Nothing changed from my match reading at the end of play yesterday. The pair of Dravid & Kohli, did put up some resistance today morning & delayed the inevitable beyond lunch. But that was all they could muster.....a stand of 84 runs. The first hour saw dour defence by the two batsmen, scoring runs as well, as the sunny sunday morning lazed open. But then, Dravid, The Wall over the years for India, has been gradually going downhill...in the 51st over of the innings, with the score at 135, Ryan Harris bowled him yet one more time !!!......gone for a struggling, but well grafted 47 runs. The Indian tail had opened up & the end was well in sight. Dhoni has always struggled in seaming conditions & his stay at the wicket was predictably short. At lunch, Indian score card read 165 for 6, with Virat Kohli fighting at 69 not out, the only interest in the match was to see if India could avoid innings defeat & if Kohli could get to a well deserved hundred. None happened, as after lunch, it was all over in a hurry, with the last 4 wickets gone in a space of just 8 deliveries. India all out for 171 runs....Kolhi the last man out for 75 runs. Australia victorious by one innings & 37 runs !!!. The match over in less than 3 days...... perished & pulverized at Perth......seven straight overseas loss for Dhoni & team....Is India advocating for 3 day test matches !!!!....going by their recent performances, it looks like a good case study. The Indians are looking fatigued mentally.....just giving in without a fight....
With the last test coming up in Adelaide on 24th Jan, India now has to play for pride the series already lost !!! Is that what will motivate India....Sachin's 100th ton, a swansong innings by Dravid or Laxman...return of form by Sehwag & Gautam, a zipping Zaheer ????........too many dreams.....too many hopes & hypes....all possibly ending in ignominious nightmares !!!!!!
For Australia, Hilfenhaus once again had a 4 wicket haul, Siddle took 3 & Starc chipped in with 2. In batting Warner was in his unbridled best.....he certainly is a special talent & an extremely good mix of Hayden & Gilchrist up the order....fearless & powerful in his approach....a joy to watch. An automatic choice for the man of the match. Michael Clarke would certainly be a happy Australian skipper......celebrating over beer Mate !!! truly deserving.
For India, the only gains were Virat Kohli putting up fighting knocks in both innings & Umesh Yadav getting a 5 wicket haul. The batting has been dismal to say the least......time has come for a shake out....heads have to roll...Laxman, Dravid, Sehwag, Gautam, Dhoni & even Sachin.....all have to face critical probe...how long can be continue with this ageing line up & look for personal glories, rather than Country's pride ???? There are good players waiting in the wings.......Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwari, Manish Pandey, even Shikhar Dhawan, & many more.....no dearth of talent for sure !!!....its a question of breeding in talent & allowing them to settle down. Coach Duncan Fletcher also is a question mark....he has neither being inspirational nor tactical.....though to fair to him, its the players who are on the field, & its their performance that determine results.
Dhoni has a unenviable task ahead of him......Captain Cool, just a few months back, lauded as a hero back home, after lifting the World Cup, is right now under tremendous pressure to perform, both as a batsman as well as a Leader.....
With the last test coming up in Adelaide on 24th Jan, India now has to play for pride the series already lost !!! Is that what will motivate India....Sachin's 100th ton, a swansong innings by Dravid or Laxman...return of form by Sehwag & Gautam, a zipping Zaheer ????........too many dreams.....too many hopes & hypes....all possibly ending in ignominious nightmares !!!!!!
For Australia, Hilfenhaus once again had a 4 wicket haul, Siddle took 3 & Starc chipped in with 2. In batting Warner was in his unbridled best.....he certainly is a special talent & an extremely good mix of Hayden & Gilchrist up the order....fearless & powerful in his approach....a joy to watch. An automatic choice for the man of the match. Michael Clarke would certainly be a happy Australian skipper......celebrating over beer Mate !!! truly deserving.
For India, the only gains were Virat Kohli putting up fighting knocks in both innings & Umesh Yadav getting a 5 wicket haul. The batting has been dismal to say the least......time has come for a shake out....heads have to roll...Laxman, Dravid, Sehwag, Gautam, Dhoni & even Sachin.....all have to face critical probe...how long can be continue with this ageing line up & look for personal glories, rather than Country's pride ???? There are good players waiting in the wings.......Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwari, Manish Pandey, even Shikhar Dhawan, & many more.....no dearth of talent for sure !!!....its a question of breeding in talent & allowing them to settle down. Coach Duncan Fletcher also is a question mark....he has neither being inspirational nor tactical.....though to fair to him, its the players who are on the field, & its their performance that determine results.
Dhoni has a unenviable task ahead of him......Captain Cool, just a few months back, lauded as a hero back home, after lifting the World Cup, is right now under tremendous pressure to perform, both as a batsman as well as a Leader.....
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