Ponting's uninhibited style of captaincy made Australia monopolize the game.

"The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders."

The powerful dominance of Australia in cricket for the last 2 decades can be mainly contributed to their captains. Various players, various situations, various combinations, various conflicts, but the results have always pointed towards victory. The consistency at which, Team Australia kept winning games, made them the invincible for the last 20 years. Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh & Ricky Ponting have been the pillars of Australian cricket, in the way they have led their teams. Their approach towards the game & captaincy have been distinctly different, but the focus on results have been brutally cultivated on the players, which is to win. A team having a motto "Perform to play", has never derailed from its strict axing policy, irrespective of the past glories & the players greatness. Cricket Australia has been very clear that, they live in the present and play for the future. This ruthless axe hasn't seemed to have missed, one of the all time greats - Ricky Ponting, at least in the one day format.

Ricky Thomas Ponting, has been a pioneer for Australian cricket & is one of the best captains, that the world could see. The past of Ponting stands testimony for his greatness. The past also includes the recently concluded series against India, where he looked at his supreme best. He was under tremendous pressure to perform before the series began, but "Punter" answered his critics in his own inimitable style, by scoring runs. He amassed a staggering 535 runs in 4 tests, including a double century & a score of above 150. That's when he really fought for his place in the team. Even at the age of 37, he's forced to prove himself & to fight for his place in the team. Thats Australian cricket for you !

17 years of ODI cricket, 13,700 runs at an average of a whisker above 42 speaks volumes about his consistency & his thirst for scoring those runs. Every time he steps into the crease, he makes the opposition think vehemently about how to get rid of him. His famous "Crouch-Pull" shots sends an alarming message to the opposition, that he's about to make them count. In the 375 matches that he's played, every time he takes guard, you almost get the feeling that, he treats every innings of his like the first one he had faced. Coming in at No.3, is no child's play, where you're considered as good as an opener. Ponting has managed his role at No.3 with great aplomb & success. The world cup final in 2003 is just another example of his impact in that position. Though Ponting, began his career as an opener, the "1-down" role was performed to perfection & his approach to that pivotal position can be taken as a bench mark & lessons for many to follow. 

It is not only his batting that propelled him to become one of the greats of the game, but also his fielding. As far as my knowledge goes, he's the only player to have successfully evaded age catching up with his fielding. His reflexes are a gods gift & his instincts are one to die for. His ground fielding within the circle has been so intimidating that the batsmen thought twice before running, when the ball was approaching him. Ponting often stood at the cover, point regions & took to the slips as well. Though the slip-cordon was a specialist position, Ponting's agility earned him a spot among the great slip fielders for Australia like Mark Taylor, Allan Border, Mark Waugh & Matthew Hayden. He has also ventured into more specialist positions such as silly mid off, short leg & Silly point. Only a fielder who has immaculate anticipation, knowledge, agility & instinct can be placed anywhere in the field. He was an undeniable asset on the field, taking some stunning catches & also saving 10-15 runs on an average every single game for Australia.

During 2004, when Australia were searching for an able replacement to the legendary Steve Waugh as a captain, the only person at that time, who showed promise & eagerness to lead the nation was Ricky Ponting. Though a lot of people raised questions about his temperament to deal with captaincy & to lead a side filled with different characters, Ponting braved his way successfully to handle the team in a controlled fashion. Ponting was a very shrewd captain, who followed every split-second of the game without any distractions. He showed no mercy on the field, both to his players & the opposition. He was a bundle of energy, too risky to have him close to you. He incessant jabber & motivation to his team, often got onto the oppositions nerves. He often had his on-field "Chats" with the opposition (in other words sledging), that sprayed their concentration around, often playing into the hands of Ponting & his men. His uninhibited style of captaincy made Australia monopolize the game. He had a plan to execute & even if it deviates, his knowledge to assess the game & the situation instantly made him the perfect catalyst to get the best out of his players. Ponting grew with age & his captaincy was ruthless & aggressive, which was much within the frame of the sport. The world had not seen such a captain, who made his team believe that winning was just another habit, like brushing your teeth everyday. 

In the 7 years he had captained the team, Australia looked at their shining best, putting themselves way ahead of the remaining cricket playing nations. Whenever a team played Australia, the opposition was given no chance of tasting victory & even if they did, they would treat it much worthier than gold & time. Ponting headed a team which had all time greats such as, Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist & Glenn McGrath. To deal them with due respect & also to give them their space to exploit their distinct individuality, was a perfect ploy that proved successful for both him & Australia.     

