Bowlers in spotlight as India seek to stay alive
Posted on Nov 07, 2009 at 14:23 | Updated Nov 07, 2009 at 14:34
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Guwahati: It will be a litmus test for India's resilience as they take on Australia in the do-or-die sixth one-dayer here on Sunday, fully aware that any slip-up in the game would allow the visitors to clinch the series.
With the seven-match series tantalisingly poised 2-3 in favour of the visitors, India has no other option but to win both Sunday's and the last rubber in Mumbai against the spirited but depleted Australia if they desire to stamp their authority in world cricket.
However, the task won't be a cake walk for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men as there will be immense pressure on them.
To add to that even though Australia are a depleted lot after losing more than half of their regular players to injuries, the visitors' confidence is on a high, especially after pulling off two narrow wins with a second string bowling attack.
Indian skipper MS Dhoni begs to differ that there will be additional pressure on his men in Sunday's must-win match.
"There is pressure in every game. At this level, there will always be pressure," he said.
But the factors which would worry Dhoni ahead of the encounter is the team's bowling department and the lower order's inability to finish things off.
The Indian pace attack lacked sting as Australian batsmen made merry against the ordinary bowling to pile up a mammoth 350 for four in the last match.
The pace trio of Ashish Nehra, who impressed in the earlier matches, Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel, who replaced Ishant Sharma, went for runs in the placid batting friendly wicket of Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi stadium.
Even left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who shone with the ball in the series, failed to make his mark in the game.
However, one heartening thing for Dhoni was spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh's return to form.
If the loopholes in the bowling department were not enough, the inconsistency of the batsmen is another problem Dhoni has to take care of.
Chasing an imposing 351 for victory, India, riding on Sachin Tendulkar's breathtaking 141-ball 175 run knock, very nearly pulled off a sensational win in Hyderabad.
But what did them in was the lack of support for Tendulkar from the other end and the tailenders' inability to finish things off in two successive matches. And Dhoni would be hoping that his team would be third time lucky.
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