 India take on Australia in the firt Test match of the four-match series. This
is the third time that the two sides are playing each other in a Test series in
three years and it sure will be an exciting one given that the Indians have never
won a series in Australia and the home side is struggling to get their
best 11 out on the park.
The game will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and will see the two sides
having a more or less decided playing 11.
Click for Live Score Card of Australia Vs India
Australia have already announced their 11, and have left out the pair of Daniel Christian and Mitchell Starc from their 13. This means that Ben Hilfenhaus
gets a look-in for the first time in 11 months and there is also place for Dave
Warner and Ed Cowan.
Warner and Cowan will open the innings and will be followed by the pair of
Shaun Marsh and Ricky Ponting. Captain Michael Clarke bats five and Michael
Hussey will follow him at six.
Brad Haddin continues to be the wicket-keeper while there are four bowlers
selected - Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson and off-spinner
Nathan Lyon.
When it comes to India, the batting order has six of their seven players
decided. On the other hand, the bowling is bit shaky and it all depends on whether
the players are fit.
Sehwag should open with Gambhir with Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman at three,
four and five. However, the number six slot is a bit of a fight between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli has the first right there but Rohit Sharma's
form is amazing.
The bowling will give more worries to the side, what with Zaheer Khan
coming back from an injury, Ishant Sharma being injured and not fit enough,
Umesh Yadav playing in his first away series and the other two being relatively
inexperienced bowlers - Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar.
R Ashwin will be the off-spinner while Pragyan Ojha will miss out of the playing
11 for this game.
India won one Test match in Australia last time they visited and another one
in 2004. However, they have lost 10 games in their last four series down under
which only means that things will get difficult for them.
|
