India in Australia, 2007-08
I want to be a better Test batsman, says Yuvraj
Cricinfo staff
December 15, 2007

Yuvraj Singh: "We want a quiet series and our focus is on playing good cricket. But if we are pushed around too much, there will be something from our side too" © Getty Images

Fresh from a glorious 169 in the Bangalore Test against Pakistan, Yuvraj Singh is looking ahead to what he hopes will be an equally successful tour of Australia. The pitches will be bouncier, and the quality of the opposition bowlers will be a lot better, but Yuvaj is confident he, and the rest of the Indian team, will cope well.
"Right now, I am practising with hard plastic and synthetic balls in order to get used to the pace and bounce of the Australian tracks," Yuvraj told the Times of India. "I'm generally happy with the way I'm striking the ball. In fact, the time has come for me to concentrate harder in order to emerge a better Test batsman."
Since making his Test debut more than four years back, Yuraj has only played 20 Tests, thanks mainly to India's experienced and star-studded middle order, which has ensured few vacancies. He has generally done well when given the opportunities - scoring hundreds on two previous tours to Pakistan - and his century in Bangalore means he has an excellent chance of being part of the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
The team has only once practice game before that match, but Yuvraj was not unduly bothered by that. "If you are playing international cricket, you have to be prepared to play in any condition. Yes, we played the series against Pakistan on wickets that were low and slow but we are ready for the faster tracks in Australia."
Australia's recent one-day series was marred by plenty of verbal confrontations, suggesting that India's tour could also be a heated one. Yuvraj said India did not want a verbal warfare with Australia but warned they would respond if pushed. "We want a quiet series and our focus is on playing good cricket. But if we are pushed around too much, there will be something from our side too. We are not going to take anything lying down."
Yuvraj felt if the batsmen can post big scores, the bowlers could be effective in Australia. "Injuries have bothered some of our key bowlers recently. Right now, most of them are fit and raring to go. If we can put some good scores on the board, bowlers like Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Irfan Pathan are quite capable of taking the wickets."
He picked Sourav Ganguly, along with Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, as a key figure in the upcoming series. "He [Ganguly] is very positive and is showing the desire to stay at the wicket. He has changed his mindset."
Yuvraj was also effusive in his praise of Anil Kumble's captaincy. "He has been a very good captain with plenty of experience. His first win as Test captain must be very special to him. He is very aggressive and hungry for success."
India play four Tests against Australia, starting December 26 in Melbourne.
© Cricinfo

India in Australia, 2007-08
'I'm essentially a bowler who can bat' - Pathan
Cricinfo staff
December 15, 2007

Irfan Pathan: "The results might not show that, but I know for sure that I'm bowling well. If I'm able to continue the good work, the wickets will come." © AFP

Irfan Pathan has said he can be good allrounder but he sees himself as a bowler who can bat. "I'm happy to be able to contribute with the bat," Pathan told the Times of India. At the end of the day, if you have scored runs for your team, it helps your bowling to a great extent. I'm grateful to God for giving me the chance to score that hundred against Pakistan. I really cherished the moment."
"An allrounder takes wickets and scores runs regularly, so it is important to be consistent with the bat. As of now, I have to work harder on my batting to be called an allrounder."
Pathan was happy with his bowling form and was confident that the wickets will come soon. "I'm a very confident bowler now. The results might not show that, but I know for sure that I'm bowling well. If I'm able to continue the good work, the wickets will come. It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know your limitations, you are in a good position to analyse your action. My one-day form has helped my cause."
Pathan said he is looking forward to play in Australia, where he made his Test debut in 2003 in Adelaide. "You can say that I grew up in international cricket in Australia ... that series helped me understand the nuances of bowling at the highest level. I know how the Australian wickets will behave. In Australia, I just need to pitch the ball in the right areas. When it is new, the Kookaburra ball swings more than the SG ball. But you need the right grip and technique to move the ball effectively."
He lauded the contribution of the bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. "He is of great help, not just to me, but to everyone in the team. He boosts our confidence every time we take the field. Most importantly, he has played a lot of cricket for India and his knowledge is very useful. He analyses everyone and discusses nitty-gritty with the bowlers. We are glad to have someone like him with the team."
Pathan was hopeful of India's chances in the upcoming series. "We have a balanced team. Our batting is strong and our bowlers are capable of taking 20 wickets. All the Australian batsmen are aggressive. I enjoy playing against them and there is no particular batsman I see as a threat."
© Cricinfo

