After defeats in the first
two Tests, India need to come back on their reserves of pride and motivation to
avoid a seventh straight Test loss on Australian land this.
Can India retain the fighting spirit that has made the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests anything but one-sided contests, however, they could record a
victory of some significance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since
they triumphed in Perth in January 2008, neither side has won a Test match in
the other's country with Australia suffering 2-0, 2-0 and 4-0 defeats on the
sub-continent and India losing all four Tests on their 2011-12 tour.
Opener David Warner has a bruised thumb that could hamper him if he is passed
fit to play, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin are in poor form, while
injured all-rounder Mitch Marsh has been replaced by the uncapped Joe Burns. Quite
how Australia will line up when the Test starts in front of the traditional
bumper crowd on Friday is matter of some conjecture with coach Darren Lehmann
suggesting Burns could slot in anywhere in the top six.
There is the sparkling form of stand-in skipper Steve Smith
and the mercurial menace of paceman Mitchell Johnson, whose performances with
bat and ball turned the Gabba Test. Fast
bowler Ryan Harris has recovered from a thigh strain and should return in place
of left-arm quick Mitch Starc alongside Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, who took
5 wickets in his first innings in test cricket.
Just
how long the unrest caused by opener Shikhar Dhawan's decision not to bat on
day four in Brisbane after injuring his arm in the nets continues to unsettle
Mahendra Singh Dhoni dressing room, remains to be seen. But
if Dhoni, who has been criticised for appearing less than convinced of the
importance of the longest form of the game, can lead his team to victory, he
could make a considerable addition to his legacy as skipper.
No comments:
Post a Comment