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Australian
media lauds India's 2:1 win against mighty Aussies
Sydney,
March 23:
Traditionally, the Australian press has been known to
manufacture excuses for defeats. Refreshingly, this time round
they have elected not to shout blue murder about the weather,
pollution, spicy curry, dehydration and doctored tracks, and
instead, have given credit where it is due.
Off-spinner
Harbhajan Singh gets special mention and appreciation for
masterminding the Aussie defeat by claiming 32 wickets in the
three Test series and then going on to hit the winning runs in
the nail-biting photo finish at Chennai.
The
Daily Telegraph
wrote: "Spin magician Harbhajan Singh inspired India to one
of history's greatest Test victories. He took 15 wickets in the
match and hit the winning runs off Glenn McGrath in a match that
will live forever in the hearts of fans. Harbhajan's world
crumbled beneath him last August when his father, a transport
worker, died and left Harbhajan as the sole bread-winner for his
five sisters, two of whom are unmarried.
He
told his mother through his deeds on the cricket field he would
look after his family and teammates saw an instant change in the
one-time party boy who suddenly became a fitness devotee with an
early to bed regimen. He still was an 'untouchable' and before
this series it seemed the only person who believed in him was
Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain who had a furious argument
with the selectors before the first Test over Harbhajan's
inclusion."
Steve
Waugh might have presented a cool and composed exterior in the
post match presentation but some of the Aussie newspapers have
not be able to mask their great disappointment as India broke
Australia's 16 match winning streak. In The Australian,
the front-page headline said it all - "The Man Who Broke
Australia's Heart." Beneath the headline was the picture of
Harbhajan Singh.
The
Courier-Mail,
from Brisbane carried the headline: "Singh Chills our
Indian Summer." News Limited cricket writer Robert
Craddock wrote "an Australian dream was shattered and a
former laundry boy (Singh) became a legend as India snatched one
of the great Test series of all time."
Sydney's
Daily Telegraph proclaimed: "The Test that stopped a
nation" on its front page. On the back page the headline
read "India Singhs a tune of triumph" above a
full-page picture of Singh rushing to embrace batting partner
and wicketkeeper Samir Dighe as a glum-looking McGrath walks in
the other direction.
Then
there is the flip side. It is not often that a team gets kudos
for losing a Test series. But that happens to be the line taken
by some of the Australian newspapers after Steve Waugh and his
men lost the three-match Test series in India. A minute section
of the Australian Press elected to glorify Steve Waugh and his
men even as the Aussies lost the series 2-1.
At
pains to give credit to the Indian team which came back
dramatically after the 10 wicket thrashing in the first Test at
Mumbai, some reports seem to give the impression that the series
is memorable more because of the efforts put in by the men from
Down Under rather than the pluck shown by the Indian players.
Well-known
cricket writer Mark Ray, praised the Australian performance in
the The Age - "Although the Australians lost their
record-winning sequence in the second Test at Calcutta and then
the series here, largely because of a poor batting performance,
their reputation for determination, courage and preparedness to
play wonderfully attacking cricket remains undiminished."
The
headline to Peter Roebuck's piece reporting from Chennai reads -
"Glory in defeat as India wins a nail-biting series."
The piece begins thus: "Australia has known glory in
defeat. Steve Waugh's team simply refused to give up. At 2/101
with brilliant batsmen in occupation the match and the series
seemed to be over. But the Australians fought back in memorable
style to play their best cricket of the summer." And later
in his article - "In the end the Australians could not
quite bring it off. No shame lay in this defeat. Australia
played aggressive cricket and with luck might have taken the
day."
The
Australian Financial Review,
a national newspaper which carried the headline -
"Australia finally buckles" lauded the Indian effort
but at the same time pointed out: that, "Australia has
finally buckled under the pressure of trying to play cricket
continuously at the highest and most daring level. Since Steve
Waugh took over as Australian captain two years ago, the
national team has been on a relentless grind of cricket -
playing 25 Test matches in 24 months. Waugh's men, who make a
point of pushing for a result rather than settling for drab
draws, have won 18 of those matches and drawn two and lost five.