Aussies have traditionally concentrated on the ashes, and Ponting's dream was to safe guard their Ashes much more than the World cup. Unfortunately it took a beating in 2005, when Australia had lost their grip on the Ashes for the first time since 1987. But in the run up to the next ashes at home, they managed to white wash, West Indies & South Africa. The term "White-wash" was becoming increasingly prominent whenever Australia took on an opposition & to its main credit was Ricky Ponting & they way he handled his troupes. He enjoyed the support of the world which saw him with much adulation & also for a change from cricket Australia as well. 

The ever gum-chewing Ponting's words were often like spit of fire, very precise, to the point & also blunt. Though he was a terrific spokesman for Australia, he often spoke his mind out which didn't go very well with the media or his cricket board. He was a bud of a lot of controversies, including his criticism of some greats like  Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar. The victories seemed like, it got onto his head. The invincibility wasn't taken with much humbleness. Though that attitude helped his team dominate the world of cricket, beyond a point, it began to lose its sheen, so did Ponting. The famous Sydeny test against India stands testimony for that fact. The torrid umpiring errors, added to his desperation to win, in what seemed like a not-so-sportsman like behavior through the series. He was never a believer of the so called spirit of the game. His agenda was simple, he wanted to win games for Australia. He wouldn't walk if the umpire had not given him out, even after knowing that he actually did. 

Though Ponting has one of the greatest distinctions after Clive Lloyd, of captaining his team to 2 successive world cup victories, the defeats that followed had an impact on his performance, both as a player & as a captain. It looked like he started to doubt his ability to play like before, mainly fueled by surrounding thoughts, including the media & the board. 

The respect from the players also looked like as if it was diminishing slowly. Ponting hit a lean patch in the last couple of years, during which his team had lost the ashes, and as a team, Australia began to lose their tag - "Invincibles". Every team believed that it could beat Australia anywhere. That was a thought that never cropped into the minds of many during the last 2 decades. He then stepped down from the captaincy, after being ousted from the world cup by India. And ever since that, Ponting has not been a shadow of his own. His performance plunged downwards & Cricket Australia's axe did not miss this great as well. His words in the latest press conference epitomizes his eagerness to still represent his country & his unquenchable thirst for cricket "I've always been a traditionalist, I've loved every opportunity I've had to play cricket for Australia, whether it be one day cricket, Twenty20 or Test cricket. All I've got left is Test cricket and I want to make every post a winner with that, and make sure that every time I have a chance to play for Australia I'm the best prepared I can be and I enjoy every moment."

Now that he has drawn curtains to the One day format, he hopefully is part of the test plans for Australia. It is always hard to see a player of such stature exiting the game in such a manor. A great player like him should decide when he wants to quit, rather then the circumstances pushing him away from the team and it leaves a bad taste in the tongue. But even under these situations, he still gives himself a chance to play for Australia and prove more to himself, as we can never deviate from the fact that he is a legend; a leader & after all he is Ricky "Punter" Ponting 

          

Every Sachin fan has a sense of untold Hypocrisy within them

"Cricket is my religion, Sachin is my god." Sounds more like a promise made on the Bhagavad Gita in the court of Law. But cant help it, when I firmly believe that every Sachin fan has a sense of untold Hypocrisy within them. Every Sachin Tendulkar fan believes that they are the best fan of him. Of course they're entitled to feel so, as the impact created by this god-man on them is simply enormous. He has powered the belief of an average Indian cricket fan to eccentric heights, which went to an extent, that people switched off their TV sets, as soon as he was out. How would you describe such a centripetal cricketer, who pulls fans & adulation from around the world? Even if you're the minutest part of the cricketing fraternity, you can't help but get attracted to his cricketing avatar.  Whether you like it or not, the fact that he's single handedly carried Indian cricket on his shoulders for 2 decades will always remain to be turned into history. A lot of cricket buffs would want to debate on that point instinctively, hesitantly, for the love on him or for the heck of it. 

