India in Australia 2011-12
December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 31, 2011
India need to rethink strategy against tail
India in Australia 2011-12
Australia's last four wickets outscored India's by 79 runs over both innings at the MCG. In a series that could be decided by lower-order contributions, MS Dhoni may need to change his defensive tactics
December 31, 2011
India began and ended the year similarly. At Newlands, it was Mark Boucher and an injured Jacques Kallis who were allowed to get away when India were on top. At the MCG, it was the Australian lower order. At Newlands the India batsmen were in better form, and came out with a draw when they could have won. At the MCG the batsmen struggled, and India lost when they could have won.
At the heart of both those disappointments was how India spread the field as soon as they saw the lower order. Not a gradual phasing out of attack, no. Not reacting to a boundary or two. MS Dhoni has been going on the defensive as soon as the lower-order players come out to bat. At Newlands, Kallis, batting at No. 5 and battling the pain of a side strain, walked out to a long-on in place, and there was a deep point the moment he reverse-swept a four. On the first day in Melbourne, Brad Haddin came out to face a hat-trick ball at 5 for 205. That soon become 6 for 214, when Ed Cowan was dismissed, but in the next over Dhoni had long-on, deep midwicket and fine leg for Haddin.
Dhoni's defence for the welcome given to Haddin says all you need to know. "You have to see who was bowling," he said [it was R Ashwin who was bowling]. "Haddin is a good player of spin. We were bowling first, which meant there were no rough patches to play with. It could have been easy pickings. What we wanted to do was see if he is good enough and takes a single every delivery. [In that case] we look to put pressure on the other batsmen or from the other end from which the fast bowlers were bowling. It's a strategy that goes your way or doesn't go your way. You have to back yourself."
But Ashwin had been looking to get wickets when it was 3 for 205, and Michael Clarke and Cowan were at the crease. Why suddenly stop trying to get one of the batsmen out? Ashwin was not easy pickings for Clarke, how did he suddenly become easy pickings for Haddin? The result is no surprise. Australia's last four wickets added a total of 211 runs over the two innings. India's managed 132, 88 of those coming in the second innings when the match was already lost and the tail could swing the bat without any pressure.
This is - at least it seemed to be for the first three days - a series between evenly matched sides. Runs scored by lower orders could decide the outcome. The last two series that India have won against Australia both featured contributions from the lower order. In 2008-09, it was Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh's 80-run partnership that helped India draw the first Test, which proved to be a massive turning point in the series. In 2010-11, Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha hung around with VVS Laxman to win India the Mohali Test. It is no coincidence that when the Australian lower order beats India's by 79 runs, India wind up losing the Test by 122.
At the end of the game, Dhoni said his side needed to come up with a "formula" to get tailenders out. To lose the existing formula might be a start. The current formula might have worked for Dhoni on slower tracks, on smaller fields where singles are easy to defend, but such passivity against the tail is bound to hurt you at some time.
Ian Chappell said the captain, more than the bowlers, had to be blamed for this. There is merit to what Chappell says. The same bowlers who have been trying to get a wicket every ball are now expected to change their game-plan to restricting boundaries for one batsman and then desperately trying to take a wicket with the last one or two deliveries of the over. Dhoni is a captain who usually knows what moments to seize; in Melbourne he looked two of them in the eye and let them pass.
On the other hand, Clarke, fresher to the job, was a little more intuitive when it came to the Indian tail. After the match he defended Dhoni's tactics, and said that he would have done the same; but actually he did not. He did not fight his own team's momentum, and ran through the Indian Nos. 7, 8 and 9. Dhoni, unlike Haddin, was attacked in the first innings. It was only when Ashwin got into a partnership with the No. 11 that the fields went back, and that too after the partnership had begun developing.
Clarke's empathising with Dhoni says a lot about modern cricket: fearless tails, heavy bats and thick edges put the fear of a counterattack in the fielding captain's mind. "I did the same for Ashwin in the first innings," Clarke said. "I did the same for Dhoni on the fourth day [after Dhoni had hit a six and a couple] because the runs from the tail are important for any team, especially when the pitch is a bit bowler-friendly. As a team, every single run you get is crucial. I can see why Dhoni did it. Probably for the same reasons I did it; because you want to protect every single run."
