India v Australia, Third Test, Chandigarh

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1st Test
Fri Feb 22 - Tue Feb 26
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

2nd Test
Sat Mar 2 - Wed Mar 6
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad

3rd Test
Thu Mar 14 - Mon Mar 18
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

4th Test
Fri Mar 22 - Tue Mar 26
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local
12:00 WST | 14:30 CST | 15:00 EST
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi


India:
Shikhar Dhawan, Murli Vijay, Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, M S Dhoni (c),
Rabindra Jadeja, Bhubhneshwar Kumar, Ravi Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashoke Dinda

Australia:
Michael Clarke (c), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell,
Moises Henriques, Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird

The Indian bowlers haven't got their length right as yet. Cowan's batting outside his crease to try and put them off their length, and he has done well in that regard so far.

The openers have batted for 50 minutes now.
If Australia manages to overhaul the Indian lead and setup a lead of 150 200, that could be a terrific turn around.

Beginning to wonder if some of the Indian team had pretty much assumed the match was over last night and things would just happen for them today...first some rather loose batting and now the fielding rather letting the bowlers down...

Australia still a long way behind but after a start like this they might be able to make India really work over the next day or so , assuming Clarke is good for his usual century - would at least be good for morale going into the last two Tests.

msp83 wrote:The openers have batted for 50 minutes now.
If Australia manages to overhaul the Indian lead and setup a lead of 150 200, that could be a terrific turn around.

If Australia get a lead of 200 on this pitch they will probably win !

Cannot see them making 460 though

And there goes Warner...

Hughes might be playing for his place in the short term now...he has looked very dodgy against the spinners so far , and the selectors are almost obliged to play Khawaja in the next Test so someone will have to go...

...nearly a copy of the first dismissal ! Hughes sweeps and under edges on behind his legs...gone for a duck.
That is not learning from experience...

The gains of the (rather fortunate) opening stand lost in a few minutes.

Still Clarke not coming up to four ...Watson in to try and justify his spot. Won't need much to see off Hughes

Australia 72-2. Cowan on 25, Watson on 8.
Philip Hughes is fast emerging as a massive concern for Australia here. Its 4 out of 4 failures for him in the tests, and he didn't score anything much in the warm up matches either. Doesn't seem like he has much of an idea as to what's happening.

Hughes is weak against spin.

In fact its a recurring problem for Aussie top order players that they have techniques designed around playing on bouncy Australian tracks.

Will be interesting to see whether the top four can come to grips with things as the tour goes on.

Excellent Hughes stat. He has faced something like 20 balls to spin in this series, scored no runs and been out 4 times.

Sky Sports Cricket ‏@SkyCricket
#IndvAus STAT: Ashwin to Hughes this series - 44 balls, 1 run and 3 wickets. Extraordinary!

That the stat you were thinking of Fists?

How on earth did Maxwell and Doherty get 7 wickets between them.......

#suicidalbatting

Shelsey93 wrote:Hughes is weak against spin.

In fact its a recurring problem for Aussie top order players that they have techniques designed around playing on bouncy Australian tracks.

Will be interesting to see whether the top four can come to grips with things as the tour goes on.

Funny because he used to be weak against short pitched bowling, then it was outswingers.

When he started he mustve been one of the most flawed batsmen ever.

This has been a strange test in many ways, and one more to that list of strangeness. Ishant Sharma gets a test wicket!!.
Shane Watson strangled down the leg side of Sharma for 9. Skipper Michael Clarke joins Ed Cowan. Australia 80-3.
Now one end should be closed to the Indian bowlers for a long time!.

Ed Cowan continues to ryde his luck, Shikhar Dhawan the substitute not alert to a close in catch of Jadeja. He was earlier dropped by Dhoni of Bhuvneshwar Kumar when he was on 0.

Ravindra Jadeja! What have you done? Well, he has flattened Michael Clarke's off stump with an absolute ripper!!.

Ed Cowan has his 3rd life in this innings, Shikhar Dhawan again, not able to cling on at shortleg again, of Ashwin this time.

Jadeja finishes him off now, this time for a change, Virender Sehwag holds on. That came deflected of Dhoni's pads after taking Cowan's edge for good measure!. So despite those chances, Cowan unable to convert this at least into a 50. He's gone for 44. Australia 111-5.

Jadeja at it again!. This time on the field, running Henriques out with a fabulous direct hit!.

Australia 130-7. Siddle and Wade out in the middle. Glenn Maxwell the last man out, LBW to Ashwin.

Australia 130-9. Pattinson and Doherty in the middle. Ashwin with 4 wickets, Jadeja with 3 besides that runout.