Along the way they have escaped from some tight corners. But in
the acid test of India - with its charmless pitches, crushing
noise and insistent heat - the tourists finally cracked, losing
the third Test by two wickets to drop the series 2-1 despite
winning first-up in Mumbai and enforcing the follow-on in
Calcutta."
I
always knew I could do it: Sameer Dighe
Chennai,
March 23: Sameer
Dighe replaced Injured Nayan Mongia as wicketkeeper in the Indian
side and like a hero made India reach its victory target which, looked
doubtful for the those final moments in the third and final Test
against Australia in Mumbai.
Dighe
walked into battle at 122 for five up against a tail-up Australian
attack which did everything possible to deny India reaching its
victory target of 155. India had lost all their top order batsmen but
Dighe seemed to build a wall in his mind to avoid thinking about that
fact. "I always knew I could do it," said Dighe, whose
unbeaten 22 denied Steve Waugh of a crowning moment in his captaincy
reign. "I told Sourav that I would do the job. I just wanted to
go out there and concentrate on doing it with singles, singles and
more singles." Colin Miller wouldn't believe this as he was hit
for a couple of boundaries in an over, which cost Australia ten runs.
Dighe's
cuts through slips infused fresh hope for India. But he was modest in
glory. "I was a bit lucky. I could have been caught but it raced
away to the ropes instead," he said.
According
to Dighe, he mustered courage and conviction from his crisis innings
in Mumbai when the Aussies played the Ranji Trophy champions at the
Brabourne Stadium. "I knew how they would bowl and kept a cool
head," he said. It was not easy though. The Aussies are known for
their chat attacks, which some people like to term as sledging.
"Look,
I knew there would be a lot of that stuff. I am used to that. I was
not bothered. I had a job to do." The last time India won a close
Test against Australia was in the Mumbai Test of 1964-65.
Dighe's
experience as captain of Mumbai came in handy as he could guide the
tailender well. Harbajahan Singh deservedly got the credit for hitting
the winning runs. But he probably wouldn't have done that with a
senior player at the other end.
Indian Media applauds Indian team for their incredible victory against Australia
New
Delhi, March 23: The
Indian media was rambling with joy on Friday over its cricket team's
unbelievable victory over Australia, which clinched the Test series
2-1 in favour of the home side.
India's
two-wicket victory in Madras, spearheaded by bowling wonder Harbhajan
Singh, also marked Australia's first defeat in a Test series since the
1-0 loss in Sri Lanka in August, 1999.
The Times
of India in a banner headline titled "Harbhajan gives Indian
cricket brand new spin," said the victory by skipper Saurav
Ganguly's squad was being celebrated across the cricket-crazy
subcontinent.
"Take
a bow John Wright, Saurav and the boys. We are proud of you,"
Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar wrote in The Times.
Off-spinner
Singh, who picked up 32 wickets in the three-Test series, cut Glenn
McGrath for two runs to clinch the series victory for India an hour
after tea on the fifth day on Thursday in Madras's Chepauk stadium,
packed to capacity.
The
Pioneer daily, punning on Australian captain's name, titled its
eulogies as "Waugh India Waugh," which phonetically
translates in Hindi as "Bravo India Bravo."
"There
could not have been a better advertisement for Test cricket than this
series," the Pioneer said, also offering praise to Steve Waugh's
Australia for their performance in Madras.
"The
invincibles were beaten but not shamed at their final frontier... The
Aussies fought back till the end as only they can and till the winning
shot was hit and the run taken, the game could have gone either
way," the English-language daily said.
Pioneer's
front-page report, however, devoted most of its space to India's new
sultan of spin, who also picked up the man of the series award in
Madras.
The
mass-circulation Hindustan Times said the win would restore
confidence in the Indian team, which has been demoralized by
match-fixing scandals and slovenly performances at home and abroad.
"The
match was won. But perhaps more significantly, a lost faith was
restored," said the newspaper, which devoted most of its front
page to cricket --- and Harbhajan.
The
Hindu, an orthodox daily published from Madras, said the spinner's
prowess had finally halted "a stirring series of Australian
victories."
"Generations
to come will celebrate the two precious runs that came off Harbhajan's
bat in a raucous cauldron of Chepauk on Thursday... as the home-team
won an excruciatingly thrilling, breathtakingly close contest by two
wickets," the Hindu said, deviating from its conservative
editorial stylebooks.
