India in Australia, Tour Preview

First topic message reminder :

A 4 test series, and then a 3 nation ODI tournament right before the World Cup involving England as well.
A jumbo squad announced by India. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the squad captain but won't be leading the side out for the first test as he's recovering from a thumb injury. Virat Kohli will be leading the side for the first test.
Wriddhiman Saha will be the first choice keeper for the first game and then will be the back-up for Dhoni. Naman Ojha will be Saha's back-up for the first game.
No Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir thankfully. Its young Karnataka opener KL Rahul who is the reserve opener in the side along with regular openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan. Both Rohit Sharma and even more surprisingly, Suresh Raina have found themselves in the squad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron constitute the seam attack. Along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Railways leggy Karn Sharma also makes it to the squad to form the spin unit.
Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane form the middle order.
Can the Indian batting lineup regain basic self-worth? Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar be as effective in Australia as he was in England? Can Ishant and the rest of the seam bowling unit hold their own against the Australian batsman? Can Ashwin, Jadeja or Karn, whoever plays, at least contain the Australian batsmen and give the seamers any chance?
Will Australia look for a new opening combination? Who would bat 3 and 6 for them? Will Watson and the younger Marsh play in the same side? Will Ryan Harris return and will he be the same bowler? Will Mitchell Johnson allow any other Australian bowlers to have any say! in things??? Will it be 4-0 for Australia or will India be able to salvage something at least in one game?

Australian XI

Rogers
Warner
Watson
Clarke (c)
Smith
M. Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Lyon

So Josh Hazlewood (12th man) and Sean Marsh miss out.
It would have been good to see Josh bowl at Adelaide but Sidds will give it his best shot no doubt.

Phillip Hughes named as 13th Man. Nice touch.

Reckon Clarke is fit mate? It's not very Australian to be sentimental, but I think there's a touch of it here. Hughes was going to be his replacement, and Clarke's done no rehab of the injury since the tragedy. Seems unlikely from my perspective for him to have fully recovered. Might be wrong of course.

Clarke has been passed fit, raf.
They showed him doing a lap of the oval (presumably) but it was only for a few seconds.
However, you may be right. There did seem to be a slightly gingerly action in his gait (to me).

Ha ha!... what do you mean we are not sentimental?
We do have feelings too you know.  
In fact, I believe we can be too overly sentimental a lot of the time.

Dhoni's thumb is not fully recovered so Kohli will lead India after all.

The Loaded Dog wrote:Australian XI

Rogers
Warner
Watson
Clarke (c)
Smith
M. Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Lyon

So Josh Hazlewood (12th man) and Sean Marsh miss out.
It would have been good to see Josh bowl at Adelaide but Sidds will give it his best shot no doubt.

Phillip Hughes named as 13th Man. Nice touch.

with Rogers having probably declined irreversibly and Mitch Marsh at No. 6 batting lacks solidity and depth....more suited as an ODI utility XI.
S. Marsh should have played in place of one of these.

Re: the underlined.....one thing is sure ...Aus is not moving on yet.... from the shadows of Hughes.
Whether it will inspire and give them purpose.....or will be a counterproductive move making them soft......this test match will tell.

Yes KP_f, Sean Marsh (together with Mitch) would have been great. I think this series will be Rogers' swansong.

I've just heard a guy on the TV saying "players will cope differently... some will lose form, others will rise up... and a few will announce their retirements, etc... " I think he covers all bases...

You need to give them (us) a little time, mate. We are still very raw with grief. I see your point literally but that gesture can also be seen as a form of punctuation in a sense. It helps them all reach some sort of emotional milestone and it might also serve to inspire them from tomorrow onwards.

Who really knows?

Good luck anyway. You won't hear me saying "4-0". I'm more cautious.
Would be nice... but the work needs to be done first and India should put up a decent fight naturally.

the only problem and a big one.....game starts in Adelaide mid-night my Central European time.
Very hard to watch the start......at best can wake up early and catch the last 2 hours

The Loaded Dog wrote:Yes KP_f, Sean Marsh (together with Mitch) would have been great. I think this series will be Rogers' swansong.