Even today, whenever Sachin walks out to bat, the pressure is similar to that of how it was a decade ago, infact its much higher than what it was with the world anticipating his 100th century. With yet another never-before-achieved landmark waiting to be unfolded by this great man, every ball in his every innings is being watched with bated breath around the world, even by the people who aren't too aware of this sport. Spare a thought for this man ! From the time 1989 till date, the expectations of millions that he has carried is unimaginable and can never be done by any other sportsperson. And especially with such consistency, is truly a god-like effort. When such a person is on the verge of a historical milestone, it is fair to comment on his retirement & pile up more pressure on him. During this period, his 60's, 70's & even his 90's don't seem to create a mark. Is he cursed for putting up great performances?

After his lean patch during the 2006-2007 season, he has never looked back & infact he has played the best cricket of his life during this period. He cant be held responsible if the numbers are purely on his side. He has just played cricket with its maximum intensity, integrity, commitment, honesty and numbers are a mere entity which have picked themselves up as salute to the kind of cricket that he has played in a variety of situations. And that is epitomized with 2 of the best milestones in his cricketing career; (a) To be the first man to score a double century in the history of the game in limited overs cricket; (b) After an epic 6 appearances in the world cup, finally he managed to be part of the World Cup winning team in 2011 & that too in his home ground. And to blame him for concentrating on numbers is as good as blaming god for creating mankind.   

Having said that, slowly we have began to identify a trend that Sachin's gradually easing out his cricketing services to the country. He decided to opt out of the National T20 side, along with Dravid during the Inaugural T20 World cup. And after that he's just been concentrating on important series, where his services might be needed, in the 50 over format of the game. It was beginning to be clear that, he's gradually pulling out of the 50 over format as well. His previous campaign in ODI's preceding the current Australian series, is the historical world cup. The fans are slowly beginning to accept his absence from the ODI format as well. Thanks to a very fiery crop of talented youngsters, who play cricket more cohesively, and never give up till the final ball, which wasn't the case with the teams, when Tendulkar was at his helm. Sachin has begun to rotate & choose his games against strong opponents. To play the game at his will is what he has earned over the last 20 years. This shows his empathy towards the path the Indian cricket is proceeding and moreover he does understand that he's aging and there will surely be a point when he has to bid adieu to the game that loved him the most, though that will be a day of disbelief for the entire cricketing fraternity, especially his fans. But on that day, though a fan will be disheartened not to see Sachin play for India anymore, he would have by then got used to Sachin not playing at a high frequency, which will enable him to digest the fact far more quickly. And that fan who ideally never wanted Sachin to retire, will be a far more refreshed man, not facing anymore debates with respect to Sachin's selection in the team, formally giving birth to hypocrisy, even without his knowledge.

Having said that, have you ever stopped to think, that there might be a barrage of questions that are sub consciously doing the rounds within every fan of his? Though I maybe forced to think that Sachin is indispensable; Sachin is just one innings away from getting back to his purple patch; Every innings that he plays I'd believe that he will get to his 100th century; Sachin can never be a weak-link in the team; He can never get old, instead he can just get better; Sachin is still a run machine sending numbers into a tizzy & much more. But on the hindsight, every fan might actually be fearing to think the following 'un-thinkables'  as a Sachin fan. Is Sachin getting old? Is Sachin pushing his cricketing expiry date? Is Sachin bothered about his 100th century? Is Sachin an unwanted god in the Indian team? Is Sachin a liability to the young team? Is Sachin denying an opportunity to an upcoming youngster?  Where Sachin Tendulkar is placed, in the current scheme of things with respect to Indian cricket ?   

People of my generation, who were born & bought up by Sachin's cricket, can never believe that such a thought can crop up in our minds. Even if it does, we'd want to get rid of it as soon as possible, either hoping for Sachin to put up a great score or just simply moving away from the topic. Often in an argument between a-Sachin -fan Vs Not-a-Sachin-fan, though the former starts of solidly, there are only two reactions at the end of it; (a) He furiously exits the conversation ranting about Sachin's numbers towards the end, (b) He just decides to keep quite and walks off thinking that Sachin is too great for him to be discussed with a cricket illiterate. But have you keenly noticed, after the debate's done, the after-taste leaves you a bit disappointed or exhausted. The reason to that disappointment can either be because you weren't able to defend you're god to the fullest or you just wasted you're time explaining about proven excellence to a novice. But sub-consciously, you might have actually been hurt with certain facts that were spelt out in the open, about someone who holds the highest regard in your heart. You hesitantly begin to ponder over those 'un-thinkables' as a Sachin fan. We fear that the truth might actually be bitter & instantly we decide to shut out that thought, pacifying ourselves about is greatness & his past performances. This can probably be the part where the sense of untold Hypocrisy crops up in a fan. When he forces himself not to tell out his thoughts loud, something negative, about a person whom you treat like god. Ultimately you'd never give up someone whom you love the most, even if there's something wrong with them. We try and defend them blindly with various reasons, but secretly wonder if their reasoning was good enough for themselves to believe.   

