Will India Sweep The Aussies?
By Gaurang
March 21 2013
India have never beaten Australia in three Tests in a row, and now they have the opportunity to rub it in by sweeping them in four straight. It would be sweet revenge for the humiliating defeats that Australia inflicted on India when India played in Australia last.
India is in the enviable position of playing the final Test in New Delhi with nothing to lose. They already have sewn up the series and now are free to play with no pressure at all, and with the sole aim of pay back, though Mahendra Singh Dhoni has prudently avoided talking about it openly, even stating publicly that "revenge" is not something that should be thought about in sport.
But the unspoken reality is that is exactly what he will be wanting to exact in the fourth Test. However, with the debutant opener and centurion Shikhar Dhawan out with injury, and his immediate predecessor, and logical replacement, Gautam Gambhir, out with illness, India go into the Test a bit unsettled again.
However they will be comforted in the knowledge that their opponents are in total disarray, and even have their regular captain, and most successful batsman, likely to sit out the match due to back injury. The aim should be not to let the foot of the pedal and to go for a fourth consecutive win.
The news about the pitch is also favorable in that it is rumored to be dry and likey to crumble. New Delhi is where Anil Kumble took a 10 wicket in an innings haul against Pakistan not so long ago, and his replacement in the team, Ravi Ashwin will be licking his chops in anticipation of similar devastation.
Dhoni has lost the toss three times in a row, and is due to win one. If he does, India will no doubt bat first and hope to put up a huge score, then use a combination of scoreboard pressure and turning pitch to send Australia home winless.
For Australia it will be a chance to get the errant four, Shane Watson, Usman Khwaja, Mitchell Johnson, and james Pattinson a chance to return to the fold in largely a pressure free atmosphere. There is nothing more left to lose than professional pride, and it may just be the tonic for a much improved performance.
Dead rubber or not, Test cricket fans will hopefully see some entertaining and challenging cricket at the Kotla. But regardless of the outcome the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be returning to India.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:04:01:22:12:00 by Birbal.
I'd like us to win, and then to rub their noses in the dirt with a tongue lashing - point out their lack of competitiveness, stupidity in sending back players for childish reasons, their lack of a future given this set of players.
Do whatever it takes to make them feel absolutely rotten and return to Australia with tail between legs.
Kinda weird that Pujara was asked to open, but then he has a long rope now, and a failure or two would not harm him... on the other hand if Rahane failed as an opener...he would probably get the Badrinath treatment...
So in a way they went out of the way to make Rahane's debut comfortable...
Though I agree he should have played at 3 and not 5...
Anyway, Pujara and Vijay put on over 100 run opening stand... so team's decision on that fully vindicated.