Despite India dominating Australia in the on-going Test series, one man who not so long ago was the biggest game-changer in this team now appears to be on shaky ground. So shaky that even his biggest backers seem to be deserting him, says a report in The Times Of India, adding that Virender Sehwag once enjoyed `Rahul Dravid's 'blind' support to the point that the normally-submissive former Indian captain even took on the then India coach Greg Chappell in his quest to include the dashing opener in the team for the 2007 World Cup.
When journalists in the Windies questioned him on that support later, he shot back by saying that he wasn't backing some 'Joe Blogg' but making a case for a man who had a Test triple hundred to his name. The same Dravid has now openly questioned an out-of-touch Sehwag's place in the team.
"The selectors and management need to decide whether they are going to open with Viru in South Africa. I mean Viru playing at his best, is a great asset to any side, but the reality is that he hasn't been performing particularly well, and he hasn't really done well on overseas trips over the last two-three years. If they feel confident about opening with him in SA, then it makes sense to continue with him and give him the opportunity to get that confidence," Dravid told a cricket website.
Dravid feels that it would be unfair to expect India's 'reserve openers' to "go to SA straightaway, and play against the likes of (Dale) Steyn, (Vernon) Philander and (Morne) Morkel".
Dravid's words aren't out of place. Statistics tell the story of a sharp decline in Sehwag's batting, which can't be just termed as a bad patch. He has 27 runs to show in three innings against Australia in the current series so far. Check out his string of scores since he hit 117 in the Ahmedabad Test against England -- 25, 30, 9, 23, 49 & 0 (vs England) and now 2, 19 & 6 against Australia.
Meanwhile according to a report in Deccan Chronicle, a thrashing by an innings and 135 runs would normally be enough to lay any team low for some time, not the Australians, though. “That the very next day after losing the second Test match to India, the visitors were up and about, practising with vigour at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday,” says the report.
According to coach Mickey Arthur, the team know what they are up against now and are ready more than ever to bounce back. “The team morale is pretty good,” said Arthur, adding: “The boys have just trained exceptionally well. They did a bit of soul searching last night and the guys have come back strongly. The morale’s pretty good.” Given that the team travels to Mohali, a wicket known for its fondness for pace, it was a trifle odd to see the Australian batsmen sweat it out on the very track on which they had collapsed into a heap on Tuesday.
“Any day we get a chance to practice on a Day 5 wicket, we’ll take it,” Arthur said by way of an explanation. “Only Watson and Clarke in our Top 8 batsmen have ever played here.
So the more experience our young players get on a fifth day wicket, the better. “We just want to keep improving our batsmen against spin bowling. It’s like when India come to Australia, they are taken to WACA. It's exactly the same for us out here. Our players are young and still learning.”
A report in Deccan Herald says, desperate to claw their way back in the series, Australia coach Mickey Arthur on Wednesday said they were not averse to the idea of making a few changes in the playing eleven if that can bring good result for them.
“Look, I would be lying if I say that we are not contemplating changes. We do have to reassess the whole situation. We have got two Tests to stay in the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is big thing for us.
We would try to assess and field the best possible team to win and if that means making changes, we surely will,” Arthur replied when asked about the composition of the team for the third Test, beginning in Mohali from March 14.
The coach tried to put up a brave face and said that the morale of the team is ‘very good’ despite huge defeats.
“As a team, we have to work really hard for a turnaround but morale is very good at the moment. We have done some soul-searching on Tuesday night and guys have come back strongly.”
