Daijiworld Media Network
Pune, Feb 23 : Pune, goes into the history of Test cricket as the city is set to host first every cricket Test match. The No 1 India is all set to take on No 2 Australia. Interesting contest is in the bag. Pitch is expected to help spinners from day 2 or later in the day 1 accordin to the pitch experts. India is playing with three spinners. The star duo Ashwin and Jadeja. Jayant Yadav who impressed with his bat and ball against England is returned to the Test squad.
David warner expected to start with his usual aggession to bring Indian bowlers moral during the early stage of the innings. As warner is known for his attacking style batting, India must watch on him.
According to Harbajan Singh, the India's another spin legend has said that, current Australia team is weakest to tour India. Other than Warner and Smith he does not see any great batsmen in the side. While speaking to NDTV event, he said that if Australia plays well then will lose by 3-0, if not its clean sweep! That's the level of confidence of Bajji in current Indian side.
Australia have won the toss and have opted to bat
Teams:
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith(c), Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade(w), Mitchell Starc, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India (Playing XI): Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma
Kohli: We were looking to bat first as well but I do not come to the toss expecting anything. We lost three tosses against England but won four games. I think these things should be kept out of the contention. I look at it as a challenge and are looking to do the same today. We've made one change in the form of Jayant coming in place of Bhuvi and have two seamers in Umesh and Ishant as well who would look to exploit the reverse swing. Would be very important to start off well. The game against Bangladesh was a good way to get back into the groove for us. We were playing well before that too and it was good for us to get off the way the boys did. The ODI against England was outstanding and hopefully the crowds would come in for this one as well.
Smith: We are going to have a bat. It looks very dry and should stay low and could spin from ball one. Looks different from the T20 games and would look to post a good score first up. We've done everything right with the preparation and now it is all about getting our plans right. We are playing with two quicks, two spinners, an all-rounder and batsmen.
India has seen two major changes since the turn of the century. The IT revolution and the inauguration of world class cricket grounds. The newest entrant on the block, Pune has already been hit by the first bug - big time. It is only fair that the stadium sitting at the foot of the hills joins the bigger boys in rolling out the red carpet for the white revolution. While the rest of the state seems to have got over the drought it was under last year, it looks like one 22-yard rectangular strip is yet to. Steve Smith calls it 'a turner from ball one'. When the Australians contemplate going in with three spinners, it says it all.
You'd better have done your 'homework'. Yes the headmaster who had the Aussies detained the last time around has been forced into exile. But his punishment still echoes loud. Smartly (desperately?) they've got themselves an Indian consultant, a fortnight-long stint in the dust bowls of Dubai and a practice game. They've quietly been in Mumbai, with Lyon claiming to be watching Ashwin's videos, Smith perhaps his IPL promotion. All checks in that department. But this entire cookie could come down crumbling if they cannot do their..err..classwork.
2001 was all talk of the final Australian frontier. A 180-degree contrast to today. It saw an innings yet to be bettered, a match that most claim turned Indian cricket around. 2004 was about proving three visiting seamers could win a tour of the sub-continent. 2008 was Ishant playing out his tune. And the batsmen making merry with tempers flaring in the post IPL, post monkeygate hangover. 2010 boasted of a nerve-clincher and the rebirth of Tendulkar. 2013 was a spin fest. The art of the villagers taking the meek tourists for a ride. What's 2017?
local time: No pre-series sirens. No thrash talk. No whitewashing claims. No secret weapons to be unleashed. Guess what, the Aussies are in town. The new respectful lot. The 'quiet' lot. The scarred lot. And they face an Indian juggernaut, who've forgotten the taste of a home defeat. Stealing a point from Harsha Bhogle's article for us, this is how overseas tours for India usually were in the 90s. Intimidated and waiting to be rolled over. Harbhajan Singh predicts a 3-0 in India's favour, if and only if the Aussies play really well. Cocky. A reversal of spots. Well, at least for the start of today. The start of this much awaited tour, a tour that would cap off an extended home run for the Indian team.
Preview by Vishaal Loganathan
A little more than twelve years ago, Australia toured and beat India. Now, a young Steve Smith-led side arrives in the country largely hoping that they do not succumb to another embarrassing series defeat. With crushing losses, away to Sri Lanka and at home to South Africa not too long ago, Australia's confidence will be threadbare. They will be hoping to put behind a run of inconsistent performances and muster and put together an effort that would surprise not only the Indian cricket fans but also ones back home. How things have drastically unravelled!
This, however, not only indicates Australia's slide to mediocrity in the past few years, but also India's rapid rise under Virat Kohli. That an Australian captain termed his side the underdogs in a Test series before it even began tells you all you need to know about how dangerous the current Indian side is.