'We have the potential to upset Aussies'

Rajdeep Sardesai | CNN-IBN
Anil Kumble has tasted success in his very first stint as Test captain of India, taking his team to a 1-0 win over Pakistan in the recently concluded Test series. CNN-IBN's Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai sat down with captain Kumble for a chat.
Anil Kumble: Captaincy has definitely given me a shot in the arm in terms of the enthusiasm. And it is definitely a motivation for me at this time in my career. And it's come at a time when probably it's right. So, I've enjoyed it so far, and there are tough tours ahead.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Anil, let's look more seriously to the challenges ahead. Australia is going to be a tough, tough tour. Do you really think we can beat the Australians?
Anil Kumble: Yes, we can. We have the potential, because we have the batting line-up to put the runs on the board. If we can put the runs on the board, I've always believed that we have the ability to get 20 wickets.
Rajdeep Sardesai:You actually think that beating Australia in Australia, is that the final frontier really? Is that the Mount Everest of cricket today to beat Australia in Australia?
Anil Kumble: It is, in a sense, to do well against Australia, is everybody's challenge, because they are the top team in world cricket. And to do that in their home ground is something very special.
We came very close to doing that in 2003. We had our opportunities which we didn't take. Maybe this time around, if we repeat the performance in terms of our batting abilities there, I'm sure we can do that again.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Your opponents also fear you. I asked this to Adam Gilchrist, and he said the one cricketer he feared playing on Indian wickets was Anil Kumble. They are terrified of you.
Anil Kumble: It's a compliment coming from someone like Adam Gilchrist. I hope that fear continues for the next four Test matches.

India will be scared of Tait: Akhtar

Press Trust Of India
Melbourne: Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar has urged the Australians to pick Shaun Tait for the upcoming Test series against India as the slinger would be a scary proposition for Anil Kumble's men on the quick tracks here.
"The Australians must pick Shaun Tait. I'm telling you, the Indians will be scared of him. They're not comfortable with pace at all," Akhtar told the Sunday Telegraph.
Tait, whose action was questioned by the visiting New Zealand team in the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee series, could make the cut for the series against India if the selectors opt for an all-pace attack.
India take on Ricky Ponting's men in a four-Test series starting December 26 here and Akhtar felt the hosts will need to prepare quick and bouncy tracks to shake up the formidable batting line-up of the visiting side.
"If the Aussies make nice quick pitches, they will be jumping all over the place," he said.
Akhtar, who was rendered ineffective in the recently-concluded three-Test series against India due to ill-health and placid tracks, felt the game was loaded heavily in favour of the batsmen and called on the administrators to give a thought to the bowlers' plight.
"Cricket has become so boring. I don't like the regulations in the game. Too many rules. You can't bowl like the days of Bodyline," he said.
"The bowlers do not have enough power in the game. We can't bowl as many bouncers as we'd like. People want to see a good fight between bat and ball. This is very important for the health of cricket," Akhtar added.
The flamboyant Pakistani bowler felt that even average batsmen were piling up runs due to batting-friendly pitches.
"Why can't we give batsmen a hard time? Cricket now belongs to the batsmen. India scored over 600 against us the other day. It's boring.
"I see average batsmen getting huge scores and so many guys are getting 6000 and 7000 runs in Tests," he complained.
On Australia grooming Michael Clarke as a future captain, Akhtar felt the left-hander still had miles to go before being a worthy successor to Ricky Ponting.
Akhtar said promoting Clarke ahead of vice-captain Adam Gilchrist was unfair on the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman.
"For me, he (Clarke) still has a lot to prove in the Australian side. They keep mentioning him as a future captain but it is nonsense to announce him like this," he said.
"To make him captain over Adam Gilchrist in the Twenty20 game, this can irritate the senior players. Adam is entitled to be angry," he added.
The pacer also said that the burden of captaincy may actually end up ruining the left-hander's career.
"There is too much pressure on Clarke. He's having to act like a captain but he's not a captain. What happens if he struggles as a batsman in the next 10 Tests and is dropped, what then? I think Gilchrist deserves more respect," he said.