Pattinson and Doherty haven't scored, but they have been together for the last 7 overs and irritating the Indians.

That's it!. India win by an innings and 135 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin finishes it off, another fifor for the offy.

Double hundred for Pujara, an opener scoring a big test hundred, 6 wickets each for Jadeja and Ashwin, fine opening spells from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a great deal went in India's favor in this match.
Sehwag continued to fail, Harbhajan did nothing special. The batting approach in the latter part of their innings was rather too casual. But overall, India had a splendid game.
Nothing went right for Australia other than that partnership between Clarke and Wade in the first innings. A real horrer match for them.

Vijay and Pujara had put together 370, Australia's 2 innings totaled 368. Tells you everything that you need to know.

Just got home and it's been over for a hour. Hopeless capitulation from Australia. I can see anything other than 4-0 now... reverse of the last series.

With this win, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won more test matches for India than any other Indian captain managed.

Congratulations msp!

Yes, MS Dhoni is pure class.

Sky Sports Cricket ‏@SkyCricket
This will be the first time in history that a team declaring their first innings will lose by an innings. #IndvAus

My commiserations LB, can't be enjoying your team at the moment.

Thanks mate.

'not enjoying' is an understatement. My 2-1 to India prediction (one draw... ha ha) is looking very optimistic indeed!

Indeed looking very grim for Australia.

I am still not sure India are as good as they seem at present - suspect there are weaknesses there to be exploited - but simply cannot see how Australia can even make themselves competitive in these conditions.

. Clarke is the only man who consistently looks true Test standard.
. The rest of the top order is not only struggling with technical difficulties but seem to be mentally shot.
. The reserve batsmen (Khawaja and Smith ) while they couldn't do worse , have no great pedigree to suggest they can turn things around.
. Wade can bat a bit but his keeping looks wobbly.
. Lots of bowlers there but only Pattinson is consistently performing , and his fitness is always under a cloud.
. The selectors don't seem to have a clue what their best lineup is ...frankly they seem to be pitching different players in more in hope than with a proper plan...

Coming back from this to compete in the remaining games will take a lot of mental strength : Clarke may have it , but who else will stand up ?

I still maintain a belief that the Australian spirit will produce a bit of a fight before the series is over , but I am struggling to see how they could manage a victory...the law of averages suggests Dhoni will win a toss soon too ...

Well done to India again. 4-0 India? It's looking more and more likely.

I really think aus need to stop fixating fixing 11 holes by sticking fingers in them when they have one hand tied behind their back anyway and take a clean slate look at team selection.
Who are their 11 best players available? Pick them, and trust them to play the conditions. Whatever lineup they go with there will be plenty of bowling options. For the next test Watson should be bowling again, an also support from Clarke and Warner. Is there suddenly a need to pack the side with all rounders? 6 best batsmen (ie not Hughes), Wade, 4 best bowlers.
get on and play aussie cricket. The indians team is a mess too. Get in their faces, take the game to them. England proved India have no heart for a fight.

Really bringing 3 bits and pieces players (plus Watson who at least justifies selection purely on his batting) was just odd. Smith and Maxwell certainly arent tests class....Henriques Im willing to give some credit that he deserves a squad spot and a future chance.

Id go to the 3rd test with:
Warner
Cowan
Kwghuhbjkhbhwha
Watson
Clarke
Wade
Henriques (or Maxwell I guess if Watson is bowling)
Siddle
Starc
Pattison
Lyon

very well played, but the series is not over and they should keep their heads down and focus if not Aussies are coming back stronger.

I hope India would do away with any casualness they showed in the later stages of their innings and would stay focused on the task at hand. The Australians are always up for a fight although they lost the last 5 tests in India. The likes of Pattinson can create plenty of problems for India's batting lineup, and if Clarke gets support from at least a couple of others in the lineup, they could score a decent total as well.
The Indians slipped up with the bat at times, and their catching has been shoddy so far. Ed Cowan was dropped by the time he made 44 in the last innings, David Warner too was put down. Michael Clarke was dropped in the first innings, Matthew Wade too had a life in the first innings.
Would be interesting as to what calls the Indian selectors are going to make about the team for the next couple of games.

I don't wish to sound like Duty but the stuffing the Indians are giving the Aussies ain't half making the England team look good.

Where are all these terrifying fast bowlers that GBoycottnutt was telling us about?

