Waughney
International Debutant
To be honest the series has been what I expected it to be, good, but definitely not an epic one.Slow Love™ said:Hi, BRS - my feelings are a little mixed. I'm extremely happy that the Aussies have got this monkey off their back, but truth be told, up to this point, it hasn't really been much of a series. It seems that much of this tour has been treating the opposition and the conditions with a little more respect, and some extensive preparation and strategy. Over the last few decades, there've certainly been much inferior Indian sides to this one that capable Aussie sides haven't managed to beat, yet there's no doubt that this side was absolutely nowhere near it's best. The last two series between these two sides were such epics that we probably got a little spoiled, and as a result, for me at least, there's the slightest aftertaste of letdown. Probably the least expected outcome here for me was the lack of spirit from the Indians, because that's been their most amazing feature against the Aussies in recent times.
I think that at it's core, the Indian side is a strong one, even if I haven't really thought they were the number 2 side in the world as many have claimed. The Aussies have done really well, applied themselves (and often grafted) as well as playing some brilliant cricket. The Indians' strengths and weaknesses seemed to change this time around: their bowlers actually acquitted themselves reasonably well, while the bats - well, there's not much to be said, considering that Sehwag is the only centurian (and the only bat to show real form) over the series for them.
Even though Gilly captained the Aussies to this victory, Ponting's done a much better job than many predicted (including myself) at distinguishing this side from his predecessor Waugh's. To my eye, this side doesn't demonstrate the same miles-ahead superiority that Waugh's did in it's heyday, but it's a very solid outfit that's perhaps a little more flexible in terms of how it approaches situations, particularly when they're struggling (Hayden and Langer were probably the exception to this rule, in that they appeared to pay no attention to the script). Martyn and Katich have, in particular provided great balance to the more cavalier players in the batting lineup. Kasprowicz has fit in superbly, and it feels like he should have been a part of this side for a lot longer than he has (in terms of his last stint, that is). Clarke's defied the critics and demonstrated that sometimes real talent provides legitimate excitement among those that know the game, first-class averages be damned.
I would have loved to see these sides go toe-to-toe at their best though, and we certainly didn't get that. Hopefully the Indians can put up more of a contest in the final test, although I still would love to see a 3-0 scoreline, just for posterity.
I do think that some people are being a little hard on some Indian supporters, because truth be told, I think we all know that the Aussies are a stronger side than India, and can stomach the loss of a Ponting much better than India can stomach the loss of a Tendulkar, a Ganguly or a Harbhajan.
And IMO, India should have stuck with Yuvaraj, uh, Yuvraj.
There has been much critisism of the more defensive approach to the series (especially on the half of Keith Stackpole), but (even though I am a supporter of Waugh's captaining techniques) I thought they were right. In the Australia home series, the Aussies showed little felxibility in their plans and sometimes that let certain partnerships roll on and on. This series plan (and it's flexibility) helped them to fight back and maintain dominance at certain times.
It has been great to see the emergence of Clarke, the rise and rise of Martyn and the return of Kasprowicz. Hopefully Martyn can continue to play as well in all conditions to finally to get those critics off his back.
As for Yuvraj's non inclusion (I mean Yuvaraj) I'm still undecided over what I think should've happened. However, he should be included in Mumbai (at the expense of Chopra), to gain a spot for the future and much needed experience.
Well done Australia
