Flaws exposed as India downs Australia in the warm-up

World Cup Warm-up Match: India v Australia, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 13 Feb 2011

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore witnessed an interesting battle between the defending World Champions, Australia and the hot favorites, India. It was a match in which strengths of both the teams were on display but also their respective weaknesses got exposed. India, who were restricted to a low score by Australian pacers, came back through their spinners to win the match by 38 runs.

Dhoni elected to bat after winning the toss. Virender Sehwag, who has vowed to change his game a bit in order to bat longer in ODIs, was the only man to score a fifty. He made a patient 54 off 56 balls with 8 fours and a six. India could not build big partnerships as Hastings and in particular, Brett Lee troubled Indian middle and lower order with their pace and bounce. The weakness of Indian batsman was exposed badly on a pitch that offered some bounce and kick. Late order resistance by Yusuf Pathan and R Ashwin enabled India to cross 200 and post 214 before being all out in the 43rd over. Lee took 3 for 35 while Hastings bagged 2 for 25. Jason Krejza also found some spin and beat the bat on many occasions signaling some testing times for the Aussies.

Aussies had no trouble against Indian seamers as they cruised to 118 when Tim Paine departed holing out in the deep. Then came Pyush Chawla in to the attack and he immediately found the track to his liking. He removed the cream of Australian batting in quick succession in a frenzied passage of play in which Australia lost 5 wickets for just 30 runs. Then Australian nemesis Harbhajan Singh took over the job of mesmerizing Aussie batting with his bag of tricks. Ricky Ponting who had crept out of bad form by some resolute batting was stumped off Harbhajan to end the last resistance. He was looking good and fighting a lone battle as the last man standing but after his departure Australia soon, were all out for 176 runs in the 38th over losing the match by 38 runs. He made 57 off 85 balls. Chawla took 4 for 31 and put forward his name as a strong contender for the second spinner’s spot in Indian team alongside Harbhajan, who took 3 for 15, if they decide to do so.

The loss in a warm-up match usually does not count for much but if it is between India and Australia, one cannot say that with surety. The mind games have started and the strategies have been fine-tuned for both the teams but much needed psychological edge has indisputably gone to India.