'He's not close to the class of Warne and MacGill'
Harbhajan wants Hogg to play at MCG
Cricinfo staff
December 17, 2007

Harbhajan Singh, who faced up to Andrew Symonds in India, says "if somebody gives it to us, we will give it back" © Getty Images

Harbhajan Singh has taken aim at Brad Hogg by saying he believes there are no quality spinners in Australia behind Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill. With India due to arrive to prepare for the Boxing Day Test, Harbhajan has landed an early verbal blow as Australia consider whether to employ four fast bowlers or look to Hogg.
The Indians would love Hogg to be picked for the MCG. "From our point of view, we would be happy to see how Hogg would go against the best players of spin in the world," Harbhajan told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It would be a big test for him, and we all know how he bowls."
Harbhajan said Hogg was "not close to the class of Warne and MacGill". "If they play Hoggy, I will wish him all the best because I have nothing against him, but I would be happy to see him bowl at our batsmen."
Hogg has been a major weapon for Australia in one-day games, but he has not appeared in a Test since the Zimbabwe series in 2003. He has played only four Tests and was part of the squad for the first match against Sri Lanka in November. MacGill was due to be the No. 1 spinner after Warne's retirement, but that changed when he had surgery on his wrist in the hope of correcting carpal tunnel.
Geoff Lawson, the Pakistan coach, said Australia would be better off not using Hogg on Boxing Day. "It depends on how the pitches are looking, of course, but India doesn't have a problem playing spin," he said in the Herald. "Hogg has been great in one-day cricket but I think ... Australia should use four quicks." Lawson said Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds could chip in to provide the slow bowling.
Lawson, whose team lost a series to India last week, warned the Australians they would not take any physical or verbal backward steps. "They will stand up to whatever is thrown at them," he said. Harbhajan agreed with Lawson's view.
"We're not just going to take it," he said. "If somebody gives it to us, we will give it back. We have the quality in our side, and if we all stick together we can give the Australians a good fight. We respect their team and the kind of cricket they play, but we don't fear them."
© Cricinfo

neither is bhajji lol

We can win in Australia - Ganguly

Many observers belive Ganguly is playing the best cricket of his career

Sourav Ganguly believes the absence of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath could see India clinch their first ever Test series victory on Australian soil. Fresh from victory over Pakistan, India travel to Australia this week hoping to improve on their 2003/04 series draw.
"I think we are the two best sides in the world," former India captain Ganguly told BBC World Service Sport.
"We did well in 2003 but without McGrath and Warne, I'm sure that will make a difference."
Australia have played just one series since the retirement of McGrath and Warne - who boast 1,271 Test wickets between them - at the end of the Ashes series last January.
Ricky Ponting's side are currently well clear at the top of the ICC Test rankings, while India are one of four teams vying for second place.

They are a very strong team - probably the best in the world - so we will really have to raise our game Sourav Ganguly

Captained by Anil Kumble, India begin a three-day a warm-up match against Victoria in Melbourne on 20 December, with the first of four Tests starting in the same city on 26 December.
Ganguly, currently India's fifth-highest overall run-scorer in Tests, admitted a trip to Australia is the hardest tour in cricket but claimed India are full of hope.
"It will be a massive series in their backyard, they are a very strong team - probably the best in the world - so we will really have to raise our game if we are to compete," he said.
Ganguly, who in the past year has make a remarkable return to international cricket after being dropped from the national team in early 2006, says spin bowling could prove crucial.
While India have Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, Australia may have to look to one-day specialist Brad Hogg and first choice Stuart MacGill is recovering from wrist surgery.
"All good Test teams have good spinners and for Australia to lose Warne is going to make a difference," Ganguly continued.
"For us, [pace bowler] Sree Santh will definitely be missed.

606: DEBATE This is our last great chance for a few years to win a Test series in Oz. Can we do it? mange1991bcfc

"But at the same time we have two quality spin bowlers. And out of the four Test matches we are playing at three venues - Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide - which spin."
"Definitely if we can put runs up on the board that will be the key and put us in a position to get them out."
While denying that Australia "fear" India, Ganguly insisted the home team will know they face a tough challenge.
"I spoke to some of the other players when they were in India, and they feel we are the only team which competes with them," he said.
"They have probably beaten most other teams quite easily, apart from the Ashes in 2005, so it is for this reason it will be a tightly-contested series.
"We just want to do well in the four Test matches and take one match at a time.
"Obviously if we can win the series, that will be fantastic. But we know we will have to play really well to do it.
"It's not impossible."