Other
national dailies as well as private television channels ran out of
adjectives describing the new-look Indian team and also offered
glowing tributes to the Australians, who have not won in India since
Bill Lawry's team secured a 3-1 win in 1969.
Harbhajan's
32-wicket haul was a record by an Indian bowler against Australia,
surpassing spinner Bishan Bedi's tally of 31 in a five-match series in
1977.
India
and Australia are now set to clash on their first limited overs game
on Sunday.
Australia
wins praises inspite of their series loss to India
Sydney,
March 23: Australian cricket commentators were united in their
praise for Steve Waugh's team on Friday despite their series loss to
India.
Newspaper
columnists and talkback radio shows were full of praises for the way
the Australians had played during the series.
Sydney
Morning Herald cricket writer Peter Roebuck said the Australians had
lost nothing and the defeat, while disappointing, was good for the
game.
"No
shame lay in this defeat. Australia played aggressive cricket and with
luck might have taken the day," Roebuck wrote.
"Regardless
of the defeat, this was just the filip cricket needed after all the
recent controversies."
The
Daily Telegraph's Robert Craddock said India deserved their victory
but the Australians were entitled to share the glory for the way they
played.
"Has
there ever been a better test series?," Craddock asked.
"Defeat
had never been more honourable for Australia as they made India
scratch and scrap and bleed for runs.
"Any
team that can come from one-down in a series and win 2-1 after
following on in the second test deserves it but the bland scoreline
will tell nothing of the tension and sheer mayhem India had to wade
through to achieve victory."
The
Australian newspaper's Mike Coward said Australia's defeat would end
the debate over whether Waugh's team was the greatest in history.
But
Coward said Waugh's team, who hold the world record for the longest
winning streaks in both tests and one-day matches, had proven
themselves to be without peer when it came to courage.
"The
argument is over. It is clear now that this is not the greatest of all
Australian teams," Coward wrote.
"But
for mental strength, physical courage, self belief, strength of
character and resourcefullness it may well be the greatest of them
all."
Even
Waugh, who had made no secret of his dream to steer Australia to their
first series win on Indian soil in more than 30 years, said he was
proud of his team.
"To
tell you the truth I think it's a feather in our cap the way we played
today," Waugh said.
Ganguly
completely astounded by India’s dramatic victory
Chennai,
March 22: Indian
skipper Sourav Ganguly was completely taken back the way his team
fought to clinch the three-test series against Australia on Thursday.
"Absolutely
great. After losing in Bombay and after the first two days in
Calcutta, I never thought we would be here," Ganguly said after a
dramatic two-wicket victory in the deciding test in Chennai.
He
admitted that his team had almost messed up their chase for the 155
runs needed for victory as they slumped from 101 for two to 135 for
seven.
"We
lost a couple of wickets, but fought it out well in the end," the
cheerful skipper said, adding that Sameer Dighe showed lot of
character.
He
said Vangipurappu Laxman's innings of 281 and Rahul Dravid's 180 in
the Calcutta second test had been the turning point in the series,
with India winning that match after following on.
Meanwhile
the Australian captain whose dreams were shattered of winning a Test
Series on the Indian soil said,” It has been a series that has had
some great ups and downs. India did well to fight back after having
lost the first test. I congratulate them."
Waugh
said he felt Australia still had a chance after reducing India to 132
for five at tea.
"I
told the guys we've still got a chance. If two wickets go quickly”
The
Indian coach John Wright praising his teams’ effort said that it was
players with ability to perform under pressure who enabled the hosts
to bounce back and win the series.
"The
importance in our development is to pick players who will try hard and
have the ability to fight and play hard under pressure," Wright
said.
"This
was the key thing in our performance in the series," he said,
adding that it was more important than ability and talent.
"People
stood up when we needed them. Laxman particularly stood up in the
Calcutta Test and with help of Sourav and Dravid made sure we made a
fight of it," the New Zealander added.
On
Harbhajan Singh, he said, "He showed the discipline that was
required of him, to bowl the right line. That gave him the
reward."
Wright
said he had emphasized to the players that Australia were a tough team
and they would have to fight really hard to win.
"First
stopping their (record winning) run and then clinching the series is
particularly heartening," he said.
