Inconsequential match against Australia gives Dhoni chance to assess his team's strenghs, weaknesses before knockouts
Only recently the interim IPL president and India great Sunil Gavaskar came down heavily on Team India for their work ethics asking them to practice regularly and not keep it optional.
If Gavaskar was here at the Dhaka academy on Saturday, he would have been happy to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys sweat it out.
Despite going late to bed due to a day-night game on Friday, Indian cricketers, who have already qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal, turned up early on Saturday to prepare for the inconsequential match against Australia on Sunday. The team was involved in net session followed by football under lights.
Shikhar Dhawan, who is having a tough time in the middle, was the first to pad up. He took some throw downs in the nets while trying to work on his weak defence.
A disappointing game against Bangladesh, saw seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar put in extra hard work in the nets. The Uttar-Pradesh bowler was seen bowling at the dummy batsman trying to find the length and delivering odd yorkers that hit the stumps.
For Team India, the match against Australia is the perfect platform and last opportunity to find out their strengths and weakness before the knockout stage. India has had three convincing and similar wins. The bowlers restricted the opposition to a small total while the batsman chased it with ease.
Not many batsmen got the opportunity to bat while the bowlers have not bowled in the second innings. Dhoni has not lost the toss so far in the tourney. And India gave not batted first so far.
A change in the situation will give them a good account on whether the same bowlers, who have been awesome bowling first, will be able to restrict their opponents bowlng second.
India will get to know about the strength of their bowlers in the death and whether the spinners are able to grip and spin the ball in the heavy dew later in the day.
It also gives Dhoni an opportunity to test the bench strength. However, Dhoni is unlikely to go with any changes as he likes to play only his best XI whether it is a crucial game or a dead rubber.
R Ashwin feels it is the right game before the knockout stage. "Just go out there and play as freely as possible; express ourselves. There's nothing to look at, no qualification as such. It's a good side, Australia. They've played a couple of good games versus Pakistan and West Indies. So it's a good place to test our waters," said Ashwin.
For Australia, this will be a chance to save themselves from further embarrassment. Virtually out of the tournament, the George Bailey side has lost their last two games — Pakistan and West Indies — and beating India will be a boost for the side that has been in the roaring form in Tests.
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