Cricket match between India and Australia is always a great fun for the cricket lovers. It whets the appetite of fans to watch more matches between these two teams. We’re about to find out. The big fight starts tomorrow in Mohali, India. The abbreviated nature of the trip notwithstanding, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is up for grabs. India are the holders after their 2-0 win at home this time two years ago, but much has changed since then. Australia entered that tour ranked No. 1 among Test teams and India were third. MS Dhoni’s men are now at the top of the list, while the Australians have slipped to fourth. If Australia lose the series, they’ll fall to fifth and begin the Ashes ranked lower than England.
There are several fascinating subplots in this series. Will Harbhajan Singh continue to mesmerise Ricky Ponting? How will Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, Test cricket’s highest scorers, fare in what could be their final series against each other? Can Rahul Dravid find a way to dominate Australia, a team that has had his measure since 2004? Will Nathan Hauritz hold his own against the world’s best players of spin? Is Marcus North on his last chance? And what controversy will arise?
India haven’t lost a Test series for two years and, despite drawing their last two, have so much talent in their batting line-up that it is hard to see how Australia can win. That is especially true of the first Test in Mohali, where India have lost only once, winning thrice and drawing five Tests. Can 20 wickets come from Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger and Hauritz? Australia can dream, but India are unquestionably the favourites.