BBC

But Tait is tempting
Waugh cries for Hogg on Boxing Day
Cricinfo staff
December 18, 2007

Steve Waugh says if Brad Hogg is not picked now he might never get a chance © Getty Images

Steve Waugh has backed the traditional line-up of three fast bowlers and a spinner for the Boxing Day Test against India. Despite a surge in popularity for Shaun Tait over the past two weeks, Waugh believes Brad Hogg should take the spot left by Stuart MacGill when he had surgery on his wrist.
"It's probably 50-50 right now, but Hogg deserves a chance," Waugh told the Daily Telegraph. "He has never let Australia down. He has proven one of our best one-day players in the last four years."
Hogg has appeared in only four Tests, the last coming in 2003, while Tait was called twice on the 2005 Ashes tour. Waugh said if Hogg was not chosen now he might never come back.
"Tait is probably ready to go and there would be a temptation to play him," he said. "Hogg deserves a chance. If you don't give him a chance now, he will probably never get a chance. If it doesn't work, you can always make a change for the second and third Tests.''
Tait's limited-overs speed against New Zealand has been fierce and he has proved his right elbow has recovered from surgery. However, Waugh would prefer Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson in the side if three fast men were picked.
Waugh said India were more comfortable against spin than pace. "If they can get stuck into their top order with some short stuff and be very aggressive, it's a bit of an ageing batting line-up, too," he said. "There are a few question marks over India although on the other side is that they have a lot of experience."
India start their tour with a three-day game against Victoria at the Junction Oval on Thursday and Ian Healy felt they had arrived too late to adjust to the conditions. "Another fortnight might have been perfect," he told the paper.
"They are coming off some hard cricket of late, but hard cricket in totally opposite conditions. That's not good. I just think they are going to have to cram too much, too quickly at a time when they really need to be spot-on for Melbourne and Sydney because Perth could be dangerous for them.''
© Cricinfo

Bowlers picked in 12-man outfit
Hogg and Tait push for Test place
Peter English
December 18, 2007

Shaun Tait has sped back into the Australia squad after proving his fitness against New Zealand © Getty Images

Brad Hogg will face another last-minute battle to resume his Test career after he was named in a 12-man squad alongside Shaun Tait for the first match against India. Hogg lost a bowl-off to Stuart MacGill for the opening game of the Sri Lanka series, but he is now in a different fight as the selectors decide whether to field an all-pace attack at the MCG on Boxing Day or include his left-arm spin.
Steve Waugh has pushed for Hogg's inclusion and Harbhajan Singh would love him to play, believing he is significantly inferior to MacGill or Shane Warne. "Brad deserves the opportunity to once again represent Australia in Test cricket," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said.
Hogg, who has not appeared in a Test since 2003, has been an outstanding performer in Australia's one-day sides, but he has struggled in first-class fixtures since taking eight wickets against Victoria, adding another five victims in three games. With MacGill out following wrist surgery for at least two matches, and probably the entire series, Hogg has an opportunity to play a string of games.
However, containing India's batsmen during 25 overs a day is a much harder task for Hogg than attacking them during a one-day international when they are obliged to hit out. India's plans could involve going after Hogg or sitting on him - and his hard-to-pick wrong'un - while waiting for a loose delivery. The threats are much easier than the dangers provided by Tait.
India have come from a series on their low-bouncing pitches and they have only three days to acclimatise during a match against Victoria at the Junction Oval. Tait's pace has been fierce against New Zealand over the past week and Australia will wait to analyse the drop-in surface at the MCG before making a call. Originally in the opening squad for Sri Lanka, Tait pulled out with injury and is looking to play his first Test since 2005 after regaining his spot from Ben Hilfenhaus.
Australia already have three bowlers who complement eachother, with Brett Lee providing the pace, Stuart Clark the consistent steep bounce and Mitchell Johnson the left-arm variety. If four fast men were employed Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds could break things up with their part-time spin, but it is a risky option against players who mastered MacGill and Shane Warne in previous series.
Australia squad Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait.
Peter English is the Australasian editor of Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

Master of spin argues his case
Kumble confident experience is enough
Brydon Coverdale
December 18, 2007

Anil Kumble touched down in Australia with the belief India can win the series, though he was careful not to make any outlandish predictions © Getty Images