Already, the Australian side is under the pump. Ricky Ponting, the former captain, said a fighting performance from Australia would be enough to raise spirits. Harbhajan Singh has said the best the Australians can expect is a 0-3 loss. Smith himself has underlined that his team would focus on the process rather than the results this series.
All this could be a ploy by the visitors to sway all the pressure on the Tests towards the hosts. But India seem unfazed. In fact, they have been going through this drill from the time they toured the West Indies in July-August last year. Since then, despite the mounting expectations as favourites, Kohli's side has won 10 Tests and drawn three.
All the pre-series talk could indicate another strong showing from the hosts, but to think the Australians are a spent force would be a silly mistake. Australia's squad is bereft of experience, but not quality. With David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Smith in the side, they will fight hard. With Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson and Aston Agar, they will bring in something the Indians haven't tackled thus far. With Glenn Maxwell, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Wade, they have an X-factor that they will hope to use to surprise the hosts.
India, however, have just reached the peak of their powers. Over the course of the season, their captain has lorded over every opposition, their spinners have ground the enemy, the pacers have always looked threatening, their batsmen have invariably looked in control and the players on the bench have grabbed whatever chances that have come their way. Murali Vijay has been a rock at the top, while KL Rahul has shown, although not as consistently as one would like, how much he can bring to the side. In Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, India has a middle-order capable of countering and counter-attacking the best. On the bowling front, that the fast bowlers have not remained in the shadows of the spinners shows how well-oiled the unit is.
If ever they needed to think of their 'happy place', the current Indian dressing room would not be too far.
India v Australia seems a foregone conclusion on paper, but when has a game ever been won on paper? There probably hasn't been a better time in the last few decades than now for Australia to show what 'Australianism' is all about. If they do manage that, it's going to be one hell of a series. If they come out thinking that they are already fighting a losing battle, expect another rout from a merciless Indian side.
When: India v Australia, 1st Test, Starts February 23, 2017 - 09:30 IST; 04:00 GMT
Where: Maharastra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
What to Expect: The curator feels the pitch is one that has something in it for everyone. The pacers will get the ball to 'fly', while the spinners who apply themselves will get enough help to trouble batsmen. The captains, however, have opined that the pitch wears a dry look and that the spinners will have a lot to play with. To top that, the pitch wasn't watered over the past 24 hours, making it drier than usual. With the temperature hovering around the mid-to-high 30s for the next few days, expect the pitch to dry up further and assist the spinners.
Team News:
India: Kohli said during the pre-match conference that they expect the pitch to be slow and low and that could mean India revisiting their two-spinner strategy that was used against Bangladesh and employ an additional slow bowler to assist Ashwin and Jadeja. With a number of left-handers in the Australian line-up, Jayant Yadav should get the chance to add to the impressive start to his Test career, in place of a pacer. The rest of the line-up looks settled and should see no further change.
Australia: Australia's assessment of the pitch - 'very dry'- indicates that they too could go in with three spinners. Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe look likely to spearhead the spin attack, with one of Ashton Agar or Mitchell Swepson as the third spinner. In the batting department, Matt Renshaw should get the nod ahead of Usman Khawaja, while Glenn Maxwell, too, is likely to start the tour on the bench, with Shaun Marsh taking the middle-order spot. The other Marsh is expected to take the all-rounder's spot and share the new ball with Mitchell Starc.
What they said:
'People who have standout performances are the ones in the limelight but guys who have important contributions, specially with the ball, are the ones that take those important one or two wickets in between the innings to give the spinners a bit of rest and then come back and attack again. The pace bowlers have been able to do that.' - Indian captain Virat Kohli acknowledging the role his pacers have played in the home season.
'Everyone is entitled to their opinion, however I don't believe that's the case. I'm confident in the squad we've got here to compete against India. No doubt it's going to be a difficult series. India have played some very good cricket off late, particularly at home.' - Australian skipper Steven Smith on Harbhajan Singh's prediction.
Did you know?
The MCA Stadium in Pune is set to be the 25th Test venue in India and third to host its maiden Test this season after Indore and Rajkot.
If selected, Ishant Sharma will be playing his 75th Test. His 215 wickets after 74 Tests is the fewest for a specialist bowler after 254 by Zaheer Khan.
Steve Smith has scored hundreds in his last four Tests against India. He has scored 930 runs in six Tests against India with four centuries and three fifties in 12 innings.
Mitchell Starc needs seven more wickets to 150 Test scalps. If he reaches the landmark in this Test, he will be the second fastest left arm quick alongside Bill Johnston (35 Tests) after Mitchell Johnson (34).
Teamskson Bird