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It was the year 2001. Australia were at their dominating best. Having conquered numerous nations and gained authority, their ultimate assignment was to conquer the ‘final frontier’. India was under-prepared. They had a raw and unpolished team that had very less experience of playing together. Sourav Ganguly was a young and dynamic skipper who was chalking out team strategies, emphasizing on inducting young blood in the team.
Australia was expected to win the series hands down. They were the heavy-weights who had their arsenal full of talents. The top-order fired with consistency and the middle order was rock-solid as ever. The bowling was lethal. It was an enviable combination!
The first Test was a disaster for India. They were thoroughly humiliated by Australia, having made mince-meat of Indian bowling. Redemption was a far cry for India who looked jaded and defeated.
“There is a major turning point in every person’s life. It may arrive anywhere, anytime. But when it arrives, it will illuminate him!”
The first two innings of the second Test weren’t any different to the previous Test. India was tottering after being made to follow-on. Then the magic happened. A man named VVS Laxman and his partner-in-crime Rahul Dravid turned the game around, much to the surprise of the cricket pundits, who by then had written India off for their own good. VVS Laxman played brilliantly to take the attack back to the opposition. He was in full flow and the ball never seemed to cross his bat without his authorisation. Dravid on the other hand was a class apart, carving his own niche in history.
Together they plundered the Australians to snatch a lead for their team. India won the match comprehensively and a new era had begun for Team India! India went on to win the series and had numerous emerging heroes from the series. The Border-Gavaskar is the place where it all started for the team. Since then, they have been the team to beat in home conditions, though they are completely mediocre beyond the country border.
Back to today.
Indian cricket is looking forward to this season. They are anticipating a smooth start to erase the demons of the past from the minds of the spectators. It is easier said than done. India has lost the momentum and form has eluded them for quite a while. They have no one but themselves to blame.
But they have a chance to redeem themselves. The Border-Gavaskar trophy could well be their path to redemption. A series win could be what the ‘doctor ordered’ and a white wash would definitely be the icing on the cake. The permutation and combinations indicate victory for India since Australia is fielding an inexperienced side. But India has a few issues of their own to address. Here are few of the opportunities and advantages that lie ahead for the Men in Blue:
The opening issue:
Virender Sehwag is not in the best of form. India has no option but to hope for a miracle in his case. Sehwag is known to have a complacent attitude towards cricket in general. The manner in which he stands in the slip-cordon says it all. But he can really be an asset once he gets going. He should take the axing of Gambhir seriously and put-in some credible performances to persist the selectors to retain him for the third and fourth Tests as well.
Murali Vijay appears likely to play tomorrow, considering the fact that Chennai is his own back-yard. He knows the conditions like the back of his hand and that is going to hold him in good stead come Friday. But he needs to step up his performances and make sure he betters his own record against the pace-filled Australians since Vijay has a weakness against genuine swing bowling. He seldom uses his foot to full-effect. Therefore, he needs to be sure of his off-stump.
Shikhar Dhawan, on the other hand, is going to feel the axe tomorrow. But a poor performance from Murali Vijay could open the doors for him. Dhawan should ensure that he scores heavily whenever he gets the opportunity because Gambhir is back in form and the selectors would find it difficult to keep him out for long.
The young middle-order:
The incumbent batsmen in the middle-order have retired for good. Therefore, the onus falls on the youngsters to match up to their counter-parts. While Pujara has been the perfect replacement to Rahul Dravid, Kohli is still adjusting to the longest form of the game. It is only a matter of time before he gets the monkey off his back and regains his magical touch.
Unfortunately, the other two slots would be filled by Ravindra Jadeja and the skipper himself. While Ravi Jadeja has the potential to make it big in the international circuit, he has always fallen short of the expectations, to our extreme disappointment. But here is a chance for him to prove his mettle and show that he is indeed worthy of the three triple tons that he scored in the Ranji trophy.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be his usual self, batting the way he knows best. It is a critical series for him and the axe would fall for certain if he fails.
The little master:
Sachin Tendulkar is a man with a ‘never-say-die’ attitude. He failed in the Test series against New-Zealand and England. He put the failures behind him and went back to domestic cricket to tinker and repair the chunks in his batting. It is his perseverance that fetched him a ton in the Irani Trophy match. It would be a major boost to the master who would be raring to have a go at the old foes. Knowing Tendulkar, he’d be itching to pay back the dues of 2012. Watch out!
The spin-twins:
Things are dreary for Pragyan Ojha. It seems almost certain that Harbhajan will get the nod. If it comes to pass, it would be purely based on the experience that Harbhajan possesses in his erstwhile career for India. Selectors are hoping that he can reproduce the magic of the old and spin a web around a clueless Aussie batting. Whether it will happen is a question that only time can answer.
If Ojha gets selected alongside Ashwin, it would be a classic sight to see them bowling in tandem. Barring the England series, they have had immense success as a pair and they would look to build on that in this series. Ojha is a wily-fox, while Ashwin could cause a slide with the subtle variations that he has accumulated in his arsenal over the years.
The all-rounders:
India is blessed to have three all-rounders in the squad in the form of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Dhoni’s obsession with and preference for all-rounders is a known fact. He would be relying on them to fill the batting void left by the seniors. Since the number six spot does not have a specialist batsman, the three all-rounders should lend support by placing a price on their wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja, the left-arm spinner:
Jadeja has a major role as a batsman in the team. But that is not all. His tidy left-arm orthodox could be a lethal weapon against a side that has little or no experience in playing in this part of the world. The Chennai track would provide plenty of assistance to the spinners and it won’t be surprising even if Jadeja emerges as the leading wicket-taker.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the ‘sultan-of-swing’ in the making:
He had a dream debut against Pakistan, snaring three crucial wickets using balls that swung like a pendulum. He was marked as one for the future when he sent the stumps of Sachin for a walk in a domestic match. Much was expected of him and he has proved his substance to some extent in the shorter formats. But the true test awaits him when he takes on the field against Australia in a placid (for speedsters) Chennai wicket.
Bhuvneshwar could bamboozle the opponents with his swinging deliveries. He could really trouble the batsmen early in the innings when their feet aren’t moving to their liking. He could well be our answer to Mitchell Starc.
The fans are keenly anticipating the booming voice of Ravi Shastri to pierce the sunny Chepauk stadium early tomorrow morning and the excitement is palpable amongst us to witness the professionals in action! It is revenge time!