Be that as it may, Dhoni realises the runs scored by the Australian lower order hurt India. He knows if he had knocked over the tail quickly India could have been chasing something around 230, and not 292. But he fears that had he tried to run through the tail, one or more of the batsmen could have taken advantage of close fields and scored more than they eventually did. Having put it down as one of the reasons for the defeat, Dhoni will at least revisit the strategy against lower orders. We all know it can do with a rethink.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sydney pitch likely to resemble last year's
Sydney pitch likely to resemble last year's
December 30, 2011
Sydney's 100th Test pitch should offer plenty to the fast bowlers on the first day, as the curator Tom Parker said he wanted to emulate the surfaces prepared for the previous two New Year's matches, against England and Pakistan.
Each surface was full of life on the first day before settling down and turning later, and Parker said those characteristics epitomised what he has wanted to do with the SCG surface since taking over from Peter Leroy in 1997. Twelve months ago Australia battled to 4 for 134 on a rain-interrupted first day on the way to an innings defeat, while in the first week of 2010 the hosts were bundled out for 127 before recovering to record a dramatic victory over a dysfunctional Pakistan side.
"I was happy with that [pitch for the game against England] and I was happy with the previous year's as well [against Pakistan]," Parker told ESPNcricinfo. "The last two years we've really got it together and it has really come up well. I'm hoping to have a pitch somewhat similar to that.
"That's the ideal scenario and that's what we're aiming for. I don't see why that won't happen. The weather's been kind to me and the forecast is for hot sunny days in the lead-up to the Test and the first couple of days of the Test, so I don't see why it shouldn't be perfect for us."
Parker's expectations will add intrigue to the questions of selection, as Australia mull over the possible inclusion of fast bowler Ryan Harris. Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has not ruled out the use of four fast bowlers after the quicks did the lion's share of the damage in Melbourne.
As it did last year, Sydney has spent much of spring and summer cloaked in heavy cloud and frequent rain, only occasionally enjoying the sort of sunshine Parker would prefer. But in the lead-up to the New Year's Test the forecast has improved, allowing groundstaff to get some sun onto the wicket and outfield.
"There's been a lot of rain around but we have the covers on as well; we've had a lot of matches up to date and it hasn't affected our preparation too much on the centre," Parker said. "The thing that's been a bit of a downfall for us is the overcast conditions more than the rain.
"The hours of direct sunlight have been fairly minimal on several days, and that's been a bit of a pain as far as grass growth goes. In saying that, the outfield's in tip-top condition, as is the centre square."
The arrival of the centenary Test has coincided with the return of Sydney's more traditional type of pitch, offering help to batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners in equal measure. The often lively surfaces of the 1950s and 60s gave way to slow turners in the 1980s and parts of the 90s, before Parker took on the long-term project of returning the track to its classical attributes.
"That's what I've always aimed for. It has always been my goal to produce pitches with an even coverage of grass and pitches that were going to play consistently over the period of the match. We've got that mix pretty well right now.
"As long as you're going into the match with great preparation and good grass coverage, nice even moisture throughout the pitch, it usually pays off and the pitch will play consistently. I like to pride myself on the pitches playing consistently without the balls being one up and one down. Over the course of the five days the pitch changes and the pitch should change, but as long as it is consistent I'm pretty happy with that."
As for the centenary, Parker is delighted to be preparing pitch No. 100 at the grand old ground. "It is a tremendous honour. Not a day goes by that I don't feel privileged to work here. When you look at the history of the SCG, it is fantastic, and to be a major part of that is a great honour. I'm really looking forward to preparing the 100th Test pitch at the SCG I can assure you."
Dhoni backs umpires over DRS
India in Australia 2011-12
Dhoni backs umpires over DRS
Sidharth Monga in Melbourne
December 30, 2011
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Related Links
News : Cowan calls for uniformity in DRS use
Sanjay Manjrekar : No DRS, no drama News : DRS no longer mandatory, says ICC News : BCCI opposed to DRS once again
Players/Officials: MS Dhoni
Matches: Australia v India at Melbourne
Series/Tournaments: India tour of Australia
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India will not support the DRS until they are convinced that the technology is 100% perfect, captain MS Dhonihas reiterated. Coming to Australia, India were under pressure to agree to the use of the DRS, in part because Channel 9, the host broadcasters, use some of the best technology available in their production of home Tests. However, India did not budge, and Dhoni said his experience in England, where there wereseveral incidents that suggested Hot Spot was not completely accurate, played a part in making that call.
"I still put my money on the umpires because they have been doing the job [for a long time]," Dhoni said. "It is just that the pressure on them is growing with plenty of technology around. We feel the technology is not 100% accurate. At times you see an edge on Hot Spot, sometimes you don't see anything happening. Before the start of the England series I was a big fan of Hot Spot. The way things went in England I don't have the same kind of confidence. If it is not 100% I will still go with the umpires. This is a game in which people commit mistakes. If the bowler doesn't commit a mistake the batsman can't get runs. If the batsman doesn't commit a mistake the bowler doesn't get a wicket. So we'll make umpires too a part of it."