Virender Sehwag has been dropped from the squad for the next 2 matches. No replacement is named. That's the only change in the squad.
Sehwag, who could really set up test matches all by himself was given an extended time to rediscover his touch, but form continued to elude him, and of late his catching too has been rather off the mark. So a right call I would say.
Now the interesting question is, who would open with Murali Vijay? Shikhar Dhawan was originally picked as the 3rd opener in the squad. Now since Sehwag is not there, he's very much likely to make his test debut in the next match. If Dhawan plays, that also mean a left-right opening combination for India.
The other contender is Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has been with the test squad for well over a year without getting a game. Ravindra Jadeja's all-round skills have seen him overtaking Rahane after Dravid and VVS left the seen. Cheteshwar Pujara too made a return to the side after injury rehabilitation. The K Srikanth led selection committee had picked Rahane as a reserve batsman who could open or come in the middle order. But the current head of the selection committee, Sandeep Patil, had made it clear that they are looking at Rahane as a middle order option. Rahane did open for Mumbai in his debut season, and he has opened for India in limited over formats. But most of his first class success has come at 3. Will be interesting to see as to which way would the skipper and the rest of the team management would go.

Matthew Wade has twisted his ankle playing basketball so Brad Haddin will be arriving in India this evening to join the squad as back up.

Australia's troubles contine with that latest injury to Wae who looked in some touch with the bat in the last game.
Unfortunate for Wade, injuries seem to follow him in this series, he played the last match with a broken cheekbone, and now this. Will he yet again, come through the pain barrier? Or will Haddin get a chance to resume his test career?

Mohali has a different pitch if compared to chennai and hyderabad. May be aussies will go with 3 fast bowlers. Lyon could also get help later as the match continues. We remember the mohali test in 2008 where Amit mishra bagged 5 wk in the first innings. Lyon may be handy here. For india Ashwin and jadeja will once again lead the march. Early movement for kumar may disturb aussies early on.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/content/current/story/624494.html

unbelievable.

So they didn't do their 3-point assignment. Oh well, if that's the rules then surely they could have set aside 15-20 minutes. I don't know if it's arrogance or laziness (or both) but I'd rather see those players show more commitment on and off the field. It's not as though they have some God-given right to represent Australia. They should fly out some more bowlers and deduct the cost (flights & hotels) from their pay.

I'm starting to like Mickey Arthur even more. Good on him. The series is all but lost anyway - why not go down in a ball of flames?

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-stands-down-four-players-for-breach-of-discipline-20130311-2fw9i.html

Bizarre.

Thought this tour couldn't get any worse for Australia now this...

Not sure which I find more disturbing : that four players couldn't be bothered to spend a few minutes jotting down some ideas on paper or email over four days - or that the coach has apparently swallowed some management manual and is wasting time and efforts on this rubbish instead of getting on with the basics of cricket at any level : practicing skills , planning tactics...and picking the right players for the job.

Makes selection for the next match pretty easy I suppose ...might even enable them to keep Phil Hughes in the team

My goodness!!. What are they on to!?
So Steve Smith will be getting a game, Philip Hughes should also get another chance. They are without their best bowler.
Of course the players concerned should have involved themselves more in the process of introspection, but I think this punishment is disproportional and border on the desperate or even ludicrous.

These coaches are proving to be a problem for the game we love!.

yeah, I don't know, msp. I think it's better to take strong action now rather than later. I like the fact that it wasn't simply swept under the carpet. Khawaja surprises me... he looks like a diligent chap but maybe he has tickets on himself too?

LB not sweepping it under the carpet and all is fine, but you don't execute someone for parking on the wrong side!.

I have nothing against taking strong action for serious breaches af discipline , lb , but surely this whole thing is an exercise in shooting oneself in the foot ?

Asking the players to think about their game and offer opinions , fine. Should be doing this informally as a matter of course , I would have thought. But setting up this "assignment" , in which it is now clear several players were simply not engaged , suggests a serious division between players and management , ie Arthur had no idea what was going on in his players heads and they aren't taking him seriously - surely they have been operating together long enough it should not be like this ?

The result is certainly bad in that it deprives Australia of their most effective bowler and also the theoretically best alternative batsman...any plan that causes that is bad management in my book.

They not being 'executed'. They are being stood down for a match. There's a big difference between the two.

It happens every week in Australian sport. I don't know if you follow any of it... but there have been some huge controversies here of late with large suspensions looming over certain players; maybe even clubs) but the shock for us is that this has happened at international level.

Don't worry. They will play for Australia again. They are not departing this realm just yet.

I see your point alfie and believe me it hurts me even more as an Australian that this has happened. However, in the context of the dismal performances in the series so far (Patto aside) I disagree with the 'informal route' you suggest.

If management's message was misconstrued in any way then this short ban will set the intentions straight. It should be clearer now if it wasn't before.

Is Watson the 'theoretically best alternative batsmen' in your book?