Australia team is now leading the series by 1-0 in the fourth-match Test series after defeating India with heavies Test defeat by 337 runs in the fourth day of Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Winning the 1st Test, Australia has gone one step ahead in their way to make new record in Test cricket. However, Ricky Ponting’s Australia has got their 15th successive Test win and they are heading towards to Sydney to equal their own record that was set by Steve Waugh’s Australia from 1999-2001.
India stopped the record of Steve Waugh’s 16th consecutive Test win in their home ground at Kolkata in 2001. So, it was thought that again India will do it in their away series.
In their first Test, tourists were dismissed below than 200 in both innings-196 and 161 of a Test for the first time in more than five years.
I know their failure in the first Test has made many questions like what is the reason of India’s becoming failure with heaviest Test defeat, what is wrong with Rahul Dravid, Why middle order batting line-up failed to play match-saving innings etc. It will not be easy to find out the main reasons of all these questions answers in a day.
Ahead of the four-match Test series, Indian team was selected with their best form and experienced batsmen in the main squad. And it is thought that India’s middle order batting line-up is the strongest and unbreakable among the Test playing team. However, this middle order could not make any protest against Aussies bowling action. Rahul Dravid, India’s all time no 3 batsman, opened the innings with Wasim Jaffer. However, he could not show any impressive performance in this position against India team. He scored 21 off facing 180 balls in both innings- 6 off facing 66 balls in the first innings and 15 off facing 114 balls.
So, Indian selectors are thinking to play Rahul Dravid in no 3 and make open Virender Sehwag or Dinesh Karthik with Wasm Jaffer.
Yuvraj Singh was one of the major disappoints for India in the first Test with scores of a duck and five. We can see him in the side table of the second Test at Sydney.
Sourav Ganguly is the only Indian batsmen who played well in both innings. V.V.S. Laxman was likely to come back in the second innings but he got out scoring 42 runs.
Indian captain Anil Kumble is worried about batting line up. And it is still doubt that who will play in the main squad. According to Kumble, team combination will be fixed after checking pitch.
However, as a fan I hope that India will solve their problems and come back with the win in the second Test at Sydney.
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