Aussie aim Unassailable lead as India looks to settle scores

India certainly will be feeling very unlucky as a team; two close games in the series out of 5 played, both time being on the losing side. Well, Australia on the other hand has emerged as the side with extreme temperament and wild mental strength. The Oz’s have shown why they have been the #1 and also have proved the credentials of their domestic circuit. Tomorrow, the teams clash again for the penultimate game and a decider too, if, India win, the series decider will be the last and the final game, but in case, Australia win, the series will get a result and Oz gain an unassailable lead.

Though Australia has been a depleted unit due to injuries, they have won and now consecutively in Mohali and then in Hyderabad, the last evening. Whereas India will look on the positives and if we take a look, India has lost three games to two but out of the three lost, 2 were by meager margins. If Hyderabad is concerned, Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar performed exceptionally. Harbhajan gave runs miserly whereas everyone knows what Sachin did last evening. Hence, its not looking absurd for India as well and given the form of the team since last year or so, the team has the capability to bounce back hard. Australia already has ample momentum and will love to capitalize on the same.

The match is to be played at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati. Only twice a score of 250 has been crossed and hence a score of 230 looks like a realistic target. On the contrary, the local curator favors a sporting track implying a 300+ score for the side batting first. A very common problem is the light at the venue. Though the ground has flood-lights, the game being a day encounter, these aren’t used and according to the local authorities, the game can’t be played no longer than 1610 hrs as the sun sets around 1700 hrs implying a very early start of 0830 hrs; this giving the side bowling first a chance to exploit the seaming conditions for more than hour or so.

As for the teams, it will be unlikely that Munaf Patel plays as he gifted runs to the opposition very obligingly last evening. Hence, it could be Ishant Sharma back or a debut for the young gun Sudeep Tyagi. Rest of the side is likely to be retained. Australia, on the other hand has got more replacement players in allrounder Andrew McDonald and fast bowler Burt Cockley. Mitchell Johnson is again certain to warm the bench and a not so good performance by Hilfenhaus giving 72 in his 10 might certainly bring in McDonald and Ricky Ponting favours that by quoting, "Macca [McDonald] has been over here with the Champions League and did a really good job for Victoria". Remainder will be undoubtedly retained.  

The teams look good and especially Oz which are like pumped with sort of their victories. In the same context Ricky Ponting added, "We've remained competitive and quite often just stumbled a little bit at the bigger-type moments. We haven't done that this series so far, we've managed to find a way to win."