India Vs Australia - 4 Test Series - All News Thread

[Cyborg]

[baggtara]

Tendulkar could miss Aussie Tests

Source: BBC

India batting star Sachin Tendulkar could miss at least part of the forthcoming Test series against Australia because of an elbow injury.

The 35-year-old will miss a domestic game next week after suffering the injury on a recent tour to Sri Lanka. "He is not playing the Irani Trophy and has been advised a week of rehabilitation," said Board of Control spokesman Ratnakar Shetty. The four-match series against Australia starts in Bangalore on 9 October. And although Tendulkar was well below his best in Sri Lanka, where he managed a highest score of only 31 in three Tests, his absence would be a major blow to India's chances of avenging their 2-1 home defeat by Australia.

He holds the record for the most centuries in Tests, with 39 in 150 matches, and is only 77 short of beating Brian Lara's record for the most runs in Test cricket, the former West Indies captain having retired with a total of 11,953. Tendulkar has had a number of injury problems in recent years and missed the first two matches against Australia four years ago because he was suffering from tennis elbow.
He underwent corrective surgery on his left elbow in May 2005, but jarred the joint while attempting to take a catch during the third Test against Sri Lanka in August.
Although he was ruled out of the one-day series which followed, team officials insisted the injury would only put him out of action for two to three weeks.
His recovery has proved slower than expected and merely adds to the dilemma facing India's selectors as they consider their batting line-up to face Australia.
With Tendulkar, former captains Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman all in their mid-30s, there have been calls for the introduction of some younger talent.
But with Australia having named two uncapped spin bowlers, Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza, in their squad for the tour, the expectation was that India would name their strongest possible top six in order to try and capitalise on that potential weakness.

Speaking on Thursday, Tendulkar said Tests against Australia were now even bigger than those against regional rivals Pakistan for the Indian team.

"All the series we have played in the recent past, from 2001, have all been close ones," he commented.

"As we all know, (Australia) is the number one team in the world. They will come here with serious force. They still have a lot of experienced players in the team. It is not that it is a completely transformed side with no senior players in the team."

[maax_0]

BP XI v Australians, Hyderabad, 1st day
Katich set to open in first Test
Cricinfo staff
October 3, 2008

	Simon Katich is likely to partner Matthew Hayden in the first Test © AFP

Simon Katich is set to take Phil Jaques' place in Australia's line-up for the first Test against India after the coach Tim Nielsen confirmed the pair had been in a "bat-off" in the West Indies this year. Katich is likely to open with Matthew Hayden when the Test series kicks off in Bangalore next Thursday having been won a spot in the final tour match ahead of Jaques.
It would be a tough call on Jaques, who fought off Chris Rogers to be the preferred replacement for the retired Justin Langer last year and has averaged 50.37 in his nine Tests since then. However, Katich grasped his opportunities even more firmly when he stepped in for the injured Hayden in the Caribbean and averaged 63.80 including two centuries.
"Mainly the selectors thought that Katto and Jaquesy pretty much had a bat-off in the West Indies," Nielsen said after the first day of the tour match. "We didn't picture it that way at the time, but they thought Katto was playing extremely well.
"He made hundreds in Antigua and Barbados, the last couple of Tests of the series, he's come off a stellar summer in Australia and is in such good form that they just thought he may have edged himself in front of Jaquesy as the second choice opening batsman behind Matthew. It's a nice position to be in when you've got three quality opening batsmen, unfortunately three doesn't go into two, so the choice they made was to go with Simon this time."
Jaques did not disgrace himself in the West Indies, where he finished off with 108 in his final innings, but Katich's versatility went in his favour. Katich is a usually sharp fielder, although he had a horror spell of dropped catches in the West Indies, and his left-arm wrist-spin could be particularly useful as Australia field an attack lacking spin experience.
"It's just the whole package," Nielsen said. "Katto can bowl spinners if we need him to. He didn't bowl today. He's a good fielder and player. I'm not saying Jaquesy doesn't do those things, but just at the moment the feeling is that Simon is maybe playing a bit better."
© Cricinfo

[baggtara]

Maax, there is already a news thread for the Indo-Aussies series so I merged your post with that one.

[maax_0]

ye my bad, i didnt see it

[maax_0]

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Mohali, 5th day
Zaheer bowls India to record victory
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
October 21, 2008
India 469 (Ganguly 102, Dhoni 92, Tendulkar 88, Gambhir 67) and 314 for 3 (Gambhir 104, Sehwag 90, Dhoni 68*) beat Australia 268 (Watson 78, Hussey 54, Mishra 5-71) and 195 (Clarke 69) by 320 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Zaheer Khan's three early wickets on the fifth day hastened Australia's defeat © Getty Images

It was a match that was never out of India's control. After the tremendous work done over four days, they needed less than a session on the fifth morning to defeat Australia, sealing the Test by 320 runs, their biggest margin of victory in terms of runs ever. Zaheer Khan nipped out three wickets in the space of four deliveries when play started, and though Michael Clarke resisted with 69, it was always going to be a matter of when India would take a 1-0 series lead. In terms of runs, it was Australia's biggest defeat since their 343-run loss to West Indies in Barbados in 1991.
India had reduced Australia to 58 for 5 yesterday, but had to wait 84 runs for their next strike, after which proceedings resembled a bowling alley as Zaheer knocked over the lower order like nine-pins. Zaheer was simply unplayable. He broke through in the first over of the day, bowling Brad Haddin for 37 with a ripper. It pitched on a length, shaped back in, and took out the middle and off stumps. In his next over, Zaheer struck with his second and third deliveries and found himself on a hat-trick. A leaden-footed Cameron White went for a drive and edged to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Next ball, Brett Lee had no clue to one pitched fractionally shorter and had his stumps splayed. Three wickets had fallen for three runs.
With nine men around the bat, Mitchell Johnson averted the hat-trick. Zaheer had slowly built up his momentum through the fourth day and struck gold on the fifth morning. He got the ball to move slightly away from the batsmen, and was very accurate. Ishant Sharma achieved movement both ways, evident when Clarke outside-edged towards slip - the ball didn't carry - and later inside-edged towards square leg.
Perhaps significant with two Tests to play, Clarke shrugged off an indifferent tour with a fluent 69. On a pitch with good movement and against bowlers who were on song, he batted with focus and determination. He and Johnson, who played well for his 26 before popping a return catch to Amit Mishra, added 50. Clarke had been the glue that held a poor Australian innings together, but he was last out when he clipped Mishra - who finished with seven on debut - to midwicket. As the fat lady sang and Punjabi bhangra filled the Mohali air, Dhoni - India's stand-in captain who rarely made a wrong call through the Test - led the charge towards the catcher, Virender Sehwag.
Teams that have a habit of winning know how to seize the momentum and never let it go. Like Australia had done for the last decade and more, India did that very well in Mohali. They were, unquestionably, the superior side in this Test.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo