wickets meant little to the match.

David Warner chipped a return catch to R Ashwin for 28 and Ed Cowan (10) was trapped lbw by Ashwin's arm ball, but it was the dismissal of Shaun Marsh sandwiched in between those strikes that the Australians least wanted to see. Marsh was lbw to Zaheer Khan for a duck, completing a series in which he has scored 0, 3, 0, 11, 3 and 0, and sealing his certain axing for the tour of the West Indies.

At the close, Michael Clarke was on 9 and Ricky Ponting had 1, and Australia were likely to aim to bat until about lunch on the fourth day before giving their bowlers the chance to attack India's batsmen again. To avoid defeat, India will need somebody else to stand up in that batting line-up besides Kohli, whose maiden Test hundred was the high point of a dismal tour for the batsmen.

Kohli did have support from Wriddhiman Saha between lunch and tea, and it appeared the two were going to steer India through a session without losing a wicket, something they haven't achieved in the series. That goal proved out of reach when Saha misjudged a leave in the final over before tea and lost his off stump on 35 as Ryan Harris nipped the ball back in.

After the break, Siddle (5 for 49) was quickly on a hat-trick when he had Ashwin lbw for 5 and then Zaheer nicked behind for a golden duck next delivery. Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick ball and gave Kohli some support in scoring 16 before he missed a ball on off stump and was bowled by Hilfenhaus, who finished with 3 for 62.

Umesh Yadav finished not out without having to face a ball as Kohli picked up a few late boundaries with creative hitting over cover and down the ground, which followed some tense words exchanged between Kohli and some of the Australian fielders. It was a fine innings from Kohli, who brought up his maiden Test hundred with a two through the off side, initially caught up in the moment and celebrating after taking the first run before he realised a second was on offer.

He showed his senior colleagues how it was done on a surface not offering a great deal of assistance to the bowlers. In the second session India added 103 as Kohli and Saha both turned the strike over, Kohli especially going for his shots. He brought up his second half-century of the series with a boundary through midwicket off Hilfenhaus, and he was willing to go after the spin of Nathan Lyon and Michael Clarke, including with a slog-sweep for six off Lyon.

His fight was important for India after their miserable pre-lunch session, in which they lost three wickets. By the time Australia lost their fifth wicket they had 520 on the board; India had 111. In the first session of the day they lost Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman as the pressure from Australia's bowlers and fielders built up.

Gambhir and Tendulkar survived the initial morning period and took their partnership to 47 before the introduction of Siddle ended the stand and gave Australia a major boost on the national holiday of both countries. He drew an edge from Tendulkar (25) and the ball flew low to second slip, where Ponting did well to get his fingers under the ball to take the catch.

Siddle proved himself Clarke's go-to man when he also got rid of Gambhir for 34. Not for the first time in the series extra bounce troubled Gambhir, who fended a well-directed short ball that flew high into the off side and was snapped by Michael Hussey, who did well to run in from gully and take the catch diving forward.

It was a fine spell from Siddle, who entered the match with only one Test wicket for 241 runs at the Adelaide Oval. His strikes were followed by a wicket for Lyon, who turned the ball impressively and found an edge from VVS Laxman (18) when the batsman tried to run the ball fine. Brad Haddin completed the catch, and India's pain continued.

Kohli granted them some relief later in the day, but a mountain of work remained for them to save the match.

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Clarke and Ponting Double-Tons Keep Australia on Top in Adelaide Test

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 2nd day

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 25, 2012

India 2 for 61 (Gambhir 30*, Sehwag 18) trail Australia 7 for 604 dec (Ponting 221, Clarke 210) by 543 runs

Michael Clarke entered this Test with a whitewash on his mind. After two days, he could hardly have hoped for Australia to be in a stronger position to push for it. A day that started with Clarke and Ricky Ponting both bringing up double-centuries and producing the highest Test partnership ever recorded at the Adelaide Oval ended with India two wickets down, and still 543 runs in arrears.

Of course, Australia lost three top-order men in the first session of the match and it didn't hurt them, but after nearly 11 hours of roasting in the field, India's batsmen must find some energy on the third day to match Australia. At stumps, Sachin Tendulkar was on 12 and Gautam Gambhir had reached 30, with India on 2 for 61, and on the best batting pitch of the tour India needed someone to bring up the team's first century of the series.

