Dubai: The much-awaited clash between the titans of international cricket, India and Australia, commences from Friday with the Test series at the Mohali cricket stadium. Hopefully, this clash will help the game regain some of its lost sheen, thanks to the recent spot-fixing controversy which sowed the seeds of doubt in the minds of many fans worldwide.
From the time the first ball is bowled in Mohali on Friday, it should turn out to be an exciting battle between ball and bat.
Today, this series is on par with the Ashes merely because of the depth and talent of both the teams. Australia, who lost some of their top players in the recent past, has regained momentum with their newcomers comfortably stepping into the shoes of their illustrious predecessors.
Nevertheless, it will be a testing time for these Aussie youngsters as they will have to try and prove their mettle in the hostile Indian conditions. Despite Australia touring with their top stars in the past, their loss:win ratio stands at 13:12.
So, for Australia, a win here is of paramount importance, and even serve as a morale booster for the oncoming Ashes series against England.
Andrew Hilditch, chairman of the Australian cricket selection committee, after announcing his squad had said: "India is ranked No 1 in Test cricket and there is no harder assignment in Test cricket at the moment than playing India on their home soil."
Captain's challenge
As for skipper Ricky Ponting, this series has even greater significance, especially on the personal front. His form will be put to the test and so will his captaincy. Ponting is known to surmount challenges, but in all those occasions he had players with the ability to raise performance standards. Australia does not have openers such as Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden to provide them the electrifying starts and Andrew Symonds in the middle.
The legendary spinner Shane Warne and pacer Brett Lee are also not among their bowlers. The present team will be hoping for Ponting to strike form and a lot of hope will be on Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Marcus North to come out good.
Allrounder Shane Watson will be expected to sparkle both with the ball and bat. Their bowling strength will depend on the form of pacers Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger as well as spinners Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith.
The big question is also whether this attack has the strength to tie down batsmen such as Virender Seh-wag, who is in scintillating form, followed by Sachin Tendulkar. Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman have always done well against the Aussies. In short, India can win if they bat well and Australia's chances will depend on their bowlers. If the wickets too are sporting, then cricket lovers may be lucky to witness some of the finest clashes between bat and ball in recent years.
