Indians have now come to Adelaide, depleted both in confidence and players. MS Dhoni has been banned for this test match owing to poor over rate which would mean W Saha would be the stumper and Sehwag would be leading the side. The encouraging factor for India would be the pitch at the Adelaide Oval. It is a kind of surface, the Indian batsman would enjoy batting on. It is also expected to turn on day 4 and 5 which would get the spinners interested.
R Ashwin would definitely be back in playing XI which would mean the Vinay Kumar would be left out. It would interesting to see if India on in with 2 spinners leaving Ishant Sharma out. Though Sharma has bowled well in patches, he failed to bowl the good balls consistently. It may worth giving Ojha a game. Being a left arm bowler he adds variety to the Indian attack.
There was a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma getting a game ahead of Laxman, but that seems highly unlikely. Nevertheless, this could be the last time we see Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman bat in an international match. Both these batsmen have struggled a lot to get going in this series and there has been a lot of talk of age getting to them. This match in all likelihood will bring an end to an era of the great Indian batting unit. Like all great things, even this batting unit seems to have passed it's 'used by' date. The way Tendulkar is going, we may have just a little bit more cricket from him. But, after this game, it is time for a complete transformation of this test team.
The pitch in Adelaide will provide the great Indian middle order with a great chance to finish on a high. Indians have traditionally played well at this venue and they would be hoping to finish this test series on a positive note. They should be looking bat really long and regain the lost confidence.
The Indian bowling will once again rely heavily on Zaheer Khan. He has been the spearhead for quite some time now. The heartening thing is he about to complete an overseas tour without breaking down. The Indian management would really pleased with this effort. Ashwin will have a very important role in this game. It is really important that he understands his role well. The dilemma of whether to attack or contain is the worst situation for any bowler to be in. He should ideally be thinking to pick wickets. Though he has had a rather poor series with the ball, this is an opportunity for him end this tour on a high.
It is really important that Ashwin bowls well. With his batting, he is able to provide great depth in the Indian line up. If he can show that he can bowl on overseas surfaces, then he would be a great asset for the Indian team.
As far as Australia is concerned, their bowling has been their greatest strength. They cannot have the 4 fast bowler strategy at the Adelaide Oval. Their worry would be Nathan Lyon. Adelaide is kind of a place where Australia will need him to tie things down when a partnership is going on. Lyon has had a pretty ordinary series so far. He would itching to turn it around in this game. With Lyon coming in, Stark will have to sit out.
David Warner would be looking to carry his form into Adelaide. He is the kind of player who can who can give sleepless nights to the opposition's skipper. Adelaide's great batting conditions should be a very good opportunity for Shaun Marsh to find his form. Rest of the middle order for Australia has been among runs and they would not worried about it. Haddin's glovework improved from Sydney to Perth. But Perth is a paradise for keepers. Wicket-keepers are not really tested at Perth.
When a team is in winning ways, the players not performing get an extended run. Haddin has been the beneficiary of this policy adopted during this series. He would be hoping to use Adelaide as an opportunity to make some essential runs for the team.
Overall, the odds are highly in favour of Australia. India needs to mentally lift themselves up completely to put up a good show.
R Ashwin would definitely be back in playing XI which would mean the Vinay Kumar would be left out. It would interesting to see if India on in with 2 spinners leaving Ishant Sharma out. Though Sharma has bowled well in patches, he failed to bowl the good balls consistently. It may worth giving Ojha a game. Being a left arm bowler he adds variety to the Indian attack.
There was a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma getting a game ahead of Laxman, but that seems highly unlikely. Nevertheless, this could be the last time we see Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman bat in an international match. Both these batsmen have struggled a lot to get going in this series and there has been a lot of talk of age getting to them. This match in all likelihood will bring an end to an era of the great Indian batting unit. Like all great things, even this batting unit seems to have passed it's 'used by' date. The way Tendulkar is going, we may have just a little bit more cricket from him. But, after this game, it is time for a complete transformation of this test team.
The pitch in Adelaide will provide the great Indian middle order with a great chance to finish on a high. Indians have traditionally played well at this venue and they would be hoping to finish this test series on a positive note. They should be looking bat really long and regain the lost confidence.
The Indian bowling will once again rely heavily on Zaheer Khan. He has been the spearhead for quite some time now. The heartening thing is he about to complete an overseas tour without breaking down. The Indian management would really pleased with this effort. Ashwin will have a very important role in this game. It is really important that he understands his role well. The dilemma of whether to attack or contain is the worst situation for any bowler to be in. He should ideally be thinking to pick wickets. Though he has had a rather poor series with the ball, this is an opportunity for him end this tour on a high.
It is really important that Ashwin bowls well. With his batting, he is able to provide great depth in the Indian line up. If he can show that he can bowl on overseas surfaces, then he would be a great asset for the Indian team.
As far as Australia is concerned, their bowling has been their greatest strength. They cannot have the 4 fast bowler strategy at the Adelaide Oval. Their worry would be Nathan Lyon. Adelaide is kind of a place where Australia will need him to tie things down when a partnership is going on. Lyon has had a pretty ordinary series so far. He would itching to turn it around in this game. With Lyon coming in, Stark will have to sit out.
David Warner would be looking to carry his form into Adelaide. He is the kind of player who can who can give sleepless nights to the opposition's skipper. Adelaide's great batting conditions should be a very good opportunity for Shaun Marsh to find his form. Rest of the middle order for Australia has been among runs and they would not worried about it. Haddin's glovework improved from Sydney to Perth. But Perth is a paradise for keepers. Wicket-keepers are not really tested at Perth.
When a team is in winning ways, the players not performing get an extended run. Haddin has been the beneficiary of this policy adopted during this series. He would be hoping to use Adelaide as an opportunity to make some essential runs for the team.
Overall, the odds are highly in favour of Australia. India needs to mentally lift themselves up completely to put up a good show.
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