Already they had lost Virender Sehwag, who was brilliantly caught by Peter Siddle off his own bowling on 18. Flat-footed and stuck to the crease, Sehwag toe-edged a ball high to the right of Siddle, who thrust his hand up and pulled in one of the best catches of the summer, and nobody was happier than Ed Cowan, the man who dropped a regulation chance at midwicket when Sehwag had 5.

India were 2 for 31 when Rahul Dravid (1) was bowled for the sixth time in the series, the victim of a strange occurrence when a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery ricocheted off his elbow and down on to the stumps. The Australians hadn't found much swing in the hot Adelaide conditions, but the two breakthroughs gave them a strong start after the outstanding work of their own batsmen.

By pushing the total to 7 for 604 before Clarke declared the innings closed, Australia gave themselves a chance of a third innings victory in the series, something they haven't achieved in more than 60 years. India haven't lost three Tests in a series by an innings in more than 50 years. There's plenty of cricket to be played before such a scenario becomes a realistic possibility, but the groundwork had been laid.

The 386-run partnership between Ponting and Clarke was the fourth-highest of all time for Australia in Test cricket, and all three of the stands above them on the list featured Don Bradman. Clarke became the third player in Test history, after Bradman and Wally Hammond, to score a triple-hundred and a double-century in the same series.

For the sixth time in the series Australia batted through an entire session, this time the first of the day, without losing a wicket. The runs flowed freely as India wilted. Clarke and Ponting went to lunch already having compiled the highest partnership ever recorded in an Adelaide Test, beating the previous record of 341 set by South Africa's Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock in 1963-64. By then, Clarke had his double-ton and Ponting was within touching distance of his.

Clarke brought up his with a clip for two through midwicket off R Ashwin and celebrated another monstrous innings in the series: after his unbeaten 329 in Sydney, he finished this innings with 557 runs already in 2012. All through 2011, he managed 618. He didn't add to his score after lunch; on 210, Clarke was bowled by Umesh Yadav, who kept at the batsmen, despite leaking runs.

Ponting was on 199 when Clarke departed, and his sixth Test double-century came with a strong front-foot pull to the boundary off Yadav. For a while, it looked like Ponting would go on to register his highest Test score, which stood at 257, but eventually the pull brought him undone when he picked out the deep midwicket, Sachin Tendulkar, who took a well-judged catch jumping to his left.

Already India had removed Michael Hussey for 25 with a very sharp piece of work from Gambhir at silly point. Hussey pushed the ball and took off anticipating a single, but Gambhir was good enough to collect the ball cleanly and aware enough to flick it onto the stumps, catching Hussey short.

It was an example of how India needed to field; half-chances had to be grabbed. There weren't always. Ponting was put down on 215 when VVS Laxman at midwicket grassed a chance off the bowling of Ashwin and Ishant Sharma had missed the chance for a return catch when Ponting had 186, the ball struck back at a catchable pace but the bowler not alert enough to get his hands to it.

In the end, India picked up a few wickets, including one off a good carrom ball from Ashwin that kissed the edge of Peter Siddle's bat and was taken by Wriddhiman Saha - his first Test catch. By that stage, India had taken 3 for 13, but Brad Haddin (42 not out) and Ryan Harris (35 not out) refused to make life easy for India and batted through until the declaration came after tea.

For India, it was another dreadful day. The film critic Leonard Maltin's entire review of Police Academy 4 was: "More of the same, only worse". It could also have been said of India in the field, particularly in the morning. The bowling was too often insipid, and Sehwag's captaincy uninspiring and conservative.

At times, he did not appear to think taking a wicket was that important. Ashwin was given fields that encouraged him to bowl straight, and both Clarke and Ponting picked off the runs with ease. Ashwin finished with an unwanted record of his own, his 3 for 194 the most expensive bowling analysis ever recorded in an Adelaide Test, but he had his captain to thank - or blame - for much of that.

By stumps, it was all down to India's batsmen. The pitch had plenty of runs in it. India just needed their batsmen to find them.