Anil Kumble has always been a master of turn but even he had a hard time spinning a convincing argument that India could beat Australia in their four-Test series. They have the motivation - five or more of their champion veterans are desperate for success on what will almost certainly be their last tour of Australia - but how do you defeat a team that has not lost a home Test series since 1992-93?
Kumble's men arrived in Melbourne eight days ahead of the Boxing Day Test and the captain spent his first press conference trying to persuade the media that India could break that spell. He ticked off the reasons India would be a threat, then found just as many causes for his own side to be concerned about Australia's power. He chose his words carefully, which was not surprising for a man who has heard the spin from his captaincy predecessors on visits to Australia, and has seen the results.
Fittingly, his major argument revolved around spin, which he declared as Australia's biggest weakness. Shane Warne was proving difficult to replace, he said, and India's batsmen would not mind facing up to a third-choice slow bowler with Stuart MacGill unavailable. "If the wickets help spin, then definitely we have the advantage," Kumble said. "It will definitely help us if it turns in Melbourne and Sydney."
Brad Hogg is in Australia's 12-man squad but may yet be squeezed out if a four-man pace attack is favoured. Hogg was impressive in the recent ODI series against India, although Kumble said facing him in a Test match would be a completely different scenario.
Kumble brightened when he mulled over Australia's double-loss of Warne and Glenn McGrath. Then he remembered that neither of them played last time India toured Australia in 2003-04, when Warne was enduring his drugs ban and McGrath had an ankle injury.
"It definitely gives you a bit of confidence," he said. "But having said that the last time around when we played here Glenn was injured and Warney was not there, so ..." His voice trailed off. If Kumble is a man who sees the glass as half-full, the sentence might have finished with "and we didn't lose". If his glass is half-empty, the thought could have been "no Warne, no McGrath and we still couldn't beat them."
India did play well on that visit, securing a 1-1 draw and Kumble saw no reason that their style of play should change this time around. But he was careful not to make any predictions that would come back to bite him.
"Most of the senior cricketers probably are here on their last tour to Australia, so it's very important that we go back victorious. But not many people come here and go back victorious," he said. "We know that Australia is a tough opposition and I think we have the experience and the quality to go out there and do our best."
Exactly how much experience and quality India will put on the field in the first Test is still up in the air. Virender Sehwag was a late addition to the squad and they are also keen to play Yuvraj Singh - if they can find a place for him in their strong batting line-up. Kumble was not concerned about chopping and changing an order that had been successful against England and Pakistan, although he was still unsure who would get a run in their only warm-up game, a three-day encounter against Victoria at the Junction Oval starting on Thursday.
Kumble was at least confident that India's recent Test series victories against England and Pakistan had prepared them well, whereas Australia have had only two Tests against Sri Lanka since their Ashes triumph in 2006-07. "Australia is always tough whether they've played enough cricket or not," he said. "[But] in that sense, we are pretty well prepared."
Squad Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Anil Kumble (capt), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh.
Brydon Coverdale is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

'We have to take it as it comes'
Four fast bowlers no concern, says Kumble
Brydon Coverdale
December 18, 2007

Sachin Tendulkar is one of a handful of Indian players who faced Shaun Tait in a tour match last time India visited Australia © Getty Images

Anil Kumble believes India can handle a four-man pace attack if Australia choose to overlook spin in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. The prospect of the raw speed of Shaun Tait backing up the existing trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson might be less attractive to India than Brad Hogg but Kumble was confident it would not be a major problem.
Tait has never played India in a Test or a one-day international and he is keen to test them with his speed and bounce. A few of their senior players, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, came up against Tait in a tour match when they last visited Australia in 2003-04 and while he was not the dominant bowler in that match he has matured since then.
"He's definitely a good fast bowler," Kumble said. "He's a bit new in the sense he has a very different action compared to other fast bowlers. We have to take it as it comes. If they play four fast bowlers, then fine, I think we have the batting capabilities to handle whatever comes our way."
Kumble said regardless of which attack Australia chose - both Hogg and Tait are in their 12-man squad - they would be difficult to defeat at home. The 2003-04 tour ended in a 1-1 draw after Shane Warne did not play due to his drugs ban and Glenn McGrath missed the four games with an ankle injury.
"It's very hard to replace someone like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath," Kumble said. "It's never easy. They've been the leading bowlers for Australia for a long time. Having said that, they still have a good attack and Australia's always tough to beat. But we have the qualities to do that."
India will at least be spared an all-pace attack in their three-day tour match against Victoria at the Junction Oval starting on Thursday as the state's two leading fast bowlers, Shane Harwood (groin) and Gerard Denton (ankle), are out injured. Brad Hodge's back problem, which kept him from playing the Twenty20 international against New Zealand, will be assessed on Wednesday.
Victoria squad Nick Jewell, Rob Quiney, Brad Hodge (capt), David Hussey, Michael Klinger, Andrew McDonald, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade (wk), John Hastings, Peter Siddle, Bryce McGain, Allan Wise.
Brydon Coverdale is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

