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Now, off-field drubbing
The Australian media on Saturday suggested a reality check on the hype surrounding the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up after the visitors’ humiliating innings defeat in the second Test, saying that they should ponder over whether the ageing stars can still deliver for the team.
The famed Indian batting line-up came a cropper in the two Tests against Australia in the ongoing four-match series and the local media wondered whether the ageing stalwarts were still an asset.
“On paper India boasts one of the most formidable batting line-ups ever seen in Test cricket, but reality suggests age is starting to overpower the benefits of their experience,” the Australian Associated Press said.
“Dravid and Tendulkar are approaching 39, Laxman is 37 and India’s recent whitewash against England and 2-0 deficit against Australia indicates something is significantly wrong. Writing off champion players is always fraught with danger, and India’s big three, as well as Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni, have shown patches of their prowess over recent months,” it said.
According to the write-up, India’s recent rise to No 1 spot in Test before England dethroned them were due to the huge partnerships among the experienced but ageing players.
“India became No.1 team in Test because their stars had a knack of firing together and combining for huge partnerships to bat teams out of matches. That isn’t happening at moment, and the question is whether their ageing heroes are in a position to see them back to top of world rankings,” it said.
The media said the perception that India’s famed batting line-up will deliver at SCG, Sachin Tendulkar’s “favourite” ground abroad, in second Test was exaggerated.
“Rumours of an Indian pulse in Sydney had been greatly exaggerated. Inevitably, the tooth fairy (mythical creature of bounty) was revealed to be a fraud,” a write-up in Sydney Morning Herald said.
“While Tendulkar and Laxman were still at crease after lunch, there remained the faint belief the unsalvageable might be salvaged. The tourists’ back was broken early afternoon with the dismissals of Tendulkar for 80 and Laxman for 66. The rest of afternoon was a victory lap for Michael Clarke’s side.”
The Australian focussed on Tendulkar falling to the slow left-arm bowling of Australian captain Michael Clarke, which triggered the visiting side’s collapse in India’s second innings, leading to their innings and 68-run defeat in the second Test at the SCG.
Under the heading Indian cobras charmed again by Michael Clarke’s tweaks, the newspaper wrote, “What is it about Indian batsmen and that Australian slow left-arm and occasional orthodox spinner? The sweet slicing artists of the subcontinent have made mincemeat from the finest rumps of Australian tweakers.
“Shane Warne has been reduced to a shivering mess at times and if it happened to him you can imagine how mere mortals fare. There is something about Michael Clarke, however, that an Indian batsman does not love.
“He only took one wicket but it may as well have been five, for when Sachin Tendulkar falls a trapdoor opens beneath the innings,” it said.
Herald Sun praised the Australian team for winning the second Test also in four days after taming the highly-rated Indian batting line-up. “For the second time in as many weeks, Australia twice disposed of the game’s most feared batting line-up inside four days,” it said.
Meanwhile, captain Michael Clarke got most of the credit from the local media for his 329 not out and dismissal of Tendulkar which triggered Indian batting collapse in the visitors’ second innings.
‘Would be interesting to see how India cope at WACA’
India were unable to cope with the relatively easy-paced wicket for the second Test here and Australia coach Mickey Arthur can’t see how they can turn it around on the dreadfully quick and bouncy WACA track in Perth during the third Test starting January 13.
“They didn’t look comfortable in the first innings. In the second they did but then this wicket, along with the one in Adelaide, is similar to the sub-continent. But WACA is different. It has pace and bounce and sideways movement. It’s interesting how they go there,” was Arthur’s challenging verdict delivered at a press conference here.
The Indians have lost the first two Tests of the four-match series by 122 runs and by an innings and 68 runs respectively. The final two Tests of the series will be played in Perth and Adelaide (January 24-28).
The Indian batting has failed to rise to the occasion leading to suggestions that it might be over-rated and more a group of talented individuals. But Arthur begged to differ. “I would never say that. They are the World Cup holders. Not very long ago, they held the number one slot in Tests. I would never ever say they are a team of individuals. They have really good individual players but lately they have played as a team and have had some success as a side. I wouldn’t say it (team of individuals) at all,” he said.
$1m for Clarke’s bat
Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who scored an unbeaten triple century against India in the second Test at SCG, is poised to pocket more than USD one million from a new bat sponsor. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Clarke is poised to sign a three-year contract with bat manufacturer Spartan Sports in what is likely to be the first of a series of deals. Clarke ended his 18-year association with Slazenger days before he led Australia to a thumping victory at the SCG, the report said.
"It is believed the plan is for Clarke's bat, and potentially other merchandise, to be emblazoned with his own "MC" logo, just as the great Sachin Tendulkar has his own "ST" brand, which adorns his adidas-sponsored bats," it said.
Starc in Aus squad for 3rd Test
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc is the only change, coming in place of injured fast bowler James Pattinson, in the 12-man Australian squad for the third Test against India in Perth, starting on January 13. Pattinson is carrying a injury in his left foot and has consequently been ruled out of the remainder of the four-match Test series.
Like Pattinson, Starc is too a 21-year-old fast bowler who is rated immensely even though he has just four wickets from two Tests he has played. The 1.96m tall New South Wales bowler is known to generate tremendous pace and bounce.
Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-captain), Ed Cowan, Ryan Harris, Ben HIlfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
The Australian media on Saturday suggested a reality check on the hype surrounding the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up after the visitors’ humiliating innings defeat in the second Test, saying that they should ponder over whether the ageing stars can still deliver for the team.
The famed Indian batting line-up came a cropper in the two Tests against Australia in the ongoing four-match series and the local media wondered whether the ageing stalwarts were still an asset.
“On paper India boasts one of the most formidable batting line-ups ever seen in Test cricket, but reality suggests age is starting to overpower the benefits of their experience,” the Australian Associated Press said.
“Dravid and Tendulkar are approaching 39, Laxman is 37 and India’s recent whitewash against England and 2-0 deficit against Australia indicates something is significantly wrong. Writing off champion players is always fraught with danger, and India’s big three, as well as Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni, have shown patches of their prowess over recent months,” it said.
According to the write-up, India’s recent rise to No 1 spot in Test before England dethroned them were due to the huge partnerships among the experienced but ageing players.
“India became No.1 team in Test because their stars had a knack of firing together and combining for huge partnerships to bat teams out of matches. That isn’t happening at moment, and the question is whether their ageing heroes are in a position to see them back to top of world rankings,” it said.
The media said the perception that India’s famed batting line-up will deliver at SCG, Sachin Tendulkar’s “favourite” ground abroad, in second Test was exaggerated.
“Rumours of an Indian pulse in Sydney had been greatly exaggerated. Inevitably, the tooth fairy (mythical creature of bounty) was revealed to be a fraud,” a write-up in Sydney Morning Herald said.
“While Tendulkar and Laxman were still at crease after lunch, there remained the faint belief the unsalvageable might be salvaged. The tourists’ back was broken early afternoon with the dismissals of Tendulkar for 80 and Laxman for 66. The rest of afternoon was a victory lap for Michael Clarke’s side.”
The Australian focussed on Tendulkar falling to the slow left-arm bowling of Australian captain Michael Clarke, which triggered the visiting side’s collapse in India’s second innings, leading to their innings and 68-run defeat in the second Test at the SCG.
Under the heading Indian cobras charmed again by Michael Clarke’s tweaks, the newspaper wrote, “What is it about Indian batsmen and that Australian slow left-arm and occasional orthodox spinner? The sweet slicing artists of the subcontinent have made mincemeat from the finest rumps of Australian tweakers.
“Shane Warne has been reduced to a shivering mess at times and if it happened to him you can imagine how mere mortals fare. There is something about Michael Clarke, however, that an Indian batsman does not love.
“He only took one wicket but it may as well have been five, for when Sachin Tendulkar falls a trapdoor opens beneath the innings,” it said.
Herald Sun praised the Australian team for winning the second Test also in four days after taming the highly-rated Indian batting line-up. “For the second time in as many weeks, Australia twice disposed of the game’s most feared batting line-up inside four days,” it said.
Meanwhile, captain Michael Clarke got most of the credit from the local media for his 329 not out and dismissal of Tendulkar which triggered Indian batting collapse in the visitors’ second innings.
‘Would be interesting to see how India cope at WACA’
India were unable to cope with the relatively easy-paced wicket for the second Test here and Australia coach Mickey Arthur can’t see how they can turn it around on the dreadfully quick and bouncy WACA track in Perth during the third Test starting January 13.
“They didn’t look comfortable in the first innings. In the second they did but then this wicket, along with the one in Adelaide, is similar to the sub-continent. But WACA is different. It has pace and bounce and sideways movement. It’s interesting how they go there,” was Arthur’s challenging verdict delivered at a press conference here.
The Indians have lost the first two Tests of the four-match series by 122 runs and by an innings and 68 runs respectively. The final two Tests of the series will be played in Perth and Adelaide (January 24-28).
The Indian batting has failed to rise to the occasion leading to suggestions that it might be over-rated and more a group of talented individuals. But Arthur begged to differ. “I would never say that. They are the World Cup holders. Not very long ago, they held the number one slot in Tests. I would never ever say they are a team of individuals. They have really good individual players but lately they have played as a team and have had some success as a side. I wouldn’t say it (team of individuals) at all,” he said.
$1m for Clarke’s bat
Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who scored an unbeaten triple century against India in the second Test at SCG, is poised to pocket more than USD one million from a new bat sponsor. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Clarke is poised to sign a three-year contract with bat manufacturer Spartan Sports in what is likely to be the first of a series of deals. Clarke ended his 18-year association with Slazenger days before he led Australia to a thumping victory at the SCG, the report said.
"It is believed the plan is for Clarke's bat, and potentially other merchandise, to be emblazoned with his own "MC" logo, just as the great Sachin Tendulkar has his own "ST" brand, which adorns his adidas-sponsored bats," it said.
Starc in Aus squad for 3rd Test
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc is the only change, coming in place of injured fast bowler James Pattinson, in the 12-man Australian squad for the third Test against India in Perth, starting on January 13. Pattinson is carrying a injury in his left foot and has consequently been ruled out of the remainder of the four-match Test series.
Like Pattinson, Starc is too a 21-year-old fast bowler who is rated immensely even though he has just four wickets from two Tests he has played. The 1.96m tall New South Wales bowler is known to generate tremendous pace and bounce.
Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-captain), Ed Cowan, Ryan Harris, Ben HIlfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