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Ponting and Clarke Thrash India on Day 1 of Adelaide Test

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 1st day

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

January 24, 2012

Australia 3 for 335 (Clarke 140*, Ponting 137*) v India

Michael Clarke knew when he won the toss that this Adelaide Oval pitch would be perfect for batting. As the team's No.5, he wasn't expecting to be in before lunch. When he and Ricky Ponting came together in the opening session, Australia were 3 for 84. It wasn't quite precarious, but nor was it secure. By stumps, they were 3 for 335. Clarke and Ponting both had hundreds. It was Australia Day, 48 hours early.

On a day when the temperature hit 37C, the Indians were down on energy and, by stumps, they were down on hope. The series was already lost, but this match was a chance to regain some respect. For a session, it appeared they were going to do that. Of course, if the pitch remains this good, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Co might also fill their boots, but first they'll need to get through Australia.

Already the Ponting-Clarke partnership had swollen to 251, and was reminiscent of their 288-run stand at the SCG earlier this month. That partnership was followed by an even better triple-century stand between Clarke and Michael Hussey. The captain MS Dhoni was unable to find a way to break through that combination, and he might have been glad of his suspension for slow over rates as he watched Sehwag struggle with a similar scenario in Adelaide.

Not that India didn't have their chances. On 36, Clarke chased a wide delivery from Ishant Sharma and edged to where first slip should have been, but Sehwag had the fielder floating at second slip instead. So early in an Adelaide Test it was a strange field setting. Not long after, Sehwag removed the slips entirely. How he intended to find a wicket was anyone's guess.

Shortly before stumps, Ishant again found the edge against Clarke, on 133 at the time, with the second new ball. This time there were two slips in, but VVS Laxman at second could not cling on diving to his right. It would be understandable to be exhausted in mind and body at the end of a long, hot day, but India simply needed every half-chance to be taken.

By the close, Clarke was on 140 and had overtaken Ponting, who flew out of the blocks before settling in throughout the afternoon and went to stumps on 137. It was Ponting's second century of the series, and unless he makes a surprise retirement announcement, he will be on the plane to the West Indies for Australia's next Test tour in April.

It was apparent from the start of his innings that Ponting was in vintage touch. He played three classic Ponting strokes, a punchy straight drive, a searing pull and a back-foot drive through the off side. All were perfectly timed and all ran away to the boundary, and after lunch the runs kept coming with lofts off the spinners, crunchy drives and ones and twos that kept the scoreboard ticking over.

He settled in to his rhythm and passed 13,000 Test runs, the third man behind Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to reach the mark, but a subdued bat-raise and handshake with Clarke was all that the milestone brought. As far as Ponting was concerned, plenty of work lay ahead. He brought up his hundred with a boundary cut behind point off Zaheer Khan from his 164th ball, and this time he did celebrate.

At the other end, Clarke was already catching up, having taken to the offspin of R Ashwin. He brought up his fifty with a lofted boundary over mid-on off Ashwin, and followed with three boundaries in another Ashwin over, all through the off side, as runs flowed easily for the Australians. Clarke's century arrived from his 133rd delivery with a steer to the third-man boundary off Umesh Yadav, who had a horror day and finished with 0 for 87 off 12 overs.

Clarke's innings was all the more impressive given the situation when he came to the crease shortly before lunch. Early in the day's play, Sehwag showed some tactical nous by introducing Ashwin within the first 15 minutes. His intention was to keep a check on David Warner, who had launched Umesh Yadav back over his head for an all-run four in the second over of the game.

Warner was keen to go after the fast men but was more hesitant against the spin, and while it was the Zaheer Khan who trapped Warner lbw for 8, Sehwag's move had ensured Warner stayed quiet. Ashwin added a breakthrough of his own when he pushed a ball through the big gap between bat and pad left by Shaun Marsh, who was anticipating spin and missed a straight one.

The ball clipped his off stump and Marsh was out for 3, continuing his horror series and perhaps giving John Inverarity's selection panel an easy decision when Shane Watson returns from injury. Marsh's Test scores since returning from a back injury now read 0, 3, 0, 11, 3. From either side, only Nathan Lyon is averaging less with the bat than Marsh this series.

