Australia’s thumping win over India meant that they made it back to the top of the points table, reducing the damage afflicted by the two previous losses. From a purely cricketing perspective though what it has done is set up the tri-series nicely, with all three teams now having a decent chance of making it to the finals of the tournament. Picture this: Australia have gained 14 points from five games, with three wins and two losses; India have achieved 10 from the same number of matches, with two victories, two defeats and the tie against Sri Lanka. Speaking of the Lankans, they have clawed back well into the tournament after a disappointing start. After losing their opening two encounters, they did well to hold India to a tie before going on to overpower the Aussies. Presently, they have managed to garner seven points for more matches, and would be high on confidence going into their next encounter, against the Indians, who themselves would be looking to improve on their shabby showing against the Aussies at the Gabba, Brisbane. In short, neither team can claim to have been the dominant one in the tri-series so far. Australia may be ahead on points for now, but they can’t lay claim to being the best yet.
The home team have a few issues to sort out, which were evident even in the handsome victory against India. While David Warner has been dominant at the top without producing match-winning knocks, the struggles of Matthew Wade and, in particular Ricky Ponting, are major causes for concern. While Wade has struggled to rotate the strike, Ponting has not even been able to reach double figures in any of the five matches of the series. If at all Australia have managed to remain afloat, it has been due to the efforts of their middle and lower-middle order, which has bailed them out on most occasions, and the one time that they failed, against Sri Lanka, the team floundered. The Hussey brothers — Michael and David, Peter Forrest and Daniel Christian have combined magnificently to enable Australia reach a position of comfort in the tournament. In Sunday’s game against India, it was great to see Ben Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee firing on all cylinders as India’s incompetence against brute pace was exposed, not for the first time in the series. With skipper Michael Clarke expected to be fit for his side’s next game, the Aussies only stand to gain. If only they can solve the Ponting puzzle, the home side could soon start winning consistently.
Following a miserable loss, which was preceded by a tie (read lost opportunity) against their Asian counterparts, India will now have to do a rethink on their strategy. Both their batting and bowling have been ragged in phases, calling for stringent measures. Like Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar too has been struggling for runs in the series. The unnecessarily hyped 100th ton is now inconsequential, the master first needs to start making some runs. Ditto with Virender Sehwag. Considering the kind of experience he has and his previous impressive record even in away tours, a lot was expected of Sehwag, but he has been a thorough disappointment. He still has a few chances left to make amends, else his spot in the team too will come under serious scrutiny. It is also about time Rohit Sharma performs. Yes, he has done exceedingly well in the previous two ODI events, but this is the bigger test and, as of now, he seems to be flunking. Another youngster, Virat Kohli, may have got some runs on the tour. However, he needs to do a lot more talking with the bat, and not with the crowd. There are few options for India in the bowling department. That said, there is still scope for improvement for the likes of Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar. The Indians have been dealt a big blow with their in-form skipper M S Dhoni being banned for the next game following the slow over rate maintained in Sunday’s match, but they have only themselves to blame for that.
Dhoni’s loss would benefit the Lankans the most, who face India next. The Lankans have played themselves into some kind of form, and would be eager to continue the same. The performance of Dinesh Chandimal has been their biggest asset. Even so, the fact that Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan got among the runs against the Aussies was equally critical. Their bowling too has been rather proficient on most occasions, and once they get a good score on the board, the slingy Lasith Malinga becomes doubly dangerous. Malinga has got good support from the likes of Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera too in this series, which has aided them in making a strong comeback. And with Angelo Mathews also in form, the Lankans can hope to do even better.
India, beware!
By: The Pinch Hitter
Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.
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