Tendulkar fit to face Australia

Tendulkar was on the attacking during his brief spell at the crease

India have been boosted by the return of Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Dhoni ahead of the Boxing day Test against Australia in Melbourne. Tendulkar was ruled out of the final match of the 1-0 Test series win over Pakistan with a knee injury.
Wicket-keeper Dhoni also missed out in Bangalore because of an ankle problem.
But both returned to the side for India's three-day tour game against Victoria state - their only warm-up match before the first of four Tests.

606: DEBATE Ganguly has shown that he really means business beautifulVinod

But India's preparations were far from ideal with rain blighting the opening day at the Junction Oval.
Only 38 overs were completed as the tourists struggled to 110-3 before a downpour ended play shortly after tea.
Sourav Ganguly (51) and Rahul Dravid (33) were unbeaten at the close and looked in particularly good nick.
Tendulkar, however, lasted only 18 balls before he was bowled by Allan Wise for 19.
Wise also took the wickets of Wasim Jaffer for a duck and VVS Laxman for just one.
Dhoni, leading the side in Anil Kumble's absence, is yet to bat.
Paceman Zaheer Khan has been given extra time to rest after he, like Dhoni, missed the third Test against Pakistan because of an ankle problem.



BBC

Victoria v Indians, Tour match, Melbourne, 1st day
Ganguly fights in rainy Melbourne
Brydon Coverdale at the Junction Oval
December 20, 2007
Indians 3 for 110 (Ganguly 51*, Dravid 33*, Wise 3-22) v Victoria
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Sachin Tendulkar pulls high over midwicket for six during his brief innings of 19 © Getty Images

Torrential rain limited the first day of India's warm-up match against Victoria to one session, in which Sourav Ganguly survived some early wobbles to score a half-century and Rahul Dravid settled into the opening role. The rest of India's top order struggled against Victoria's fringe fast bowler Allan Wise before the Junction Oval was flooded by a sudden downpour that started as the players left the ground for tea.
The rain was so heavy that the ground began to resemble a rice paddy, then as the showers became heavier it was more like a small lake. The groundstaff will face a major battle to have the field ready for play on Friday and, with further thunderstorms predicted for the next two days, India will have limited preparation in their only practice match ahead of the Boxing Day Test.
At the close the Indians were 3 for 110 with Dravid grafting a typically determined 33 and Ganguly on 51. The pair added an unbeaten 72 for the fourth wicket in the two-and-a-half hour post-lunch period after the first session had also been lost to rain.
Wise, Victoria's tall left-arm fast bowler, did the damage with all three wickets, continuing his strong record against visiting international teams. Wise collected 5 for 25 in a one-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka in 2005-06, but has been overlooked for all but two of Victoria's Pura Cup matches this season.
He frustrated the vocal contingent of Melbourne-based Indian fans that dominated the crowd by removing Sachin Tendulkar, who hinted at a special innings but delivered only a cameo. A couple of well-timed drives against Peter Siddle failed to reach the boundary due to the slow outfield before Tendulkar gently leaned on a cover drive that went for four off Wise.
The highlight was when the 200-centimetre Wise banged in a shortish ball that might have tickled the ribcage of a lesser batsman, but Tendulkar quickly positioned himself to lift it high over midwicket for six. Wise's revenge came as Tendulkar tried to cut and inside-edged the ball - it should have been called a no-ball for over-stepping - onto his stumps for 19.
That was the major reward for Wise in an effective opening spell that netted 3 for 20. In Wise's first over, Wasim Jaffer miscued an attempted pull and was caught at mid-off for 0 by Victoria's debutant Aaron Finch. Wise extracted some good seam movement and in his next over had VVS Laxman caught behind down the leg side for 1.
India were 3 for 38 and it could have been 4 for 39 when Ganguly got a thick edge off Siddle that flew marginally wide of the gully fielder. Ganguly was tentative early but gradually adjusted to the conditions and struck consecutive fours off Bryce McGain's legspin, the first lifted over midwicket and the second cut hard forward of square.
Ganguly reached his half-century from 86 balls just before tea. Dravid was watchful early as his partners struggled, cutting and cover driving his only two boundaries off Siddle, who bowled a mixed spell.
India's innings did not begin swimmingly but their players nearly ended up swimming, as the rain bucketed down on the Junction Oval with Melbourne enduring a heavy thunderstorm in the morning. The start was delayed by two-and-a-half hours and when Mahendra Singh Dhoni went out for the late toss it became apparent India had sprung a surprise.
For all the talk of Australia perhaps using a four-man pace attack in the first Test, it was India who decided to leave out their spinners for the warm-up game. Anil Kumble was rested and Dhoni duly won the toss and chose to bat when the umpires eventually determined play could get under way. The second day is scheduled to begin half an hour early, if the weather turns favourable.
Brydon Coverdale is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