So, should Sachin retire or not ? Gods can never retire, their mere presence gives birth to new opportunities ! Yes, I'm a Sachin fan & yes, this is the sense of untold hypocrisy within me ! 

             

A look back at the IPL Auction 2012 - Hits, Misses & Shockers !

Ravindra Jadeja, Mahela Jayawardena & Vinay Kumar become million dollar babies during the latest auction of the IPL. Ravindra Jadeja, as anticipated, was bagged by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping $2Million, when they locked horns with Deccan Chargers, leading into a tie breaker. An undisclosed bidding amount was given by either teams, during which CSK eventually pipped Deccan to bag this Marquee player. A lot was spoken about R.Jadeja ahead of this auction, and just a day before the auction, his performance with the ball & in the field in the final T20 game against Australia, bolstered him to back a massive amount in the auction. Chennai exhausted its allotted sum, all on one player & could not take part further in the auctions. It did look like they entered with a plan & they've successfully executed that. With Jadeja in the CSK team, it just makes the 2 time IPL champions look even more formidable & strong.

The next big catch was that of, Lankan captain, Mahela Jayawardena. He was brought over by Delhi Daredevils for a huge sum of $1.4 Million. His recent performances in various formats of the game might not have fetched him such a price, but his past laurels proved its worth bagging him the second highest price in the auction. But the surprise of the morning was that of Vinay Kumar who was sold for an unimaginable $1Million to Royal Challengers Bangalore, with a base price of just $100,000. Not that he has been in sublime form or looked even close to posing threats with the ball. RCB went all out to get Vinay Kumar back in their hut, & the reasons for the same remain known only by RCB & their think-tank. RCB just made on more purchase today, that of the ever-available spin wizard, Muthaiah Muralitharan for $220,000. That makes RCB more versatile, but the playing combination of 4 foreigners will be key.    

One interesting observation is that, all the 3 top priced players who were sold in this auction belonged to the terminated team of Kochi Tuskers Kerala. However bizarre it might sound sound, it still stays the truth. 

Another surprise was the buy of west Indian spinner, Sunil Narine, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a huge amount of $700,000 who had a base price of just $50,000. KKR went on to buy back Brendon McCullum for $900,000, which was a needed buy for them, as they required a good keeper & as well as an explosive opener. South African quickie, Marchant de Lange was purchased by KKR at his base price of $50,000. This move could have been prompted keeping in mind that he might not figure in the main South African Line up when they're on their international duties. 

Delhi Daredevils were close to exhausting their purse, with buying 3 very interesting foreign players, including Mahela Jayawardena. DD fought for Andre Russel with the Chargers & eventually owned him for $450,000. Russell was expected to fetch a big price for his acrobatics & versatility, both with the bat & ball & moreover, him playing alongside Warner, Sehwag, Mahela, Varun & Umesh makes the team look like a top contender this time around.  

Kings XI Punjab made 3 mediocre buys in the form of Powar, Faulkner & Azhar Mahmood. Faulkner's effectiveness in the sub continent conditions will be tested. But playing under Gilchrist can make him feel much better. Ex-Pakistani, Azhar Mahmood makes a comeback, this time with a British passport & his effectiveness as an all-rounder is still yet to be ascertained, after missing from the sub-continent for quite a while. 

Deccan Chargers fought neck-in-neck with most of the big buys, but they had to settle with an interesting tray of purchase. They went hard in acquiring Parthiv Patel for a good sum of $650,000, inspite of his lackluster performance in the recent past. Australian Dan Harris was brought in the second round of auctions & 'Lara-replica' Darren Bravo was was bought at his base price as well. The chargers will be relatively happy with the purchases, hoping that they put a better performance atleast in the coming editions of IPL.