Wright
said, "I don't want anyone to forget that this is entirely a team
effort. This should be underscored."
John Wright has led India to their second consecutive home triumph since taking over as the first foreign coach late last year.
Waugh
disappointed over not realizing his dream in India
Chennai,
March 22: The
Australian skipper Steve Waugh on Thursday expressed his
disappointment of not having realized his dream of winning a Test
series on the Indian soil after India
won the final Test by two wickets to take the rubber 2-1.
“It
was one of the most fantastic series I have played in," Waugh
said, but added he was disappointed at not realising his dream of
winning his country's first series on Indian soil in 32 years.
"I
would not be honest if I said I am not disappointed. Of course I am a
bit sad that we could not win.
"But
I am proud that my team fought till the end. We backed ourselves even
when the match was going out of hand and kept the pressure on the
Indians."
"When
we came out at 132-5 after tea we thought we would have one last go at
the Indians.
"(Jason)
Gillespie and Colin Miller picked themselves up for one last fling,
but India played well at the end to take away the match from us."
Waugh
was confident his team would recover from the exciting, but
energy-sapping, series before meeting India in five one-day
internationals from Sunday.
"Usually
in a three-match series one Test gets a bit tight, but here we had
three matches that were very close and the crowd got their money's
worth," Waugh said.
He
denied reports that he had predicted a 3-0 win for his world champion
team.
"I
never said we will win 3-0. India are a very tough side to beat at
home and they showed it in this series.
"But no one can take away our record of 16 consecutive Test wins which my team and I are very proud of." The beleaguered captain added.
Harbhajan
Singh thanks Kumble for all his support
Chennai,
March 22:
Harbhajan Singh, the man who played the key role in India's series
victory over Australia on Thursday with 15 wickets and then hit the
final two winning runs thanked injured team mate Anil Kumble for all
his support.
"Anil
Kumble helped me a lot in the training camp," he said, adding
that India's new coach, New Zealander John Wright, had also played a
big part in his success.
"He
told me a lot of things about line and length," Singh said.
Kumble
had been considered central to India's hopes of winning the series but
the leg-spinner was ruled out following shoulder surgery.
The
20-year-old Singh, however -- who was reported for chucking two years
ago -- filled the void as he took 13 wickets in the second test and 15
in the decider to end with 32 for the series.
"Right
from the start of this series, I have tried to bowl a tight line to
the Australians so that they are unable to make too many runs.”
Singh, named the Man of the series said.
"The
ball turned well and once I got my line right in the second test, it
made a lot of difference.
"I
did not think I'd do this well and get 32 wickets in the series but I
guess it's my hard work and support from my family that has made it
possible.
"I
practised very hard over the last few months. I knew I would do
well,” he added.
While
his cheerful captain Sourav Ganguly added, "Bajji bowled like a
dream. He looked like picking a wicket every ball."
Aussie
fans lodge a complaint against behaviour of Indian team
Chennai, March 22: Australian cricket supporters have lodged a protest over rude gestures by Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and other players after winning the second Test at Kolkata.
The
fans, travelling with Steve Waugh's team, wrote to the Australian
Cricket Board (ACB) that Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Venkatesh Prasad
raised their middle fingers in an obsence salute during the lap of
honour after their 171-run win at Calcutta.
The
ACB passed on the letter to the Indian coach John Wright demanding an
apology from the players.
"For
five days at the Eden Gardens my colleagues and I supported cricket,
naturally wanting Australia to win, amidst a barrage of verbal taunts,
food, water bombs and blood-drawing rocks," group leader Luke
Gillian wrote.
"If
we are to show any respect for the Indian side, on behalf of the
Australian supporters I ask that Sourav, Harbhajan and Prasad make a
formal apology to us."
Indian
manager Chetan Chauhan said the fans had misintepreted the thumbs-up
gesture by the players.
"There
was nothing rude about it," Chauhan, a former Test cricketer said
"But
I must stress that Australian fans are welcome on any Indian ground.
They are our guests and I will take steps to ensure that a good
atmosphere prevails in the stands.
"I
will speak to the players and see what needs to be done," Chauhan
said when asked if he planned to tender an apology.
An
Australian journalist Malcolm Conn defended the fans' decision to make
an official complaint.
