CB series, India v Australia, Preview: Must-win game for India

Time to muster the troops: For India to prevail in this series, their batsmen need to fire collectively at Sydney.

The route for India to earn a place in the final is clear and simple. It is not easy, but simple – they have to win the next two matches. India (10 points) find themselves at the bottom of the table with Sri Lanka (15 points) and Australia (14 points) ahead. Therefore, India face Australia at Sydney tomorrow in the first of their two knock-out games.

If India win both games and Sri Lanka beat Australia at Hobart it will be an all-Asian final. On an unlikely event, Australia facing defeats in the hands India tomorrow and Sri Lanka in their next encounter might as well give India an outside chance. But given their net runrate (-0.733) which is so low when compared to Australia (+0.318) and Sri Lanka (+0.426), the margin of defeat should be very high. Nevertheless, for India to prevail in this series they have to win tomorrow for if they lose Sri Lanka and Australia will play in the fianl.

India’s batting performances so far in this series have been patchy. Sachin Tendulkar has got starts but has failed to convert them. Sehwag’s strategy to play square too early in the innings is not going to help his scoring overseas.

M S Dhoni’s consistency and finishing skills have been the only silver-lining in the middle-order while Gautam Gambhir who rediscovered his touch with two consecutive nineties needs to keep his rhythm going.

The batting disarray that enveloped India over the last two months offered faint hopes of getting doused after India won two games in a row and tied the next, but has threatened to surface again as the batting line-up collapsed against Australia in the pursuit of a big total, in the last game.

Openers Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were rotated to accommodate Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in the middle order, but the young duo has squandered it by scoring 213 runs together in six games. So with the efforts to infuse fresh blood proving futile, India might consider playing the best eleven tomorrow given the context of the game.

India’s inept bowling at the death has cost the side a few matches in this series. Sehwag’s strategy to use Raina and Kohli in the last two overs didn’t help either. For the side’s fortunes to take a U-turn Zaheer Khan must pursue his best self both with the new and the old ball.

Australia, who appeared invincible at the start of the series currently appear vulnerable with their chasms discernibly exposed. Clarke’s men have found it hard to stop set batsmen and haven’t kept their nerve during the finishing stages of the game. Clarke’s skills as a captain are going to be tested on such occasions. In the last game against Sri Lanka, his decision to throw the ball to the inconsistent Dan Christian backfired and made the final over meaningless.

Off-field controversies cast shadow on performances

These are times when Team India are written-off for the happenings off the field (read: press conferences) as much as they are done on the field. The massive retortion in the public domain between the team’s senior pros and the controversial ‘rotation policy’ which is at the centre of all these, aren’t helping in creating a peaceful dressing room either.

Having said this, the team selection for tomorrow’s game will again come under the lens. Will India persist with their rotation policy or will Dhoni and the management change its mind considering the way the youngsters have squandered the opportunities? Over to the Indian skipper.

Squad

Team India MS Dhoni (captain & wicket-keeper), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Irfan Pathan, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Zaheer Khan, Rahul Sharma, Parthiv Patel

Team Australia Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Peter Forrest, Dan Christian, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade, Brett Lee, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty, Clint McKay, Mitchell Marsh.

Venue Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Start of play 03:20 GMT