Ladies first is not just an adage here. It is a habit, rather a practice. Unless you are a woman, your turn could take longer than you expect.
If his imperious form in Australia is anything to go by, Tendulkar, who is almost certain to play today, should be a smash hit in the T20 format
MELBOURNE: Ladies first is not just an adage here. It is a habit, rather a practice. Unless you are a woman, your turn could take longer than you expect. The women here surely get business class treatment. The unwritten practice seems to have percolated to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
On Friday, MS Dhoni & Co will have to wait for their turn. Before the World Twenty20 champions take on the hosts, they will have to wait for the completion of a T20 clash between the English and the Australian women before a sell-out MCG.
Few, of course, can wait for the start of the men’s contest. The wait, though, may not be just for the bham-bham cricket that a T20 clash offers. There is more to it.
Having been the aggrieved part in the Harbhajan Singh judgement, Ricky Ponting & Co can well be expected to be ultra-aggressive in Friday’s match.
“There is no doubt that a few players in our dressing room are disappointed,” admitted Ponting on Thursday. One need not to be a psychologist to understand what shape the Aussie disappointment will take on the field. One of the disappointed players, of course, is Andrew Symonds. He might well give a different meaning to bham-bham. Watch out!
Justice John Hansen’s judgment, however, is just one extra reason for the home side to be charged up for the match. There are other motivating factors too. Australia are down 0-2 to India in head-to-head records in Twenty20 and that could be enough to inspire the hosts. One may only have seen the ugly side of Aussies on the field. Friday could well see the angry side of them.
Angry Aussies is not good news for any opposition, but India can expect Dhoni to rise to the occasion. With his cool-headed approach, the skipper provides a soothing effect on his boys whose aggressive brand of cricket won India the World Championship in South Africa. With most members of the all-conquering team included in the current squad, Indians can be expected to match the Aussies, angry or ugly — word for word, blow for blow.
Expectedly, Dhoni played down the emotional part of the game. “For us it’s a warm-up for the tri-series,” he said. And he would not believe in the advantage of enjoying a rare cent percent record against the Aussies.
“I’m not the one to sit on past laurels. Besides, luck plays a big role in Twenty20,” the Indian skipper added. The one worry for the Indian skipper will be the absence of his deputy.
The big-hitting and sharp fielding of Yuvraj Singh will be badly missed by the Indians as the vice-captain is nursing a knee injury. In his place, India are expected to include the senior-most member of the side — Sachin Tendulkar.
Some key players will be absent from the home side too. Skipper Ponting himself is a doubtful starter and the Australian selectors have left out Matthew Hayden for the one-off contest.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}