The DRS refused to die as a topic of debate because in the Melbourne Test there were many potentially match-turning decisions that could have been overturned had they been reviewed. Michael Hussey would not have been dismissed for a golden duck and Ed Cowan could, possibly, have continued batting in the first innings. The decision to adjudge Cowan caught-behind is an interesting grey zone with the DRS because there was a sound at the exact time the ball went past the bat but Hot Spot did not show an edge. In the past the umpires have acted just on the sound.
Ironically, It was India who could have had more decisions reversed than Australia. They could have got Ricky Ponting out early in his second innings, and they had Michael Hussey lbw twice and caught down the leg side once. It is all a matter of conjecture, but India could actually have won the match had they agreed to the use of the DRS, and used it wisely. Dhoni, though, did not want to go down that route.
"What is important is that if a mistake is committed by the umpire, it should not affect him," he said. "If as an umpire you give something out when it's not-out, you don't need to go into your shell thinking you have made a wrong decision. If the next ball the umpire feels it is out, he should boldly give the decision.
"We are happy to go that way because it is a difficult job for the umpires. We come back to our dressing-room after bowling and only two batsmen go out to bat, but these are the people who stand there for five days. Cricket has been in good shape for long enough with two people in charge. They don't need to worry too much about what technology is going around, about what will show on Hot Spot and what will show on Snicko. We need to back their decisions. If mistakes are not committed intentionally, I am perfectly fine with it."
Dhoni went on to take a dig at the numbers the ICC provides regarding the number of correct decisions made by umpires. "You'll have to see what exactly the ICC sees as correct decisions. Giving a boundary is a correct decision; that also goes in favour of the umpires. You have to categorically say this is what it is."
Dhoni's mistrust of technology would have grown when India appealed for an lbw against Brad Haddin in the first innings and the ball-tracking service failed to show a projection due to lighting issues. That was a pretty adjacent call, but India wouldn't have enjoyed the benefit of the DRS had it been in use. So even if the DRS was a part of this series we would still have had as large, if not larger, a controversy on the first day itself. Hussey would have survived, Cowan's fate would have been decided subjectively by the third umpire, and Haddin would have continued batting
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Border-Gavaskar Trophy - 1st Test
- Test no. 2025 | 2011/12 season
- Played at Melbourne Cricket Ground
- 26,27,28,29 December 2011 (5-day match)
| Australia 1st innings | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR | ||
 | EJM Cowan | c †Dhoni b Ashwin | 68 | 285 | 177 | 7 | 0 | 38.41 |
| DA Warner | c †Dhoni b Yadav | 37 | 54 | 49 | 4 | 1 | 75.51 |
| SE Marsh | c Kohli b Yadav | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| RT Ponting | c Laxman b Yadav | 62 | 145 | 94 | 6 | 0 | 65.95 |
| MJ Clarke* | b Khan | 31 | 54 | 68 | 5 | 0 | 45.58 |
| MEK Hussey | c †Dhoni b Khan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| BJ Haddin† | c Sehwag b Khan | 27 | 117 | 70 | 1 | 0 | 38.57 |
| PM Siddle | c †Dhoni b Khan | 41 | 128 | 99 | 4 | 0 | 41.41 |
| JL Pattinson | not out | 18 | 84 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 33.33 | |
| BW Hilfenhaus | c Kohli b Ashwin | 19 | 44 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 59.37 |
| NM Lyon | b Ashwin | 6 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 54.54 |
| Extras | (lb 21, w 2, nb 1) | 24 | ||||||
 | ||||||||
| Total | (all out; 110 overs) | 333 | (3.02 runs per over) | |||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |||
| Z Khan | 31 | 6 | 77 | 4 | 2.48 | (1nb, 1w) | |
| I Sharma | 24 | 7 | 48 | 0 | 2.00 | |||
| U Yadav | 26 | 5 | 106 | 3 | 4.07 | (1w) | |
| R Ashwin | 29 | 3 | 81 | 3 | 2.79 |
| India 1st innings | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR | ||
| G Gambhir | c †Haddin b Hilfenhaus | 3 | 36 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 13.04 |
| V Sehwag | b Pattinson | 67 | 125 | 83 | 7 | 0 | 80.72 |
| R Dravid | b Hilfenhaus | 68 | 246 | 187 | 6 | 0 | 36.36 |
| SR Tendulkar | b Siddle | 73 | 148 | 98 | 8 | 1 | 74.48 |
| I Sharma | c †Haddin b Hilfenhaus | 11 | 102 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 15.94 |
