Sunday, November 9, 2008

Exciting Final Day's Play

Will Australia successfully chase the big total on the final day of the final test of the series ??? I am sure it will not be easy but i am confident that the Aussies will not settle for a draw.

If Australia does not loose Hayden and Ponting before lunch, we have a great game in the final two sessions. I wish Hayden or Ponting plays their life time innings and lite up the day. Clark,Hussey can help the chase and with Watson and white in the side it will be a great chase to watch.

For India, if we manage to get the top order (Hayden,Ponting,Clark,Hussey) before tea, we have a great chance to win the series 2-0. If Dhoni is going to use the negative tactics like he did on the 3rd morning, i think it will kill the charm of test cricket. Dhoni and India were lucky to find break through on 3rd afternoon and make a match. If Australia had been successful in the 1st innings with some lead India would have been in trouble.

I feel the session before lunch is going to set the days progress and the series outcome, for Aussies its a great chance to solve some pride and draw the series. Aussies will go all out tomorrow to make a match and in all probability will go to chase the score.

This is one great chance for both Dhoni and Ponting to help keep up the great charm in this longer version of the game. Looking forward to watch a great final days game.

2 comments:

abimanyu said...

@Vasu I don't think what Dhoni employed in the third morning as a negative tactic as you and many other expert commentators mention.

Set an 8 - 1 field and asking his bowlers to maintain a out side the off stump line cannot be termed as a negative tactic. This is done to dry up the run flow. Even the Aussies under Gilli during their tour of India during 2004 employed a defensive field setup to dry up the run flow, frustrated the batsmen and eventually got them out. And that was praised saying that the Australians were best in everything they do, and when Dhoni employees a similar strategy he is just criticized.

Vasu said...

What dhoni did is not defensive tactic, what he did was negative. Lucky that the Aussies did not fire in the second session (after lunch), having scored 400+ and going defensive with fast bowlers through out the session to slow down the over rate and bowl wide of off stump is not good cricket (at least to me).

Dhoni is having his stars on his side, imagine a scenario like Aussies taking 80-100 run lead with one of the batsmen, hussey not getting out in that unfortunate way. The way Ponting gave away the 100+ runs to bhajji and dhoni.

It reminds me the local league match where bowlers will be asked to bowl down the legs with packed field on the leg side to gain points to draw the match.

I am not taking away the great performance of Team India, its been too long since every member of the team performed for the teams victory, All that i am saying is, this negative tactics is not good for the game (Test Cricket)