I've just heard a guy on the TV saying "players will cope differently... some will lose form, others will rise up... and a few will announce their retirements, etc... " I think he covers all bases...

You need to give them (us) a little time, mate. We are still very raw with grief. I see your point literally but that gesture can also be seen as a form of punctuation in a sense. It helps them all reach some sort of emotional milestone and it might also serve to inspire them from tomorrow onwards.

Who really knows?

Good luck anyway. You won't hear me saying "4-0". I'm more cautious.
Would be nice... but the work needs to be done first and India should put up a decent fight naturally.

yes my friend we had this discussion earlier......I have a compassionate outsiders view...sad, sympathetic but moved on.
You ( Aussies) are in the situation......and hard for the outsider to comprehend the intensity.

On the series itself..expectations are low from Indian fans.....consigned ourselves to a 4-0 and anything better would be a bonus

Game starts at about 3 over here. I'll miss the morning session, but I should catch the other two.

KP_fan wrote:the only problem and a big one.....game starts in Adelaide mid-night my Central European time.
Very hard to watch the start......at best can wake up early and catch the last 2 hours

I forgot. You are in Switzerland... or somewhere, aren't you?

The Loaded Dog wrote:

KP_fan wrote:the only problem and a big one.....game starts in Adelaide mid-night my Central European time.
Very hard to watch the start......at best can wake up early and catch the last 2 hours

I forgot. You are in Switzerland... or somewhere, aren't you?

yes in Switzerland....1 hour ahead of UK time

You speak French, or Suisse German, KP?

Hey guys. Guess what?

KP is here! Arrived in Melbourne today. I hope he goes well.

kingraf wrote:You speak French, or Suisse German, KP?

Ich spreche  bisschen schweizerdeutsch
I live on the German border town of Konstanz but on the Swiss side.

that's fantastic mate! I've got a passable comprehension of Bavarian German because I dated a German-namibian girl for a year, so I can somewhat stumble through Suisse German.

half of the aussie side will be on crutches!!

Ryan Harris must be a worry once again...at 35 has played worryingly little cricket in his career...but must surely be on last legs?? Class act, but how many more injuries can he take??

freemo wrote:half of the aussie side will be on crutches!!

Ryan Harris must be a worry once again...at 35 has played worryingly little cricket in his career...but must surely be on last legs?? Class act, but how many more injuries can he take??

I have said this before and I repeat.....he is the deadliest bowler in international cricket currently. the "skiddiest" customer after Marshall that I have seen.....not quite at that pace...but often touching nearly 90mph.

His interests and those of Aus are best served if they use whatever cricket left in Harris for test matches and IPL ( where he makes quickest money for shortest work)

kingraf wrote:that's fantastic mate! I've got a passable comprehension of Bavarian German because I dated a German-namibian girl for a year, so I can somewhat stumble through Suisse German.

yeah...they say the fastest way to learn a language is to have a GF from that native tongue
I don't have that option at this phase in life .....my wife has learnt passable German but my daughter grown from 4 to 9 here is turning out to be almost natural

Guys there is a thread up for the first test.
as for the expections, let me repeat what KPF said above,

"consigned ourselves to a 4-0 and anything better would be a bonus".
Hope to see some fight, hope have all the games going into day 5 at least.......

@Loaded Dog.....Andrew Webster at SMH asks the same question

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/why-cricket-australia-needs-to-be-careful-with-phillip-hughes-tributes-20141208-122n29.html

Cricket Australia needs to be careful with Phillip Hughes tributes
Date
December 9, 2014 - 12:04AM

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer, The Sydney Morning Herald
Phillip Hughes was built like a needle, went like a sewing machine.

His death is still raw, emotions still run high, but there's no dispute he'd want his teammates during the next month to play in the same aggressive manner as he did.

It looms as the best way they can grieve and honour their "little mate" - if there is such a thing - starting with the first Test against India at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Before they do that, however, more tributes to Hughes must flow.
Grief is different to tribute, and how Cricket Australia officials delicately balance both during the summer will be critical in accepting this tragedy. They haven't put as much as a toenail out of place so far.

