Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



India reaps tri-series benefits in Australia
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 03 - 2015

SYDNEY — India's team director Ravi Shastri dismissed the tri-series in Australia preceding the World Cup as a complete waste of time and energy for a side defending their world title in less than two weeks' time.
The former India captain seemed to have a point as the team, since landing in Australia in late November, could not register a single win in the four-Test series and finished the subsequent tri-series, also involving England, in similar manner.
Certainly not an ideal build-up for a team bidding to join West Indies and Australia as the third nation to successfully defend its World Cup title.
But what India gained, and Shastri overlooked that point, is valuable knowledge of local conditions in the four months which made it the World Cup's best prepared team outside the co-hosts.
Its pace bowlers, a revelation at the World Cup, figured out the right length they need to bowl to succeed and the batsmen went into the tournament knowing what kind of bounce to expect on surfaces vastly different from the ones back home.
Hardly a surprise that while three of their neighbors — Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — crashed out in the quarterfinals, India remains the only team from the sub-continent to make the last four, and make it in style.
It has looked a completely transformed side under Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India became the first team to claim 70 wickets in seven matches and remained unbeaten going into Thursday's semifinal against Australia.
“They've just played a lot more cricket here and getting used to the lengths you need to bowl,” Australia opener Aaron Finch said Tuesday.
“It's no rocket science, they're bowling well, they're batting well, they're going to be tough to beat,” the right-hander said.
Dhoni too admitted the tri-series served an important purpose for his side. “We wanted to give players more opportunities in the tri-series to some extent,” he said after the group stage victory against South Africa. “We pushed for the wins, but we were not able to get that.
“But at the same time we knew with the World Cup right at the corner, this tournament was much more important to us and we had to make sure people with niggles, they don't come into the World Cup.”
However for Steve Smith, India still bears the scars of the mauling it suffered at the hands of Australia at the start of its tour Down Under.
From the start of December to early February, however, Australia simply dominated India, winning two and drawing two tests and then beating them comfortably in a tri-series match and World Cup warm-up. “I think we'll have a little edge over them with a few scars from the matches throughout the Summer, they didn't beat us once,” Smith told reporters at the SCG Tuesday.
“So I think that's going to be playing on their mind a little bit. “They've been here for a long time now, they've been able to get accustomed to the conditions, the bounce we've got here compared to back in India.
“Other than that, I just think we need to do what we can do well, to control that. If we do, I've no doubt it's going to be a competitive game for us.”
Smith's own spectacular form with the bat played a large part in Australia's supremacy in the Test arena, the 25-year-old scoring centuries in all four matches and 769 runs in total.
He has been less prolific in the World Cup, scoring 241 runs in six matches, but showed great maturity in his innings of 65 to help Australia to victory in the quarterfinal against Pakistan. Smith feels his elevation up the batting order to No. 3 works well for the team, especially against spin-reliant sides from the sub-continent.
“I have always said I enjoy batting at three and with (Michael Clarke) at four we just like to take our time and knock the ball around,” he added. “That will work well against India with their spinners bowling quite a few overs in the middle.
“We can knock them around and give our power-hitters the last 15 overs to come in and do what they did against Sri Lanka, I think that is our blue print to ideally perform.”
Doherty dilemma
With two confident teams going head-to-head in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final on Thursday, it could be the tiniest misjudgement, the smallest detail that decides whether Australia or India emerge triumphant.
Disregarding perhaps only the toss, Australia's biggest decision this week is likely to be whether to include spinner Xavier Doherty in its side to face the world champion.
Much, of course, will depend on the wicket, which Tuesday afternoon was covered by a huge white blanket as rain tumbled down on the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
If, as coach Darren Lehmann expects, it is a similar track to that on which Australia beat Sri Lanka in the pool stage, Doherty's contribution might be restricted to handing out water bottles.
If, however, it is more similar to the wicket on which spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy took seven wickets in South Africa's quarterfinal win over the Sri Lankans last week, Doherty might be set for his second start.
The trouble for Australia is that despite the SCG's tradition for offering turn, it is not always that easy to tell in advance whether a track will or not. — Agencies


Clic here to read the story from its source.