After Marsh departed, Ponting and Ed Cowan steadied with a 53-run partnership, both men keen to keep the scoreboard ticking, but a lapse in concentration on 30 ended Cowan's innings. He drove Ashwin straight to short cover and it was a soft dismissal, especially coming as it did within a quarter of an hour of the lunch break, on a pitch promising plenty of runs.

After lunch, Ponting and Clarke showed Cowan what he was missing. And they showed India how hard it would be to finish the Test series with a consolation win.

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Australia Looking For 4-0 Whitewash against India in Test Series

Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale

January 23, 2012

Match facts
January 24-28, Adelaide Oval
Start time 10:30 (00:00 GMT)

Big Picture

Four weeks ago, the first Test started in Melbourne on Boxing Day amid great expectations of a closely-fought tour and India's best chance of pulling off a series win in Australia. Now after three Tests, none of which have lasted five days, the best India can hope for is a consolation victory in Adelaide. They will do so without their captain MS Dhoni, who was suspended after India's loss in Perth due to slow over rates, and under the guidance of the stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag. At least Adelaide Oval is a venue that will give the Indians hope: in their past two Tests there, they have managed a win and a draw.

As is so often the case in dead rubbers these days, there are plenty of sub-plots to keep things interesting. There is the question of whether leadership will bring out the best in Sehwag, who has had a disappointing tour with only one half-century. There is debate around the future of VVS Laxman, the most vulnerable of the seniors in India's middle order. And there's the ongoing hundredth hundred saga.

For Australia, Michael Hussey has announced his intentions to play on for the next Test tour, but the last Test of the home summer is traditionally a time for farewells, so for Australia there is the chance, albeit slim, that Ricky Ponting or Brad Haddin might call it quits after the game. There is the matter of whether Shaun Marsh or Ed Cowan can score a big hundred to secure their place whenever Shane Watson returns.

There are enough reasons to watch this Test over the next five days. Now let's just hope the match lasts that long.

Form guide
(most recent first)
Australia WWWLW
India LLLDW

Players to watch ...

Last time the Adelaide Oval hosted a Test match, Nathan Lyon's main job was to cut the grass. Now his brief is to bowl offbreaks to some of the world's best handlers of spin. It has been a remarkable rise for Lyon, who joined the groundstaff in Adelaide last summer before being plucked out of net sessions by the state coach Darren Berry to play in the South Australia side. The rest is history. Expect plenty of support for Lyon in his first Test at his adopted home venue.

Virat Kohli has shown that there is batting talent in India beyond the seemingly untouchable seniors. He is yet to make that big hundred that will really launch his Test career but his 44 and 75 at the WACA were impressive contributions as wickets tumbled through India's two innings. He should enjoy batting at the Adelaide Oval, where he can make himself a permanent member of the Test side with a maiden century.

Team news

The offspinner Lyon will return, and the only question for Australia was which of the fast men would make way. The answer came on the day before the match: the left-armer Mitchell Starc was squeezed out and was named 12th man. Starc was impressive in Perth but still falls below Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris in the pecking order.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Dhoni's suspension will mean the inclusion of the backup wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, while R Ashwin should return after the ill-fated experiment of using Vinay Kumar as a fourth seamer at the WACA. A progressive selection panel would consider giving Rohit Sharma a chance at the expense of the out-of-form Laxman, but India's selectors are expected to stick with the proven Laxman.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Pitch and conditions

The Adelaide Oval pitch is usually viewed as a batsman's paradise, but often there is something in it for the fast bowlers early on the first day. "It will always produce spin later on as the game goes," the curator Damien Hough said. "Normally there will be a little bit of inconsistent bounce on days four and five, so I wouldn't expect anything else."

The forecast for the match is hot and sunny for all five days, with temperatures expected to hit 37C on the first day.