Rajasthan Royals went with their usual strategy of picking low-key players & making a winner out of them. The royals totally had 5 purchases & all of them capable of taking them till the final stretch. They bagged a very interesting line up of hard hitting Brad Hodge, the veteran spinner Brad Hogg, Sreesanth, Dinesh Chandimal & Kevon Cooper. The stand out point is that atleast 3 of the 5 current buys are certain to be available throughout the series, which gives them the much needed flexibility & dependence. 

Finally the most well strategized approach with the best buys at throw away prices belonged to Mumbai Indians. They had already made a terrific move by transferring Dinesh Karthik into their team & during this auction they went to buy 5 game changing players into their team. The steal was buying south africans Gibbs, Peterson & Aussie Johnson at their base prices. The remaining 2 buys were that of RP Singh & the lankan power house Thisara Perera. Alleast 3 of the 5 men, can win you the games single handed. Their approach was very well thought out with a mix of aggression & brilliance of planning. The brains behind this ought to be Robin Singh & Shaun Pollock.

The other highlights of the auction were that, none of the English players were sold, including the midas-man of T20 cricket, Owais Shah. It was baffling to see him unsold after an eccentric performance in the recently concluded Big Bash League. Of the many people who missed the IPL ticket, another surprise was Proteas Fast bowling revelations, Tsosobe & Philander weren't sold either. This could be mainly owing to their international commitments. 

A widely spoken about Kevin O Brian, was in the unsold list too. With a lot feeling that not enough importance is given to the associate nations, where their players are being snubbed. Of the Hundreds who went under the hammer, none of the players from associate nations were sold. I personally feel that's were BPL scores over the IPL, with their rule of atleast one player from the associate nation should be part of the team. 

But all-in-all, the teams believe that they have strengthened their team to a greater extent in pursuit of that coveted trophy, atleast on paper. The execution, availability & the strategy is much awaited for the latest edition of IPL. And also, It was an auction which has made up life more comfortable for a lot players & also leaves you with a disappointment for key players who haven't made it beyond the hammer !

The list of the players who were sold are as below (Team wise) along with their auctioned price & their base price: 

Kolkata Knight Riders 

1. Brendon McCullum - $900,000 (base price $400,000)
2. Sunil Narine - $700,000 (base price $50,000)
3. Marchant de Lange - $50,000  (base price $50,000)

Chennai Super Kings

1. Ravindra Jadeja -  $2 million (base price $100,000).

Royal Challengers Bangalore

1. Muttiah Muralitharan - $220,000 (base price $200,000)
2. Vinay Kumar - $1 million (base price $100,000)

Delhi Daredevils

1. Mahela Jayawardene - $1.4 million (base price $300,000)
2. Andre Russell - $450,000 (base price $50,000)
3. Doug Bracewell - $50,000 (base price $50,000)

Mumbai Indians

1. Herschelle Gibbs - $50,000 (base price $50,000)
2. Mitchell Johnson - $300,000 (base price $300,000)
3. RP Singh - $600,000  (base price $200,000)
4. Robin Peterson - $100,000 (base price $100,000)
5. Thisara Perera - $650,000 (base price $50,000)

Rajasthan Royals

1. Brad Hodge - $475,000 (base price $200,000)
2. Dinesh Chandimal - $50,000 (base price $50,000)
3. Sreesanth - $400,000 (base price $400,000)
4. Brad Hogg - $180,000 (base price $100,000)
5. Kevon Cooper - $50,000  (base price 50,000)

Deccan Chargers

1. Parthiv Patel - $650,000  (base price $200,000)
2. Daniel Harris - $70,000  (base price 50,000)
3. Darren Bravo - $100,000 (base price $100,000)

Kings XI Punjab

1. Ramesh Powar - $160,000 (base price $100,000)
2. James Faulkner - $190,000  (base price $100,000)
3. Azhar Mahmood - $200,000  (base price $100,000)

India finally draft 'victory' into their cricketing dictionary

Finally India have managed to win a game in any format abroad, breaking a 16-game win-less drought, out of India. The win at MCG was powered by some exceptional ground fielding & catching, which was obsolete so far in the series. India looked at their electrifying best on the field, helped by some tidy bowling by the Kumars, Jadeja & Ashwin. Gambhir's 50 lifted the batting morale, ably supported by good starts from Sehwag & Kohli. Eventually M.S.Dhoni combined with Gambhir to score the winning runs off the last over, winning the game by 8 wickets.

