Border - Gavaskar Test Series 2012

Test match fever is all gone after Australian Open Tennis dominated Cricket this summer here in Australia. The domination started after years first Grand Slam Tennis Stareted at Melbourne. I am here not to talk about Tennis and I cant even forget almost 6 hours clash between Djokovic and Nadal. I am here to talk abt te Border-Gavaskar Trophy. I tweeted at the end of the 4 match test series about India’s flop duo’s Rahul and VVS retirement plans. I wrote” this will not gonn happen “ , and it wil not happen. No doubt they had extraordinary talent. Sachin well every one can put him on exceptional case , he will and can play as long as he wants to, by the way he is 38 years old and I guess waiting for his 100th ton to think about retirement. Among the all batsman who toured at this test series Sachin was the only player who looked in good touch, it was perfect bowling by the Aussies that made it difficult to him. Rahul 39 , VVS 37 and a flop show this summer has hinted to play more more and more, and they will trust me , because as they enter the big stage back home no one can stop them. This is what I don’t like about Indian Cricket Team. Tallents that are willing to play for their country has to wait a long long time and when time comes they look depressed waiting for long long time. Rohit Sharma is a good example, the selectors made him chew his nails even in the last match , we all guessed this time he will get a chance but he didn’t. This is what Indian team is , was and will be….. Indian bowlers , well I have a suggestion , do not tour abroad until and unless you produce a bolwer who can hit the deck ard 150 kmph , Zaheer was , Yadav has a bright future , but I missed Praveen Kumar and Bhajji…. As previous tour Team India were here at Australia to get rid of the cold weather back home , looked so , they lacked cricket basics. Few old legs combined with few young lazy legs, players chasing the ball as if a Bollyuood Actor running to hug his heroine in super slow motion,, u can imazine now. A tour should be planned and you should act on the plan and give a fight. Team Australia did this and they are holding the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Every player played their part, captain Clarke passed his exam , his decisions were extremely impressive and it striked the brain and hit the heart. This series became a good platform to former captain Ricky Ponting get his form back. Aussie bowlers are the true winners if we analyze the whole series. Hilfenhaus , Sidddle , Pattinson , Harris bowled according to the plan and they got the reward whenever their captained. Over all for me this summer's cricket result was EXPECTED and WRITTEN and i swear this series didn’t give me The Entertainment….. From Sydney – Sudin Pokharel extracted from my article from www.cricket.com.np

Unsung Hero Of Australia

India-Australia series is more focused on a few things: Can Sachin Tendulkar score his 100th century? Can Australian captain Michael Clarke lead the Australian team well enough? Can Team India win a series in Australia? Clarke has shown his maturity after 2-0 lead in the series. His dominating knock of 329 not out, his surprising declaration and the wins has made him a hero in Australia. Amongst all these discussions, a man is a hero behind the scene and I guess, no one has talked about him. I am talking about Australian bowling Coach Craig McDermott. It’s his troop which has rattled India, a team with world’s best batting line up, completely. Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattioson have already sealed the show in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy. I remember watching McDermott at his best during his days. He was an aggressive fast bowler who loved hitting the deck. Hitting the deck technique was seen in the current Australian bowlers. Hit the deck around off stumps and the ball will do the rest: this was the theory that the Aussie bowlers applied. Australians have started looking at Pattinson, a tall 21-year-old lad as an aggressive right arm fast bowler who is all set to go on the track of Glenn McGrath. I could see the pace, the movement and the temperament of the fast bowler. He has only played four Tests and has already taken 25 wickets. He will be out of the next two matches because of knee injury. Is it good news for India? Obviously not because Ryan Harris is all set to be in the team. During the second Test, I reached the Sydney Ground a bit early on first day to see the teams’ warm up sessions. I saw McDermott working with his troops, Siddle , Pattinson and Hilfenhaus. In the Melbourne Test, these bowlers took 18 wickets. They were all set to do the same at the Sydney Test and they did it again taking 19 wickets together. If India were not bowled out for just 191 in the first innings of Syndey Test, the scenario would have been different. It’s the bowlers who have taken a centre stage in the ongoing series. I talked about Hilfenhaus in my previous article, where I wrote as a swing bowler he has made his place in the playing XI. Hilfenhaus’ selection was a bit of controversial in Australia but he has proven them wrong. He has already taken 15 wickets in this series. Siddle lead the troop in a matured and aggressive way, he looked a different bowler this summer, he pitched the ball on a good line and the pace was there. Australia’s batsman Ricky Ponting , Clarke and Mike Hussey all are back in form. If we evaluate India’s performance everyone is struggling except Tendulkar. Tendulkar looked like of back in old days middling the ball well. The only negative thing that I saw in his inning was him switching the gear. Starting on a good pace from 100kmph and when he was about to reach 50 the pace came down to 10, again after 50 the pace went to 100, this switching of gear is not doing good for his consistency. An old person was watching the match with me, his name was Watson and he was from New South Wales. He told me that he has never missed a single Test match at Sydney and that day he was there to see Tendulkar’s landmark century which unfortunately he couldn’t. He said he loved to see him play. India is full of questions. VVS the very special batsman who had the ability to score against Australia seems a flop show. Will Rohit Sharma get a chance? What about Virat Kohli? And what about Ishant Sharma? They have done nothing yet. As the series is still alive with two more Tests to go, both the team will face each other at Adelaide next. Adelaide has the fastest and bouncy pitch. India is waiting for Tendulkar’s century, McDermott and his troops will be waiting his wickets! (Cricket Nepal’s special correspondent Sudin Pokharel is currently in Australia) Cricket.com.np Facebook & Twitter