Stats and trivia

Virender Sehwag has captained India in three previous Tests, for two victories and a draw
Ricky Ponting needs 81 runs to reach 13,000 in Test cricket
Should Australia win, it will be their first series whitewash against India since 1999-2000
Australia have won just one of the past four Adelaide Tests

Quotes

"Anything less than a 4-0 defeat of this powerful Indian team will be a disappointment to all of us."
Michael Clarke

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George Bailey Named Australia's T20 Captain and Brad Hogg Back in Australian T20 Squad

Australia v India 2011-12

Brydon Coverdale

January 23, 2012

Cameron White has been dumped as Australia's Twenty20 captain and replaced by George Bailey for the two matches against India next week. And Australia's selectors have announced the surprise recall of the 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who made a T20 comeback this summer and has been the standout slow bowler in the Big Bash League

In a major shake-up eight months before the ICC World Twenty20, the new selection panel under John Inverarity has sent a clear message that the T20 side needed refreshment. Australia made the final of the 2010 World T20, but since then they have lost seven matches and won only two, and sit fifth on the ICC rankings behind England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

The appointment of White as captain when Michael Clarke retired from the format last January was made by Andrew Hilditch's selection panel with a view to building towards this year's World T20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September. However, White made just 55 runs at an average of 7.85 in the BBL this season and Inverarity's panel has made the change with at least four matches on Australia's schedule before the World T20.

Bailey, the captain of Tasmania and a team-mate of White at the Melbourne Stars, has not been in outstanding form either, having scored 114 runs at 19. However, he was viewed by the selectors as the right man to lead the side, with David Warner his vice-captain, while the Test vice-captain Shane Watson was not considered for the two games against India due to his ongoing injury problems.

"The Australian T20 team has been ranked a rather disappointing sixth in the world and we've certainly considered that the team needs refreshment," Inverarity said in announcing the squad in Melbourne on Monday. "It would be fair to say the national selection panel has been discussing this T20 squad for six or seven weeks.

"If you look at [Bailey's] record as captain ... I'm of the view that Tasmania have done particularly well in recent years because of the leadership they've had, the well-defined leadership of Daniel Marsh and ... then George has taken over. Last season they won the Shield under George, the year before they won the one-day competition under George. The results are there.

"He's widely respected throughout Australia. Those who play with him regard him very highly as a captain and as a leader. We've seen from Michael Clarke's leadership, he has done very well not least because of his astute decision making on the field and George certainly has that too."

The decision means Bailey, 29, will play his first match for Australia in any format next week, and he will do it as captain. Bailey has been part of an Australian squad in the past - he was called up for the ODIs in New Zealand in early 2010 when Clarke returned home for personal reasons - but did not win a cap.

"It has [come out of the blue] in some ways but it's something I feel like I'm ready to do and I'm very excited by," Bailey said. "I think once you have been captain and played in the team for a little while, any time you're on the field you're always thinking. I haven't captained during this Big Bash but even so I've always been thinking about what I'd be doing in similar circumstances, who I'd be bowling and field placements and things like that. I don't think that part of you ever goes away."

When he walks out as leader for the T20 at Sydney's Stadium Australia next Wednesday and the match at the MCG two days later, Bailey will be in charge of a new-look side. The fast-bowling allrounder James Faulkner will be in line for his debut, while the batsman Travis Birt has earned a recall nearly two years after his last international appearance.

But the big talking point, besides the captaincy, was the recall of Hogg, whose left-arm wrist-spin has been a major reason the Perth Scorchers have made the BBL final. Hogg retired from all cricket four years ago but made his T20 comeback this summer, and Inverarity said if all went well, Hogg would be part of Australia's squad at the World T20 in spinning conditions in Sri Lanka this year.

"In my conversation with Brad it was that it would be the World Cup and that if he was selected our interest with him wouldn't go beyond that," Inverarity said. "Of course it could change. But that's the general intention ... Two months ago we probably weren't thinking about Brad Hogg. [BBL] games have changed when he's come on to bowl. He has been outstanding."

The inclusion of Hogg meant there was no room for Steven Smith or Steve O'Keefe, two slow bowlers who had been part of the T20 side in recent months. Xavier Doherty was the other specialist spinner named to take on India. Brett Lee, Clint McKay and Daniel Christian will round out the attack, while Matthew Wade was not surprisingly named as the wicketkeeper.

Michael Hussey was not named in the squad but Inverarity clarified that his exclusion was a workload issue. Hussey almost singlehandedly blasted Australia into the final of the World T20 in 2010 with a brilliant innings in the semi-final, and although he has not played a T20 international in a year and a half, he is expected to be part of the squad when Australia play two matches in the Caribbean in late March.