| VVS Laxman | c †Haddin b Siddle | 2 | 28 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 9.09 |
| V Kohli | c †Haddin b Hilfenhaus | 11 | 27 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 52.38 |
| MS Dhoni*† | c Hussey b Hilfenhaus | 6 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| R Ashwin | c †Haddin b Siddle | 31 | 55 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 88.57 |
| Z Khan | b Pattinson | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 |
| U Yadav | not out | 2 | 20 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 | |
| Extras | (w 1, nb 3) | 4 | ||||||
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| Total | (all out; 94.1 overs) | 282 | (2.99 runs per over) | |||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |||
| JL Pattinson | 23 | 6 | 55 | 2 | 2.39 | (1w) | |
| BW Hilfenhaus | 26 | 5 | 75 | 5 | 2.88 | (1nb) | |
| PM Siddle | 21.1 | 2 | 63 | 3 | 2.97 | (2nb) | |
| NM Lyon | 17 | 2 | 66 | 0 | 3.88 | |||
| MEK Hussey | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3.00 | |||
| DA Warner | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Australia 2nd innings | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR | ||
| DA Warner | b Yadav | 5 | 28 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 18.51 |
| EJM Cowan | lbw b Yadav | 8 | 32 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 47.05 |
| SE Marsh | b Yadav | 3 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 27.27 |
| RT Ponting | c Sehwag b Khan | 60 | 146 | 97 | 3 | 0 | 61.85 |
| MJ Clarke* | b Sharma | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| MEK Hussey | c †Dhoni b Khan | 89 | 219 | 151 | 9 | 0 | 58.94 |
| BJ Haddin† | c Laxman b Khan | 6 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 |
| PM Siddle | c †Dhoni b Yadav | 4 | 29 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 18.18 |
| NM Lyon | lbw b Ashwin | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| JL Pattinson | not out | 37 | 94 | 81 | 4 | 0 | 45.67 | |
| BW Hilfenhaus | c Laxman b Sharma | 14 | 43 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 48.27 |
| Extras | (b 5, lb 2, w 1, nb 5) | 13 | ||||||
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| Total | (all out; 76.3 overs) | 240 | (3.13 runs per over) | |||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |||
| Z Khan | 20 | 4 | 53 | 3 | 2.65 | (3nb, 1w) | |
| U Yadav | 20 | 4 | 70 | 4 | 3.50 | ||
| I Sharma | 12.3 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 3.44 | (2nb) | |
| R Ashwin | 22 | 4 | 60 | 1 | 2.72 | ||
| V Sehwag | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
| India 2nd innings (target: 292 runs) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR | ||
| G Gambhir | c Ponting b Siddle | 13 | 54 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 28.26 |
| V Sehwag | c Hussey b Hilfenhaus | 7 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 58.33 |
| R Dravid | b Pattinson | 10 | 58 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 34.48 |
| SR Tendulkar | c Hussey b Siddle | 32 | 71 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 69.56 |
| VVS Laxman | c Cowan b Pattinson | 1 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7.14 |
| V Kohli | lbw b Hilfenhaus | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| MS Dhoni*† | b Pattinson | 23 | 85 | 44 | 0 | 1 | 52.27 |
| R Ashwin | c Cowan b Siddle | 30 | 36 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Z Khan | c Cowan b Pattinson | 13 | 26 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 59.09 |
| I Sharma | not out | 6 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 | |
| U Yadav | c Warner b Lyon | 21 | 26 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 84.00 |
| Extras | (lb 10, w 2, nb 1) | 13 | ||||||
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| Total | (all out; 47.5 overs) | 169 | (3.53 runs per over) | |||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |||
| JL Pattinson | 15 | 2 | 53 | 4 | 3.53 | (1nb, 1w) | |
| BW Hilfenhaus | 18 | 4 | 39 | 2 | 2.16 | (1w) | |
| PM Siddle | 9 | 1 | 42 | 3 | 4.66 | ||
| NM Lyon | 5.5 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 4.28 |
| Match details | |||||||||
| Toss Australia, who chose to bat Series Australia led the 4-match series 1-0 | |||||||||
| Test debut EJM Cowan (Australia) Player of the match JL Pattinson (Australia) | |||||||||
| Umpires M Erasmus (South Africa) and IJ Gould (England) TV umpire PR Reiffel Match referee RS Madugalle (Sri Lanka) Reserve umpire AJ Barrow | |||||||||
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| Match notes |
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