Melbourne: After a shattering loss in the Melbourne Test, it's time to re-group for the Indian team in Australia. Within a couple of days, they will be up against the world champions again in Sydney and the team management is burning the midnight oil to solve some prickly issues.While the headlines have focussed on the failure of the likes of former captain Rahul Dravid, sources tell CNN-IBN that within the team it's felt starts such as the ones Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly got in the first innings should have been converted into bigger scores.Sources also say that India's batsmen had an informal discussion among themselves after the defeat. The consensus was that they were perhaps timid as a batting unit and need to bat more freely from now on."There are two strategies in cricket: one is to be defensive while the other is to be offensive. In the first Test we were a bit defensive, but we will definitely come back stronger because we are also having some strategies which I cannot let you know now. But we will be back stronger," India's cricket manager Lalchand Rajput assures.The focal point of debate, though, remains Rahul Dravid. Over four hours in the middle in two innings got him a mere 21 runs. His troubles as makeshift opener seem to be weighing heavy on the team and possibly himself."Well, I wouldn't say any technical problem. It's just in the mind because a batsman goes through a lean patch, when he can't get runs, I think he has to overcome that. And I'm sure he will bounce back because he is a tremendous cricketer and everybody knows it," Rajput adds.So is it time now to unleash Virender Sehwag on the Aussies? That decision hasn't been made yet, but perhaps India will do well to listen to these words of wisdom from the opposition camp."I would have known a little while before this game that he (Dravid) was going to be doing that, playing that role. Obviously in the tour game in Melbourne he opened the batting, didn't he? So obviously we had a fair idea of what was going to happen. In that situation, I think most times, the opening role is such a specialist position that I think the Australian selectors would always go with a specialist opener," Australia captain Ricky Ponting explains.A source within the team described the mood as hugely disappointing, but also said that there is a quiet confidence among the boys that they can indeed bounce back in the series. They believe this is a four-Test match battle and Australia may have won the first round, but it's no certainty that the world champions can keep landing the punches. Sunday, December 30, 2007
India jostle for answers as second Test looms
Melbourne: After a shattering loss in the Melbourne Test, it's time to re-group for the Indian team in Australia. Within a couple of days, they will be up against the world champions again in Sydney and the team management is burning the midnight oil to solve some prickly issues.While the headlines have focussed on the failure of the likes of former captain Rahul Dravid, sources tell CNN-IBN that within the team it's felt starts such as the ones Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly got in the first innings should have been converted into bigger scores.Sources also say that India's batsmen had an informal discussion among themselves after the defeat. The consensus was that they were perhaps timid as a batting unit and need to bat more freely from now on."There are two strategies in cricket: one is to be defensive while the other is to be offensive. In the first Test we were a bit defensive, but we will definitely come back stronger because we are also having some strategies which I cannot let you know now. But we will be back stronger," India's cricket manager Lalchand Rajput assures.The focal point of debate, though, remains Rahul Dravid. Over four hours in the middle in two innings got him a mere 21 runs. His troubles as makeshift opener seem to be weighing heavy on the team and possibly himself."Well, I wouldn't say any technical problem. It's just in the mind because a batsman goes through a lean patch, when he can't get runs, I think he has to overcome that. And I'm sure he will bounce back because he is a tremendous cricketer and everybody knows it," Rajput adds.So is it time now to unleash Virender Sehwag on the Aussies? That decision hasn't been made yet, but perhaps India will do well to listen to these words of wisdom from the opposition camp."I would have known a little while before this game that he (Dravid) was going to be doing that, playing that role. Obviously in the tour game in Melbourne he opened the batting, didn't he? So obviously we had a fair idea of what was going to happen. In that situation, I think most times, the opening role is such a specialist position that I think the Australian selectors would always go with a specialist opener," Australia captain Ricky Ponting explains.A source within the team described the mood as hugely disappointing, but also said that there is a quiet confidence among the boys that they can indeed bounce back in the series. They believe this is a four-Test match battle and Australia may have won the first round, but it's no certainty that the world champions can keep landing the punches. 