Preview to Boxing day Test

The Boxing Day Test at the MCG is 6 days away and the excitement is slowly building up. The Aussies are hosting a batting boot camp in order to weed out the weaknesses that have been exposed in past 2 years in different countries and against different countries. The Indians are worried about their 2 premier fast bowlers -- would they last the entire tour to give the team its first series win in Australia. So far that worry is a genuine one and the news breaking out of the Indian camp isn't a good one. Ishant Sharma is mysteriously injured and there are no updates on his injury status. He didn't bowl in the first 2 day game more than 5.3 overs and then didn't take the field till day. Not sure if he would be part of the playing XI in Melbourne.

Zaheer Khan was ineffective on day 2 of the tour game in Canberra and he didn't take the field after bowling 10 overs for 41 runs and no wickets. Is he out injured too?

Now if anyone of Zaheer and Ishant Sharma break down before the test leg ends, then it would be clear that BCCI has not learnt anything from the England fiasco. The possible replacements for any of this 2 bowlers are worrisome. Ashok Dinda is being talked as Sharma's replacement as per Ganguly's brave claim he made in media few days back. Now anyone who has seen him bowl in ODIs he has played in 2010 would feel that Dinda is going to be a wrong choice. He leaks runs, doesnt have consistency and lacks wickets taking ability.

So that leaves India with the inexperienced trio of:

1. Umesh Yadav

2. A Mithun

3. Vinay Kumar

The Karnataka lads have been very ineffective in flat tracks back home and since the Aussie wickets would be flat too, not sure if this 2 lads can put some brakes on the runs and on the same hands take wickets too. Genuine contenders to ensure the woeful Australian batsmen get their form back and score runs. Irfan Pathan? Will he help? He might have if he had pace, but the sight of Patel standing upto the stumps in Chennai ODI was a disheartening sign. Though the good signs of the swing being back were visible.

The possible lineup for bowling should all bowlers be fit might look like:

1. Zaheer

2. Ishant

3. Umesh

4. Ashvin

Should Sharma be unfit then

1. Zaheer

2. Umesh

3. Mithun

4. Ashvin

India are going to miss Praveen Kumar heavily down under.

The batting lineup for India looks settled and Rohit Sharma will need to wait few more games to debut in Tests. Kohli with his superb 132 in the tour game and his run up to this series will seal his spot at 6 in the first 2 tests at least.  One man I hope to score runs is Gautam Gambhir. Its being close to 2 years he last scored a Test 100. Australia would be a good place to start getting the 100s again and ensure his evolution as Test batsman is complete (England the only blot shall remain at least for next 2 years).

Australia are having their own worries.  Shauns are injured and one of them wont play, the other one who is their lone consistent bowler over 2 years, wont bowl. David Warner has a dodgy back, Hughes refuses to learn and Ed Cowan has presented a strong case for himself to be selected with that 100 against tourists in Canberra.  Usman Khwaja is still looking for an innings to prove his international class. Hussey and Ponting are on a daily salary basis like a daily waged laborer. Every innings they fail is going to put more pressure on them. Moreso for Ponting, one single failure means that Test could be his last. Good news : he is up against India, he has been amongst runs against them at home and there is no Harbhajan Singh to rattle him even with his sight.

Michael Clarke remains the only batsman consistent and in form and the danger man for India.

Brad Haddin is secured just by the fact that his replacements are injured. Does he put some sense in his ways of getting out or he continues to throw his wicket in irresponsible way remains to be seen. The bowling attack is little worry than the batting.  Pattinson, Siddle, Lyon and Starc might not look threatening on paper but they are untested. Indians have never played this 4 men before, so the visitors could be little unsure of what to expect.

The MCG has not been a happy hunting ground for India. It has lost its last 4 Tests in 1991-92, 1999, 2003 and 2007. As stated before, this remains a best chance for India to win its first test at MCG and of course first series down under. And for some inspiration they just need to look back effort from their tormentors, a year back to the Boxing day of 2010 when Aussies were rolled over for 98.