"Indeed,
if some of Australia's leading players did that to a small group of
Indian supporters at Australian grounds there would rightly be an
outcry inside and outside the country," Conn wrote in the Hindu
newspaper.
"The
players would be branded arrogant, elitist, racist and worse. Is it
any different the other way around?"
Relations
between the two teams have been tense during the three-Test series,
with rival captains Ganguly and Waugh making no effort to disguise
their animosity towards each other.
Waugh
has twice been kept waiting on the field just before the toss as the
Indian captain took his time to emerge from the dressing room.
When
the same thing happened before the start of the third Test here, Waugh
walked up to the middle alone and complained to International Cricket
Council match referee Cammie Smith, who spoke to Ganguly.
Mark
Waugh says Indians are the favourites to win the series
Chennai,
March 21: Mark Waugh made India
the favourites on Wednesday to win the deciding third Test at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
However,
he warned the home side not to underestimate the Australians after
they closed on 241 for seven, 131 runs ahead, after the fourth day.
"I
think it is definitely advantage India because the wicket is still
playing well and it is pretty firm. We need to get another 60-70 runs
to make a match of it," Waugh said after the day 4 ended.
He
praised the new spin sensation Harbhajan Singh, who once again
beleaguered the Australian batsmen to claim five for 82 and his second
consecutive 10-wicket match haul.
"I
would rate him right up there. He is bowling with lot of confidence.
He has good variation and a straight ball. He varies his pace
well," Waugh said.
"Just
when I thought I was getting the measure of him, I was out and the
series is over," said Waugh, who was dismissed by Singh for the
third time in five innings.
"Apart
from Harbhajan, nobody was really dangerous. When they bowled in the
rough, it tended to turn pretty sharply and bounce also. Otherwise it
is fairly placid," Waugh said.
"Ninety
per cent of the pitch is the same as on day one."
Waugh
added that Australia would try to imitate India, who had bowled them
out cheaply on the final day to win the second test in Calcutta and
level the series.
"When
the pressure is on and you have to score the runs and there are
fieldsmen all around, anything can happen as it did in Kolkata,"
he said.
I'm
looking forward to bowling with Kumble: Harbhajan
Chennai,
March 19: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was once again the
chief wrecker in the final Test at Chennai taking seven wickets for
133 runs in the first innings, said he was trying to fulfill the
responsibility of being the strike bowler in the absence of Anil
Kumble.
After
the second day's play here on Monday, Harbhajan said, "the
responsibility has fallen on me and I tried my best. I am looking
forward to bowling alongside Kumble."
On
the exit of Australian captain Steve Waugh for handling the ball,
Harbhajan said, "I appealed for a leg before and was waiting for
umpire's reaction. Only later did I realize that he had handled the
ball."
Harbhajan
said his most valuable wicket on Monday was that of Adam Gilchrist,
the Australian wicket-keeper, and added that there was not much of
help from the pitch but there was more bounce.
Asked
to comment on his spell, Harbhajan said he had no specific plan as
such but bowled a good line and length, concentrating on outside the
off stump.
Steve
Waugh is the sixth batsman given out for handling the ball
Chennai,
India, March 19: Australian skipper Steve Waugh fell to a rare
dismissal in the 3rd Test at Chennai when he was rapped on
the pad by a Harbhajan Singh off spinner.
The
incident came after Waugh tried to play a sweep shot against Harbhajan
and the ball hit his pad, flew up and bounced back, threatening to hit
the off stump.
As
Harbhajan appealed for an lbw decision, which was never going to be
awarded, Waugh noticed the ball heading for his stumps and stuck out
his hand to deflect it.
A
renewed appeal for 'handled the ball' ensued and the Indian
umpire Avi Jayaprakash, who had rejected the Indian appeal for
leg-before, raised his finger sending Waugh back
for 47.
It
was only the sixth instance in Test cricket, and the first since
Graham Gooch of England was dismissed at Old Trafford in 1993, that a
batsman was given out handling the ball.