Victoria v Indians, Tour game, Junction Oval, 1st day
Dravid confident he can open in Tests
Brydon Coverdale at the Junction Oval
December 20, 2007

Rahul Dravid was watchful in compiling his unbeaten 33 from 112 balls © Getty Images

Rahul Dravid has declared himself ready to open in the Boxing Day Test against Australia and he believes India's promising middle-order prospects can no longer be ignored. While Dravid would not confirm if the plan was set in stone, India gave a strong indication of their strategy by sending him in with Wasim Jaffer to begin their rain-affected tour match against Victoria.
Dravid survived the 158 minutes of play that were possible, reaching 33 not out, and a move to the top of the order in the Test might open the door for Yuvraj Singh to retain his place after he made 169 in the final Test against Pakistan earlier this month. Sachin Tendulkar did not play in that match and will need to slot back in, leaving the selectors to ponder the make-up of their batting order.
"We've had a very strong middle order over these years, a lot of the same people have played in the middle order a lot," Dravid said. "We've got a lot of good young middle-order batsmen coming in who can't really be ignored."
Three of his top-order colleagues fell around him and the Junction Oval but Dravid was typically careful, happy just to spend some time at the crease after his disappointing Test series against England and Pakistan. In the three Pakistan Tests he felt he didn't have "the rub of the green", and scored 38, 34, 50, 8 not out, 19 and 42.
"It's been a strange series in the sense I got a few starts, maybe played a couple of average shots as well," Dravid said. "I've spent a bit of time in the middle so I feel like I'm playing well, I'm moving my feet and batting well."
But he will have to take that confidence into the unfamiliar role of opener in the first Test, and if Melbourne's thundery weather continues as expected on Friday and Saturday his preparation might be very limited. Dravid has opened 13 times in Tests, averaging 33.54, and he has not filled the role since February 2006.
"I've batted all my career in different positions," he said. "Batting at three you probably come in early a few times as well, but it is a little different. It's a little bit with the mindset, you're used to batting in a particular position.
"Right from the time I was in school I played in the middle order so you get used to something like that. But as a professional cricketer and as a professional sportsman you're adaptability is important. The critical thing for me is the changeover - you have just ten minutes [between innings]."
India's impressive results last time they toured Australia - the 2003-04 series was drawn 1-1 - came largely through strong batting and Dravid conceded he would be under pressure to maintain that standard if he opens in the Tests. "As we showed last time if we can get through the early part with the new ball without the loss of too many wickets, we've got the kind of batting and people who can make it count later on," he said.
The three-day warm-up match in Melbourne was reduced to only the post-lunch session as heavy rain bookended the day's play. A torrential downpour came right on tea and the Junction Oval was almost completely under water, but within an hour and a half the rain had stopped and the grass was again visible.
Dravid said it would be disappointing if India's only practice match was washed out ahead of the first Test in what he called the most challenging tour of all. Last time they visited Australia India had good weather for their two tour matches before the series began, and Dravid said that preparation was ideal.
"We would definitely have liked more than one warm-up game," he said. "[But] international cricket is cramped nowadays. We'll just have to do the best with what we've got."
Brydon Coverdale is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
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