Before the first ball in Adelaide, players from both teams will take their place around a large "408" - the baggy green cap number of the late batsman - painted on the outfield at Adelaide Oval.

Light-hearted moment: Australian spinner Nathan Lyon hides behind team doctor Peter Brukner after getting paceman Mitchell Johnson in a headlock at training on Monday.
Light-hearted moment: Australian spinner Nathan Lyon hides behind team doctor Peter Brukner after getting paceman Mitchell Johnson in a headlock at training on Monday. Photo: Getty Images
Then spectators will be asked to stand for 63 seconds of applause, a reference to the score Hughes was on during a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG before a bouncer claimed his life. Hughes has been named as Australia's 13th man for the match. His Test number has been embroidered on their shirts.

It all seems entirely appropriate given the enormity of what's happened in the past fortnight, but at what point is it time to move on?

After the first ball in Adelaide? The final ball in Sydney? After the one-day World Cup? Never?

Nobody should tell someone how to grieve. There certainly isn't a handbook about how to get through it. Australian players can honour their late mate for as long as they need or want. Some may never get over it.

Yet there is already a concern that honouring Hughes could veer into tokenism if the point is laboured too much. It could also be disrespectful to his heartbroken family, who now should be afforded the time to privately grieve.

The media is already copping it amid claims that others in death have not been given the same blanket coverage as Hughes. Which, of course, is simplistic and inane. No life is worth more than another. They are not judged in terms of column inches or minutes of air-time.

But media coverage comes down to news value and public interest, and on that score Hughes' death has almost been unprecedented. Certainly, in terms of an Australian sportsperson.

Few can quite put their finger on why. That cricket is the national pastime, played by thousands of junior players, explains much of it.

But his death continues to connect with people with no interest in the game, or sport.

A reminder of that came on Saturday night, at somewhere as unexpected as the Newtown Hotel in Sydney's inner-west. As the crowd of grungers, goths and gays elbowed their way to the bar, it was impossible not to notice the cricket bat sitting on the shelf behind the busy staff.

At what point, though, is it time to let the lavish tributes to Hughes calm down, with the focus returning to the contest between bat and ball? Tuesday morning's tribute should be a watershed moment, which shouldn't be repeated in Brisbane or Melbourne.

NSW Premier Mike Baird on Monday announced, after consulting Hughes' family and CA, that the planned state memorial service had been cancelled.

Officials at the SCG, where Hughes lost his life, are already trying to find the appropriate way to honour him when the final Test of the series is played there from January 6. In simplicity comes class.

Bravely, the Australian cricket team is leading the way. Few of them appeared as emotional at Hughes' funeral service in Macksville as Mitchell Johnson. He's become the cliché about whether cricket will change forever because of the Hughes incident.

If fast bowlers are cautious about bowling short, what does it mean for intimidatory expressmen like Johnson? Without the right amount of chin music, Johnson may as well be playing no tune at all.

So it was a relief to hear these words from him on the eve of the Test on Tuesday: "We have got to play the way we have been playing. That is being aggressive. That's the way I have always played the game. I know our boys will be out there playing the best cricket we can. If that is bowling the short ball like we have been then that is what we will do."

In other words, getting on with it, as best they can.

That's a good article.

I like the "in simplicity comes class" remark.
We need to avoid any "tokenism" and concentrate on the "respect" shown for him (and his family/friends)... whilst getting on with the game.

Dhawal Kulkarni called up as cover for injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar was expected to be ruled out for only the first couple of games following an ankle injury, but since the management is under instructions not to rush him back, and since its not clear whether he'll be ready for the 3rd test, Kulkarni has been called in. But Kumar will join the squad ones he's passed fit.

msp83 wrote:Dhawal Kulkarni called up as cover for injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar was expected to be ruled out for only the first couple of games following an ankle injury, but since the management is under instructions not to rush him back, and since its not clear whether he'll be ready for the 3rd test, Kulkarni has been called in. But Kumar will join the squad ones he's passed fit.

what was wrong with Ishwar Pandey ?
doesn't spell well on selectors.....to have carried him in Eng and dumped without a game...and not even called now

is a strange one, however Kulkarni has impressed in the odi's..also more than useful with the bat.