I’m sure there are many still coming to terms with the news of Sachin announcing he will retire from the game after playing his 200th Test. That’s easily understandable when you consider his standing in the sport. He’s been a phenomenon and a true icon of the game.
His name is synonymous with all the teams that he has played with over the years and his presence in the dressing room as well as on the field will certainly be missed. He’s enjoyed a fantastic career of 24 years and let’s all hope it ends on a high.
Switching to the ODI series between India and Australia, if the T20 game at Rajkot is anything to go by, the upcoming seven match 50 over contest is likely to be a lot closer than most people think. It sure was a close match in Rajkot so MS Dhoni and his men know they can ill afford to take things lightly.
Looking at Australia’s squad, I would have to say that while they boast a pretty formidable bowling attack with some quality fast bowlers in their ranks, the same can’t quite be said about their batting. Michael Clarke’s absence will surely be felt especially if the wickets prove to be spinner friendly.
In fact, I expect the series narrative to be largely dictated by the nature of the wicket. If the wickets are flat, we should see some big scoring games where the Aussies will fancy their chances, but by equal measure, I can see the visitors struggling should pitches aid spin. After all, there’s no real outstanding spinner within the Aussie ranks capable of troubling the Indian batsmen.
What Australia have to their advantage is a few of their players like Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Coulter-Nile would have gained crucial preparation by featuring in the recent Champions League T20 tournament.
This series is also a great opportunity for the likes of Phil Hughes, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell to show what they’re capable of. Hughes has often been shunted up and down the order, so a fixed batting position could well bring out the best in him.
Maxwell is one of the most exciting cricketers on the international stage, and if he does well in India, people will be looking at him in an entirely different light.
