 No one would have thought a month ago that, going into the last test match, the
series would have been such an anti-climax. Australia have comprehensively
marched on to a 3-0 lead as India look to avoid a whitewash as they enter the
fourth test match at Adelaide on Tuesday.
It will be a new beginning for India in some ways and they can make
it a new beginning in even more ways. Captain MS Dhoni will be missing from
the team as he was banned for one test match following yet another slow over-rate
offence by India in the Perth test. Virender Sehwag will stand in for
him, and should the team perform well, will give critics plenty to talk about
since rumors of a split in squad surfaced a couple of weeks ago.
Click for Live Score Card of Australia Vs India
India can also mark a new beginning with the induction of youth as calls for axing
senior players have gone loud. VVS Laxman is the likeliest candidate to face the
music, though he may just survive until the Adelaide test. In the aftermath of
yet another disappointing batting performance where their batsmen folded for 161
and 171 runs, it may not be such a bad idea to give youth a chance, that too ahead
of the Twenty20 and triangular ODI tournament to follow.
Australia have imposed themselves in a mercurial fashion as they aim to rise
back to the top of the test rankings. David Warner, who sounded the first
warning, scored more runs single-handedly than did the combined Indian team
in either innings. They would like some stability in the middle-order after
collapsing from a double-century opening stand. Michael Hussey has had
a good series, though he failed to score plenty on his home ground. Ben Hilfenhaus
has been the pick of the bowlers while Mitchell Starc is likely to sit out in
favor of the off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Starc performed creditably including the
scalp of Sachin Tendulkar who was denied his 100th century yet again.
The two teams played a high-scoring draw at this ground four years ago. Sehwag
made a much-awaited return to form in that match while Tendulkar also fluently
scored a century.
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