Earlier, George Bailey won the toss & Elected to bat in front of a massive crowd filling 70,000 seats. The pitch did not have any demons, as the Australian openers had a brisk start. Warner pulled hesitantly to scoop the ball high in the air, which was superbly held by Gambhir, running backwards at the square leg boundary. In the same over, Marsh registered his 8th duck in his last 11 innings, edging one to the slip. Sehwag who dived forward to catch the ball wasn't able to hold onto to it, thereby tapping it in the air, which was cleanly collected by keeper M.S.Dhoni. Finch & Hussey put up a decent partnership, before a piece of fielding brilliance from Jadeja at point, claimed the in-form Finch. Soon, Captain Bailey was consumed by yet another sparkling fielding display by Rohit & Jadeja, trying for a non existent single. Australia were tottering at 53/4 in the middle of the 9th over.

 Hussey & Wade tried to steady the ship, but Jadeja once again came into action, accepting a neat caught & bowled opportunity from Hussey. With the next 4 overs costing only 20 runs, the slow bowlers were bowling a nagging line, not letting the batsman play freely. Rohit Sharma was given the ball & mitchell marsh was removed with immediate effect. Thanks to some quick-fire brilliance by Dhoni behind the wickets. Another display of fielding spectacle followed, this time by Rohit Sharma, who scored a direct hit at the non-strikers end, removing a dangerous Wade. After that it was a procession of the tail-enders, with Australia eventually bowled out for 131 with 2 more balls to spare to complete 20 overs. 

This was the best opportunity for India to claim their first victory in a so far frustrating & humiliating series. The openers finally did give India a very solid start. They knew the target and had a certain plan in mind to go about it. All the plans did fall in place, with Sehwag scoring the biggest 6 so far in the series which went a long way into the stands, 104 meters. Just when Sehwag got a start, he yet again fell to a full toss, mistiming it to the cover fielder, off the left handed chinaman, B.Hogg. Man-in-form, Kohli walked in & combined well with Gambhir, to motor a 54 run partnership. Gambhir at the other end, showed glimpses of the GG that the world knew. There was never pressure in the chase, which made Gambhir play his natural game & he particularly played the inside-out chip shot over the covers with much aplomb.       

Kohli, after getting a start departed to a ripper from Mitchell marsh which was well gathered by keeper Wade. India then needed 35 runs of 38 balls, when captain M.S.Dhoni decided to promote himself up the order. The last time he did that, India won the World cup. Though the magnitude of the series was much lesser, they were playing salvage more pride than the world cup. Dhoni continued his form of the last game into this one, making sure there were no hiccups in chasing this moderate total. Gambhir brought up his 50, a point that will be taken into notice just ahead of the ODI series. He would be a much relieved person after getting some runs behind his name. Though the game should have been won in the penultimate over, the 3 dot balls in the final over, did send a small jitter among the Indian fans. Eventually, Gambhir fittingly scored the winning runs with a boundary through the mid wicket region. 

Australia'a batting performance was below par for a change in this match & the Indian bowling strangled them for runs. Hussey, Wade & Finch were the bright spots, taking them to a respectable 131, though it wasnt enough. The Aussie bowlers couldn't do much with a low score to defend & neither were they able to create the pressure.

The man-of-the-match award given to Jadeja clearly indicated that the fielding & bowling departments won India the game. With 4 superb run outs & 1 brilliant stumping, India looked an altogether different side from the team we've seen in the last 1 month. The throws were crisp & every time resulted in a wicket. Jadeja's performance was key with 2 terrific run outs & a superb caught & bowled. The bowling too was precise , with stump to stump bowling, not letting the Australians off the hook, which has been the trend so far in the series. The massiveness of MCG demanded both, powerful shots & as well as tireless running between the wickets. The running was superb by Kohli & Gambhir, knocking the balls in between the gaps. The conversion rate stood out.

Altogether it was a cohesive unit which has taken India to their first victory of the tour. A much needed victory, which has come at the right time, just before the tri-series started.    