Batsmen out handling the ball in Test cricket:
-
Russel Endean (South Africa) v England, 1956-57
-
Andrew Hilditch (Australia) v Pakistan, 1978-79
-
Mohsin Khan (Pakistan) v Australia, 1982-83
-
Desmond Haynes (West Indies) v India, 1983
-
Graham Gooch (England) v Australia, 1993
-
Steve Waugh (Australia) v India, 2001
Gilchrist
ducks brings in dollars for club
Sydney,
March 18: Gilchrist's first ball dismissals in both the innings at
the Kolkata Test might have been crucial to Australia's defeat but it
would help to bring smiles on the faces of a few Aussies.
A
primary club of Australia found itself richer by $19,500 as a result
of the three golden ducks scored by the Aussies in the match, two by
Gilchrist and one by Warne, Sydney Morning Herald reported on
Sunday.
The
Golden Duck Club, which helps handicapped sports people, requires its
members, numbering 1,300, to pay $5 for each golden duck achieved by
an Australian batsman in a Test.
The
qualification for the club is to have had a golden duck - out first
ball.
Waugh
upset with Buchanan over Warne issue
Sydney,
March 18: Australian coach John Buchanan has come under fire from
his captain Steve Waugh for unilaterally declaring that leg-spinner
Shane Warne would not be played in the third and final cricket Test
against India, which started in Chennai on Sunday.
Waugh
was upset with Buchanan for going public with his comment without
consulting him and speculated that the coach's 'outspokenness' may
cost him his job in the long run.
"Warne
is a bit down and we read some comments in the Australian papers that
we probably didn't want to see. That's happened and we've got to live
with that. We can all learn by our mistakes, so I'm sure John
(Buchanan) will learn from the experience," a Sydney paper quoted
Waugh as saying from Chennai.
"It
probably hasn't done Warne the world of good but we can come back.
You've got to be bigger that one or two small issues like that,"
Waugh said.
Buchanan
was quoted by the Australian Press two days ago that Warne was not
'physically and mentally fit' for the Chennai Test and suggested that
he would be replaced by Colin Miller.
However,
Waugh on Saturday asserted that Warne would not be dropped and both he
and Miller would find a place in the final eleven, which is what
eventually happened.
"The
philosophy is generally on pace but you've got to sum up the
conditions. It's pretty obvious the wicket here is going to turn big
time and it'd be pretty stupid not to play two spinners here,"
Waugh said.
Waugh
said the morale in the Australian camp was still high and there was no
need to panic.
"We've
failed once in 17 Tests so let's not make too big a deal of it. The
series is up for grabs but we've got to believe we're good enough to
do it," he said.
Ganguly,
selectors argue in public
Chennai,
March 18: Wicketkeeper batsman Nayan Mongia was dropped
following an ugly incident in public between the Indian skipper Sourav
Ganguly and the selectors just about 30 minutes before the toss on the
opening day of the third and final cricket Test between India and
Australia here on Sunday.
Instead
of discussing the issue of Mongia between the captain and selectors at
the dressing room, the discussions in the form of arguments and
counter-arguments were held before the public in the pavilion area.
Though
Mongia was backed by selectors, Ganguly stuck to his stand that the
batsman was not completely fit and that Samir Dighe should be included
in the eleven. The issue was resolved only after coach John Wright and
team physio, Andrew Leipus backed Ganguly.
Waugh
and Buchanan argue over playing Warne in Chennai Test
Chennai,
March 17:
Australian skipper Steve Waugh and coach John Buchanan had an argument
over playing spin king Shane Warne in the crucial final Test against
India here from Sunday.
Buchanan
said that Warne was not in good shape to play the decider with the
series locked 1-1, but Waugh argued that the coach alone could not
make a decision on the leg-spinner.
"There
are two others on the tour selection committee (Waugh himself and
vice-captain Adam Gilchrist) who will also decide," Waugh said.
"I
believe Warne is good enough to pull himself through any situation. I
will back him to do well at the crunch," Waugh added.
Warne,
who has always found the Indians a hard nut to crack, was smashed for
217 runs for his three wickets during India's 171-run win in the
second Test at Kolkata on Thursday.
In
10 Tests against India, Warne has just 27 wickets at an average of
52.85 compared to an overall record of 374 wickets at 26.28 from 86
Tests.
Buchanan
said that he would prefer to play off-spinner Colin Miller instead of
Warne on a typically spin-friendly Chepauk wicket that looks certain
to produce a result.
