Last chance for Indians to redeem their pride

By Vijay Lokapally

SYDNEY, JAN. 1. The Indians' New Year eve party might have been spoilt by the news that the host had prepared the fastest SCG pitch in years for the third Test, starting on Sunday. The task of facing Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath on a juicy and bouncy track may give sleepless night for a few Indians.

Two successive defeats have exposed the brittle state of the Indian cricket team and there seems to be little hope of any redemption against a formidable side like Australia. Nothing can shake the Aussies in what is turning out to be a memorable summer for Steve Waugh and his men. If they appear cocky they can well afford to after a stupendous run which gave them the World Cup and now the title of the best Test team in the world.

The locals are talking of the pitch for the third Test being similar to the one on which Australia whipped Pakistan in 1972- 73. The bald patches on the pitch this season have been replaced by green grass. ``It's pretty grassy. I have never seen a wicket like that in my career. It is going to be quick and bouncy,'' said the Australian skipper Steve Waugh. And the Indians have drafted in Devang Gandhi in place of S. Ramesh, but they were also toying with the idea of opening with M.S.K. Prasad to accommodate Vijay Bharadwaj in the middle order.

Sachin Tendulkar noted that the pitch was ``hard with a bit of grass on it. There are some cracks as well and might turn a bit.'' It, however, is not the pitch which is known to encourage turn from the first day, but, as Lee described, ``a good wicket for the quicks. It's a new-ball wicket where the ball tends to seam around a bit. It tends to crack up a bit too.'' This `bit' could be dangerous for the Indians, who were bowled out in mere 38.1 overs in the second innings at Adelaide and did not last 90 overs in the second innings at Melbourne. The Indians, with their star batting line-up, have averaged 207 an innings - woefully short of conquering the Aussies.

The Australians are tough to beat, but not invincibles. The Sri Lankans showed it quite effectively in the rain-ruined series in the tear-drop island three months ago. But at home Australia assumes much greater powers as a team. The most salient feature of this Australian team is that it can raise its standards collectively. It does not rely on one individual to deliver.

Australia has many strong points to back itself in any condition. The depth in batting; the penetration in its bowling; the support of the fielders; all make it a lethal combination. A batting line-up which has the option of Ricky Ponting or Adam Gilchrist at No. 7, depending upon the circumstances, can be quite a challenge for any bowling side. The Pakistanis discovered that even their highly explosive set of bowlers could not create the pressure to succeed. And now the Indians have come to grief and realised that the gap between the two teams has only increased.

Losing to a crafty, formidable team should not hurt. Teams which suffered at the hands of the once great West Indies team knew they could do little. Even if Steve Waugh would like us to believe he has a team of invincibles, it would not be improper to point out that twice India had the upper hand in this series and blew it on both the occasions. At 52 for four in the first session of the Adelaide Test and at 197 for five in the second at Melbourne, the Australians did not present a pretty picture. To come out of that slush was a gritty piece of work, but the Indians too contributed by their complacency. The better team won no doubt, but the Indians had their moments too.

To come back and win a Test would be ``nice'' before the one-day series. It would not be easy though and India would have to produce an impeccable show with each member chipping in to make things difficult for Australia. There are a lot of areas to concentrate upon.

Any team which suffers from a frail opening pair cannot think in terms of piling up big scores. The openers have often formed the basis of success enjoyed by some great teams in the history, but this Indian team has looked extremely delicate at the top.

The lack of thrust at the start and the inability of Rahul Dravid to take a firm hold on the course of the innings has proved the bane of the team in the first two Tests. The inconsistency that has plagued Dravid in the two Tests has come as a surprise as he is known to excel in trying situations. His record overseas might have been blotted by his failure against Shane Warne at Adelaide and Brett Lee at Melbourne. But there is time for Dravid to regain his reputation.

``I think the expectations from Dravid are too high. He is averaging more than fifty and we can't be talking about his technique,'' said Tendulkar in defence of Dravid.

Not just batting but India's bowling too lacks teeth. Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, the latter lucky to have been retained for the one-day series, have been miserably inconsistent and that has increased the workload on the young Ajit Agarkar. The sharp Mumbai seamer has made rapid strides as a bowler. He has an urge to learn and ability to improve and his tally of 11 wickets speaks well for his striking power.

To mark the new millennium, the Aussies will wear replicas of the caps the team of 1900s wore. Steve Waugh said ``you have got to know where you come from; to know where you are going. I think that's important in sport.'' It is with this humble attitude that the Aussies step on to the field in a Test which will be Mark Waugh's 100th.

lThe teams (from):

India: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), V.V.S. Laxman, Devang Gandhi, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, M.S.K. Prasad, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, J. Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Vijay Bharadwaj.

Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Michael Slater, Greg Blewett, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz and Colin Miller.

Umpires: Messrs Ian Robinson and Darrell Hair; Third umpire: Mr. Simon Taufel; Match Referee: Mr. Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play: 5.30 to 7.30 a.m.; 8.10 to 10.10 a.m.; 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

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