Perth
wicket arouses selection dilemma for India
PERTH,
Jan 14:
The pace and bounce at WACA is enough to put
Team India under serious dilemma whether to go
with two spinners or to leave out Harbhajan Singh
and accomodate a pacer in the side for the third
Test that starts from January 16.
Gary Kirsten, Team
India’s consultant for the tour who will
take over as coach from March 1, revealed that it
would be tough to rule out the off-spinner for
the Perth Test. He said the spinner is in great
form with the ball and his late order batting is
also an asset to the team.
"He’s
been very much involved in the last
week,’’ he said.
"The thing
that I enjoyed was his batting performance in
Sydney. We’ve identified that it’s very
important that members of the lower order make a
contribution with the bat and he did that in the
Test,’’ former South African opener
added.
However, Kirsten
was still unsure about whether Harbhajan will be
included in the playing XI. "I’m not
sure,’’ he said.
"History says
that two spinners are unlikely at the WACA but
Harbhajan is one of our strengths. We might look
to play him but I certainly haven’t
discussed it with them.’’
Kirsten is
expected to stay with the team for the next two
Tests and will assist the team to prepare for the
one-day tri-series that follows.
"I have a few
commitments with the warriors franchise in
eastern cape in South Africa. I need to go back
to spend some time with them. It hasn’t been
discussed yet but there is a chance of returning
for the second half of the one-day
series,’’ he said. (UNI)
Sreesanth
claims he is fit for one-day series
MELBOURNE,
Jan 14:
Paceman S Sreesanth today claimed he has
recovered fully from a shoulder injury and was
confident of playing in the triangular limited
overs tournament, also involving Sri Lanka, which
follows the India-Australia Test series.
The Kerala bowler
is confident that with a few matches under his
belt, he would be fully prepared for the hectic
one-day series.
"It is my
dream to play in Australia, and I hope god will
allow me to do that. I am ready to play," he
was quoted as saying by ‘Sydney Morning
Herald’.
"I am heading
to Mumbai and I will play a match for my company
team. With a few games, I will be ready for the
one-dayers," Sreesanth said.
The bowler had a
much talked about confrontation with Australian
all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the one-day
series in India last year, but did single out the
burly Queenslander for special attention.
"I am not
scared of anybody, and I am hoping to show that
in Australia. When I am playing my best cricket,
I don’t really care who the batsman
is," Sreesanth said.
He has had an eye
on the controversy-marred Sydney Test and
conveyed his displeasure in the manner in which
Sourav Ganguly was given out in the second
innings off a contentious catch by Michael Clarke
after captain Ricky Ponting indicated to the
umpire that the ball carried to the slips on the
full.
"It is not up
to players to make the decisions, so it was ok
(for Ganguly) to wait for the umpire,"
Sreesanth said. (PTI)
Sania
hopes to prove herself at Australian Open
MELBOURNE,
Jan 14: An
"upset" Sania Mirza would look to
improve on her performance at the big stage as
she begins her campaign in the year’s first
Grand Slam — the Australian Open—
against Uzbek wildcard Iroda Tulyaganova here.
Coming out of
injury, which cut short her season last year,
Sania had not had the best of starts in 2008 with
an average outing at the Hopman Cup, winning one
and losing her two singles matches.
She then reached
the quarterfinals of the Tier IV Moorilla Hobart
international by overcoming two easy opponents
before losing to Italian Flavia Pennetta.
Adding to her
problems is the flag controversy, which has
reportedly upset the Indian tennis star to the
extent that she has started to think over her
tennis career.
Sania will have to
forget the off-field issues to prove her mettle
at the big stage, where she faces the best in the
game.
If she plays her
best tennis, reaching the third round at
Melbourne Park should not be a problem.
However, much
would also depend on Sania’s fitness as she
suffered cramps in the event at Hobart.
She opens her
campaign against the 26-year-old Tulyag-anova,
who perhaps is past her best years.
The Uzbek girl was
among the top 20 players at one time but that was
way back in 2001. She is currently ranked 317 on
the WTA charts while Sania is just outside the
top 30 mark.
So getting past
Tulyaganova and a possible second round opponent
in Sophie Ferguson, ranked 176 in the world,
should not be a problem for sania on the new
plexicushion surface, which she claims suits her
style of play.
Blue in colour,
Plexicushion replaces the 20-year-old rebound ace
surface, which was faster than the new one.
Sania had said the
new surface is similar to the courts at the US
Open, where she has done well. (PTI)
Australians
pledge to learn from Sydney controversy
PERTH,
Jan 14: Surprised
by the public outcry against his team, Australian
captain Ricky Ponting said his side would focus
on improving their conduct to change their image
of boorish and arrogant players.
Ponting said his
team was determined to uphold the spirit of
cricket and learn from their past mistakes.
"I have been
surprised by the reaction of some in the broader
community who believe we did not play that
amazing Sydney Test in the spirit of the game.
"We take the
spirit of cricket very seriously and are
determined to ensure we are not only remembered
as a good team but one that is respected
throughout the cricket world for the way we
play," he wrote in a column in ‘The
Australian’.
The Aussies held a
team meeting yesterday to discuss the events
during and after the Sydney Test.
"That is why
I led a meeting this afternoon of our team and
other cricket officials, where we revisited our
spirit of cricket pledge," Ponting wrote.
He said the team
has discussed the areas of improvement and would
be careful in those issues.
"We looked
back at last week’s game and discussed
little areas where we believed we could improve
things. No one is beyond criticism or bigger than
the game.
"Life’s
all about learning little things day by day, and
it’s no different playing in a successful
cricket team. You always find little ways of
improving yourself," he said.
Ponting admitted
he and Michael Clarke should have behaved better
during the controversial Sydney Test.
"I know when
I was given out in the first innings in Sydney, I
should have left straight away instead of hanging
around for a few seconds, and I know I should not
have lobbed my bat into the dressing room.
"Michael
Clarke also knows that he should have gone
straight away too, after cutting the ball to
first slip. He knows he did the wrong thing, but
at the time he was just shocked at how he had got
out first ball," he said.
The Aussie
skipper, however, said his team did not commit
any grave mistakes in the second Test.
"I believe
there are no glaring issues we need to address,
but when they are all added together in the heat
of such a tense and dramatic final day, they
caused a reaction, so we need to tighten up on
how we play.
"We are very
keen to ensure we get the balance of how we play
the game right so we can focus clearly on another
very big match coming up, this time the third
Test in Perth, with the possibility of a record
17th consecutive win if we’re good enough in
this game," the Australian captain wrote.
Ponting said the
sharp media reaction after the Sydney Test had
disturbed him and his family but the support of
Cricket Australia had a calming effect. (PTI)
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