Wade, Hogg & Hussey strangle India in their pursuit of their 1st win of this tour

Finally when Dhoni won a toss, the result just doesn't seem to get any different. MSD won the toss and put the Australians into bat anticipating rain & more dew. But unfortunately the plan backfired on him with some lusty hitting by top order batsman Matt Wade & some brilliant spin bowling choking the Indian batsmen to a 32 run defeat. That eventually handed, debutant Player/Captain, George Bailey a comfortable & impressive win on his first assignment. 

The Australians got off to a flyer, thanks to Warner & Wade for some power hitting. Though, the highlight of the small partnership was the switch-hit from Warner. Ashwin's new ball ploy failed here, with the batsmen going berserk. Vinay Kumar came into break the partnership & duly did so, when Warner scooped the ball high to Raina at cover. Vinay Kumar, Raina & Rahul Sharma briefly halted the progress with some tight bowling, which eventually led to Birt's wicket just the stroke of the completion of 10 overs. Rahul Sharma bowled with a lot of heart, though he dropped a couple of chances hit straight back to him. His webbing split while attempting one of the caught & Bowled chance, leaving him with spilling some blood. David Hussey joined Wade to threaten the Indians to take the score beyond 180, with some ruthless hitting down the ground. A small spell of shower proved to be a breather for the Indians from the onslaught. 

After the resumption from the break, without any reduction in the overs, Raina bowled a skidder to remove the in-form Wade. India were lucky to remove this man before the score could reach threatening heights. R.Jadeja & P.Kumar were taken for aplenty as they couldn't complete their allotted spells. Thus India having to rely on the slower bowlers on a very damp outfield. With the spinners not able to grip the ball properly, it was given that they would be taken for runs. Australia eventually completed their quota of 20 overs with a very competitive 171/4. Thanks to an under par performance to Captain Bailey, who just was not able to capitalize & score runs, that limited the Australian score by atleast 15 runs. 

India required a flier & more importantly a positive intent at the top of the innings. Sehwag started off with a trademark slash to the boundary, but fell to a steaming Brett Lee, edging one to the slips. This tour just wasn't getting better for Sehwag. In a rather surprising move from the "Out-of-the-box" captain Bailey, he introduced slow spinner, Doherty to share the new ball with Brett Lee. Kohli Joined Gambhir, who showed glimpses of sublime form and a fighting spirit, which was missing thus far in the tour. Just when India were motoring along well, Gambhir fell to Hussey trying to play the Inside-out shot over cover. And within a span of the next 10 deliveries 3 wickets fell. 

Comeback man Hogg, was full of energy and smiles during his entire spell & claimed Kohli, his first wicket on his come back. Boy, wasn't he happy after that wicket. It was like a return celebration to Kohli's after the way he celebrated on reaching his century. Rohit Sharma waited the entire summer to get a chance only to score a golden duck. Hussey the man, who turned the tide in favor of the Australians. India were facing an uphill task, which was by then made habit in every single game in this series so far. The Australian Spinners Hussey & Hogg strangled the Indian Middle order to juice, not letting them even think of getting close the target. Hussey - 2-0-4-2 & Hogg - 4-0-21-1; with figures such as this from an occasional spinner & a 40 year old spinner respectively, you cant ask for something more to win a T20 game. 

Though M.S.Dhoni & Raina showed brief resistance, the Auz bowlers never let the batsmen off the hook. Dhoni was running out of partners & was just not able to score runs freely. With Raina & Jadeja failing in their attempts to accelerate the run rate, it was left to Aswhin & Dhoni to perform a miracle. It so didn't happen, with every ball increasing the pressure on the Indians, they could see the match slipping away from their hands. Though a few lusty blows from MSD helped in reducing the margin of defeat, India was still not able to get a taste of victory in this tour so far. Eventually India ended at 140/6 at the end of 20 overs. 

Full credit to the Australian bowlers for completing a clinical victory & main thanks to Wade for powering Australia to such a total. The surprise packages were Hussey & Hogg, who proved effective with their simple stump-to-stump bowling with very minute variations. India still have a lot to ponder over. With the next game coming in a couple of days, the team composition needs to be sorted out. Expected Irfan pathan to figure in this team at the cost of one spinner, as anyways India totally have 9 bowling options in the 11. Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers today with figures of 4-0-28-1. This time Indians have no one to blame & are beginning to fail even in this format. But as I always say, there's always a tomorrow & would expect India to bounce back in the next game... Still Hoping !!!   - The ever hopeful Indian fan !