I'm thinking of starting a story about the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Here's a little intro:
When Doug Bracewell shattered the stumps of Nathan Lyon down at Bellereive Oval, it gave New Zealand their first test win against Australia in 20 odd years. It shattered the hearts of Aussie players and fans alike. Young guns, David Warner and James Pattinson proved their worth many a time throughout the series, however it all meant nothing at the end of the day. After the humiliation of losing to New Zealand, the Aussie team will be fired up and raring to go in the upcoming series against India.
India have not been particularly successful recently either. After being whitewashed 4-0 by England earlier this year, they lost their number one test ranking. A hard fought home series against the West Indies has put them in good stead for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Without their flamboyant off spinner, Harbhajan Singh, India will have to rely heavily on their pace bowlers. Taking 20 wickets in every test will be tough for the Indians, as Australian pitches generally provide more help to the seamers. Batting is definitely India's strength. Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman are all quality batsmen that have troubled the Aussies in the past.
For Australia, the batting is the issue. The ex-captain, Ricky Ponting is in terrible form. Mitchell Johnson has had a better batting average over than him over the last 2 years. The sight of pacer, Ishant Sharma will bring back the bad memories of 2008 for Punter. Young opener, Phillip Hughes has also been out of form. He has produced just 1 hundred since his debut series in 2009. A questionable technique and terrible inconsistency has got the Australian public calling for his head.
Australia's top order have recently made a habit of collapsing. In Sri Lanka, South Africa and at home the Australians have looked vulnerable at the crease. That is, with the exception of captain, Michael Clarke. Pup is going through a real purple patch. He has notched up 3 tons in his first 7 tests as captain.
Injuries have niggled away at the Aussies for a while now. Harris, Watson, Johnson, Cummins and Marsh are all injured and are in doubt for the series against India. These injuries are frustrating, however they have provided opportunities for younger players. James Pattinson was called up to replace Ryan Harris and has grasped his chance with both hands, taking back to back 5 wicket hauls against New Zealand. David Warner proved himself as a test batsman with a superb hundred in the 2nd test against the kiwis.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always brought about exciting test matches. This upcoming series is no exception. When the players take the field on boxing day in front of 90,000 screaming fans, we will know that we are in for one of the biggest test series' of the century, The 2011-12 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
. One of my lecturer is also following that
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