"Mike is being rested for this," Inverarity said. "Mike has had a pretty gruelling schedule of Test matches - Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and India. I had a chat to Mike in Perth about a week ago and we're looking to give him a little bit of a break here, and probably in the early stages of the ODIs so he comes out fresh. We're also keen to try some of these younger players. But at this stage there'd be no doubt that Mike Hussey would be playing in the T20s in the West Indies."

Australia T20 Squad: George Bailey (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade (wk)

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Goal is to be No. 1 by the Ashes - Warner

India in Australia 2011-12

Daniel Brettig

January 18, 2012

Umesh Yadav's bouncer is not the only thing making Australia's opener David Warner dizzy right now. At Sydney's Olympic Stadium he was peppered with questions about his captaincy aspirations, which may be pushed further if he is appointed to lead Australia's Twenty20 team in two internationals against India in February.

While Warner deflected most of them with due deference to the incumbent, Cameron White, he also reinforced Australia's desire to complete a 4-0 sweep of India in the final Test at the Adelaide Oval from January 24.

"As Michael Clarke said the other day after the game, celebrate your win, but at the end of the day we want to try and beat the second team in the world four-nil," Warner said. "That's a massive thing for us at the moment. Where we are placed at the moment, our goal is to become No. 1 again by the next Ashes in 2013. If we can keep working towards that, our goals will be achieved."

In response to the question of whether or not India look a beaten team, Warner was frank in suggesting it would be difficult for some members of the touring party to visualise scoring plenty of runs in Adelaide given their recent returns.

"There might be a lot of people in their shed wondering how they're going to score runs," Warner said. "In my mind there is probably only one player, and that's Sachin Tendulkar, who looks like he's using a sight screen when he comes out to bat. [But] the other players, they're all world-class players. You look at the amount of runs they've got in the top six in their careers it's phenomenal ... We are expecting them to show some aggression in this next Test."

Beyond the Test lie the T20s and the triangular ODI series. A groundswell is building to have Warner installed as the national T20 captain, following glowing assessments of his leadership capability from the head coach Mickey Arthur and the former Test opener Simon Katich, among others. But Warner was careful not to tread on White's toes, even as the Melbourne Stars captain endures a dire Big Bash League.

"One day it might happen but for now Cameron White is the captain. And I am still going to be playing by his rules," Warner said. "He is a class player, we've seen that many times with Cameron that he can come out and fire ... with Cameron's ability with the bat to clear the fence, we are backing him 100%.

"I am just excited and overwhelmed that they are looking at me as a possibility for the future. It's a massive achievement for people to say that but at the end of the day I just have to concentrate on my cricket."

For now that concentration is still affected by the after-effects of Yadav's blow to the side of Warner's head, a rare lapse during his 180. Warner said he was in regular touch with Australia's physio Alex Kountouris but was on course to be fit for Adelaide.

"I think I'm over it. I had a little bit of a dizzy spell yesterday morning. I spoke to Alex Kountouris about that and it's generally what happens," Warner said. "I was fine when I got hit. I didn't have a black out or anything. You've just got to try and get up and keep playing.

"At the moment it's a day by day thing. I've got to speak to Alex this afternoon about how I'm feeling. At the moment I'm feeling quite fine. I can't say I have been waking up and seeing Umesh hitting me in the head with the ball. You don't really like getting hit in the head ... Hopefully next time I can just keep my eye on the ball."

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Laxman Has Right to Decide when to Go - Gambhir

India in Australia 2011-12

Sidharth Monga in Perth

January 17, 2012

Gautam Gambhir has come out in support of the under-pressure VVS Laxman, saying nobody has the right to decide when he should retire. There have been reports coming out of India, quoting BCCI officials, which say Laxman is going to retire soon. One report even said that Laxman might have played his last Test in Perth. Adding to that is criticism from former players, who feel the team is aged and urgently needs the infusion of fresh youngsters.

Gambhir said it was not fair for anyone other than the player himself to talk of retirement, or for people to criticise just one man. "Look, my question is, why criticise one person? He has been a legend of the game. It's not only, VVS Laxman but all of us [who have underperformed]. The top six, the top seven should be criticised equally. We have all failed as a unit. So why only VVS Laxman?