"It's
no secret that Warney's probably not one of the fittest characters
around in world cricket. He's bowled quite a number of overs in the
last Test and he felt the effects of that. We've tried to manage the
bowlers all tour but there comes a point when you've got to
bowl," Buchanan said.
Buchanan
said that including Miller, who bowls both medium-pace and spin, would
balance the attack that has been revolving around pacemen Glenn
McGrath and Jason Gillespie.
"Going
with the quick bowlers is still the strategy," the coach said.
"The
Indians are still susceptible to good quick bowling. If they get
through that, how do you then follow it up?" Waugh differed.
"Common
sense says we should play both spinners on a wicket that is bound to
turn," Waugh said.
The
Indians, buoyant after their astonishing win at Kolkata, appear set to
play three slow bowlers for the first time in the series — backed by
Sachin Tendulkar's leg-spin.
Punjab
off-spinner Sharandeep Singh and Mumbai's left-armer Nilesh Kulkarni
are favoured to join Harbhajan Singh, who had a match-haul of 13
wickets at Kolkata, including a hat-trick in the first innings.
Captain
Sourav Ganguly, however, said that pace spearhead Javagal Srinath was
still unfit to play, after missing the second Test, with a broken
finger.
Wicket-keeper
Nayan Mongia, who was hit on the nose at Calcutta, will make way for
Mumbai's Sameer Dighe if he fails a test on Sunday morning.
"Nayan
has a 50-50 chance," Ganguly said. "We want to go in with 11
fit men for what is a very crucial Test. The heat and humidity here
will favour us. But I am not under-estimating the Aussies, just as
they will not under-estimate us. It will be quite a battle out
there."
Teams:
Australia:
Steve Waugh (capt), Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer,
Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Colin Miller,
Michael Kasprowicz, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.
Umpires:
Avi Jayaprakash (India), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)
Kolkata
Test help record breaking Indians move up world rankings
New Delhi, March 16: The dazzling performances of India's young cricketers in the second Test in Kolkata has zoomed them up the world rankings.
In the latest Pricewaterhouse Coopers cricket rankings, V V S Laxman, who became India's highest scorer in Tests with a brilliant 281, rocketed up 30 places and is now ranked 23rd.
Harbhajan Singh who claimed 13 wickets including India's first hat-trick in Tests galloped from outside 50 to 18th in the new list.
Laxman's partner in the record breaking stand Rahul Dravid is the new number five jumping up five places while Australian vice captain Adam Gilchrist who failed to score in both innings dropped down to tenth place.
Sachin Tendulkar retains the top spot with 873 points with Steve Waugh in hot pursuit. Waugh now has 840 points after his century in the first innings.
Ricky Ponting dropped four places to twelve, while Slater fell two places to 16th.
In the bowling however, McGrath who was placed first with South African captain Shaun Pollock moved to sole first place adding two more points to 909 while Pollock fell to 900 points.
Shane Warne dropped to below 20 from his earlier ranking of 16, injured Brett Lee fell two spots to eigth and Jason Gillespie also fell by two places to nine.
India's magnificent victory gave impetus to Test cricket: Geoff Marsh
Mumbai, March 16: Former Australian opener Geoff Marsh on Friday said India's magnificent victory in the second test at Kolkata had not only boosted the confidence of the Indians but also gave impetus to the longer version of the game.
Marsh, who is consultant for the Cricket Board, said the Indian team had a number of talented youngsters and it was great to see all of them come well when the chips were down.
"Yesterday's win has done a great thing not only for Indian cricket in particular but for Test cricket in general," Marsh added.
Marsh, who stepped down as the Aussie coach after the World Cup in England (1999), said the Australians did everything they could when V V S Laxman and Rahul Dravid were tearing the bowling apart but the duo played splendid innings.
"The Indians came back brilliantly and batted beautifully on the fourth day and must have bowled brilliantly on the final day to win with quite a big margin. With this win the Indians have not only squared the three-Test match series 1-all but have created immense interest for the Chennai Test which I am sure will be a real thriller," he added.
Marsh's opening partner David Boon said, "Laxman and Dravid really played well and I think it was just one bad day that did the Australians in. Of course they (Aussies) have not had a bad day in the last 16 tests, so I think it was due any way."
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