"He has been a legend of the game. He has served Indian cricket for a long, long time. There should not be anyone [else] who should be deciding about his retirement. It should be him. Whenever he wants to take it, he should take it. Rather than criticising just one person, you should be criticising all seven batsmen who have failed as a unit. The entire team is behind him [Laxman], and I have always believed you should not criticise only one or two people. If you are to criticise, criticise all seven batsmen who have not performed well and let the team down.

"No one should decide when people should retire, it should be the individual's decision. And it would always be an individual's decision. Whether it be the media or people back home or whether it's ex-cricketers, I think no one has any right to force anyone to take retirement. It should be his personal decision. He has served Indian cricket for a very long time, and he is still working very hard, as people have seen in the nets. I have said it's just a matter of one innings. With one good innings he will be confident again."

Whether Laxman is going to retire anytime soon or not is not clear, but the indications here are that Laxman will play the Adelaide Test. India had a full training session at the WACA ground, and Laxman batted for a long time. Duncan Fletcher, the coach, spent most of his time working with Laxman, especially when Trevor Penny, the fielding coach, gave him throwdowns.

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Team Deserves the Criticism - Gambhir

India in Australia 2011-12

Sidharth Monga in Perth

January 17, 2012

Gautam Gambhir has said that the Indian team has earned the criticism they are receiving back home through their performance, and that to be the No. 1 Test side in the world again they will have to find ways to win away from home.

"I am not someone who will hesitate to take responsibility," Gambhir said. "I think we have not played well. I will be the first one to accept it. If we want to be the No. 1 Test-playing nation in the world, we have to do well overseas. That has been always my stand. You have to do well in England, South Africa and Australia.

"Whatever backlash is happening in India, we are ready to accept it. We have given the opportunity to people back home to give whatever they are giving [us]. There is a lot of expectation from us, that we should have done well. And with the kind of batting line-up we have, we should have done well."

Gambhir said that the side was looking forward to the Adelaide Test, and the triangular ODI series that follows. "It is disappointing but the mood is absolutely fine," Gambhir said. "When you are playing for your country and there is another Test match coming around in six days, you need to be up for it. I know things haven't gone our way, but still we need to be positive. There is a one-day series coming up. Hopefully we can play well in Adelaide, and take the momentum into the one-day series. When you are playing for your country you still have to turn out and be positive, and try and look at it as a new Test and try to win."

Gambhir had a terrible start to the series with his first three innings, brief ones, ending in pokes outside off. He began to leave the ball better from the second innings in Sydney onwards. His 83 is the highest score for an Indian batsman in the series, but he knows it is not enough to compete in Test matches. "We have got starts but we have not been able to convert them into big hundreds," Gambhir said. "Everyone in the top seven have got half-centuries, but they are not able to convert it into big hundreds. That is where we have been lacking. These things happen, and we are working hard and hopefully things turn around. We have seen things turn around very soon in international cricket, and hopefully Adelaide is the place where it turns around."

Gambhir, though, said the whole batting unit takes the responsibility for the failure, and that the openers or VVS Laxman should not be criticised in isolation. "It's not just the openers or the middle order," he said. "We need to combine as a unit. All batsmen need to play well, and all have to take responsibility. When you fail, you fail as a unit.

"Opening [the innings] is very important, and when you can give a good start obviously it helps the entire batting unit, but there will be times when you will not be doing well. I will always be the first one to take responsibility that I could not live up to the expectations of people back home, and that's something I need to answer [for]. The kind of expectations the common man has from me, that is where I need to be answerable. I need to accept that responsibility. Things can really turn around quickly."

One of the seven batsmen who have scored fifties is Virender Sehwag, and he will be captaining the side in Adelaide in MS Dhoni's absence. However, Gambhir said the magic turnaround doesn't have to come from the captain, but from the whole side. "The captain is only as good as his team," he said. "There have been no great captains, and captains don't make a difference, it's the XI that makes the difference. MS has done a great job, it's just that the entire team has not performed. It's not just MS, it's the entire team that has to take blame. With Viru coming in as the skipper, it's still the 11 people who have to perform."

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