'Dhoni led by example not by rhetoric'

NEW DELHI: Lavishing praise on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has shocked the cricket world by retiring from Tests, former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid said the stumper-batsman would go down as a captain who led "more by example than by rhetoric or by words".

"He was a captain I enjoyed playing under," Dravid told 'ESPNcricinfo'.

"One of the things I liked about MS was, what you saw was what you got. Very uncomplicated, always led by example. One of the things I really liked about playing under MS was that he never asked you to do anything that he himself didn't do," he explained.

Dhoni retired from Test cricket at the end of the third Test against Australia, which ended in a draw on Tuesday. The retirement was a bolt from the blue given that Dhoni had dropped no hint of such a big decision leading up to the match.

Dravid said Dhoni earned the respect of his teammates by setting an example with his own performance.

"The reality was he was having to transition a senior group of players and build a younger group who were coming through," Dravid said.

"In a sense he was not the most communicative of captains, but he tried to earn your respect by walking the talk. He never took a backward step, and led more by example than by rhetoric or by words. More by actions," he added.

Dravid said Dhoni deserves credit for inspiring a whole generation of small-town cricketers.

"For someone to come from a small town like Ranchi, to go on and captain India and play 90 Test matches, to do it the way he has, I think he brought a lot of dignity to the job of captaincy," Dravid said.

"He (Dhoni) might not be everyone's cup of tea, but he was his own cup of tea and he led with a lot of success and that can never be taken away from him," Dravid further stated.

"And he's been an inspiration. If there are kids in small towns today dreaming and aspiring for great things, not only in cricket but in various fields, then MS Dhoni has a lot to do with it," he added.

Dravid said Dhoni's retirement was a shock to him as well. The former batsman said had the series, which India have already lost by conceding a 2-0 lead to Australia, still been alive Dhoni could have waited to take a call on his career.

"I guess it was unexpected that he would do it in the middle of the series. I expected him to review it at the end of the series, without India playing Test cricket for the next seven or eight months," Dravid said.

"Knowing MS, if the series was alive, I don't think he would have taken the decision in the middle of the series, but having seen that the series was already gone, maybe he felt that if he was going to go, then maybe this was the time to do it, and to give Virat Kohli a Test match in Australia to captain, Wriddhiman Saha another opportunity in a Test match, and to start the process of taking India's Test team forward."

Dravid lauded Dhoni's leadership style and called him an attacking captain.

"He was never defensive when captaining in India. When he had spinners, he was always attacking, on turning tracks, he was willing to force the game. It's just overseas, and over the last three or four years, that I just think he maybe felt he didn't have the bowling resources to be able to take 20 wickets, and he found himself, at many stages, always behind the four-ball," Dravid said.

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Kohli set to bring new energy to team

MELBOURNE: There is no doubt that Virat Kohli's arrival as a legitimate contender for the Test captaincy hastened MS Dhoni's exit. TOI had reported on December 23 how split captaincy could be the way forward for India, enabling a revival of the team's Test fortunes while allowing Dhoni to prolong his One-day International and T20 career.

Between the Sydney Test in early January till the end of the World Cup, the Indian board will get a clearer view of how the team responds to this dual leadership role across formats.

Of one thing, though, there is no doubt: Kohli's time has come. From the limited evidence on view, Kohli's leadership skills have been a marked departure from Dhoni's. He leads like he bats, with his heart on his sleeve, the choicest sledges on his lips and a fierce, almost overpowering desire to stamp his presence.

In the days leading up to the Adelaide Test, Kohli seemed aware that Dhoni's captaincy had gone stale, and repeatedly stressed the need for an injection of positive energy. "We will go for a win even if we lose trying because we have been losing so often," was the constant refrain.

With Dhoni out due to a thumb injury, Kohli's captaincy in Adelaide was largely lauded, even though India underwent some long moments on the field during which the Delhi batsman seemed to be feeling his way. The decision to play Karn Sharma instead of Ashwin backfired, but Kohli had the gumption to admit that he was dead wrong, that someone had told him drop-in pitches don't change course over five days. In interactions, he has been candid, intelligent and witty, displaying a keen game sense.

The questions, of course, linger: Can Kohli, prone to hot-headedness, keep his emotions in check during crucial moments? Can he back teammates even if they are wrong? Can he take responsibility for his actions? His comments on not respecting opponents like Mitchell Johnson seemed in bad taste, and on Tuesday he screamed at Ajinkya Rahane while batting after Australia had botched a run-out attempt, even though the fault had been his own.

These are, of course, little niggles on the long road to maturity for the cocky Kohli, who has been earmarked for the leadership role precisely because captaincy lifts his game. In this series, Kohli the batsman has seemed head and shoulders above his teammates, and the twin centuries on captaincy debut were proof of a rare ability to shine in the spotlight. Kohli craves a contest and finds the heat of battle uplifting. If he can continue to lead by example, he will have done what Dhoni could not.

It is expected the crass comments and brash behavior will be tempered by age and time. And, as Adelaide showed, he must know when to change tack to save a game. As Brad Haddin told Kohli while sledging him on the field, "It's all about you."

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A departure delivered with arrogance

Best-ever captain, the country's most successful Test skipper, best everything. The numbers will be kind to MS Dhoni. Cricketing statistics have a way of doing that, like black doing well to flatter the form by hiding the flab. But how will history view the man?

READ ALSO: 'Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to team'

Instant cricket has deluded us into believing what we see is the just and now; but it is in the longer form that time matters and asks questions of you.
The stellar figures will not reveal why you should go into a series, only to quit it midway?

READ ALSO: Dhoni's decision to quit midway surprised BCCI

What immense service would you be doing your struggling team and to the sport back home, when you join the team one Test late, lose the second inside four days after posting a 400 plus score in the first innings and then announce your retirement via that wonderfully fool proof instrument of the official press release. Not a word given, not one taken.

Dhoni's action is not one born out of those latter-day post-liberalisation norms that scoff at all tradition. It was delivered with supreme arrogance for everybody involved -the fans, his teammates, even if we least deserve it, the media and the sport itself.

READ ALSO: MS Dhoni takes the highway, Mahi way

It is the same arrogance that has been symptomatic of the Dhoni-Srinivasan era and its hold over the game. To say Dhoni's ways have been his own and this was no different, is belittling the efforts of the other men in his team. If you want to do things your way and don't expect your actions to affect your mates, don't play a team sport, play tennis instead.

A leader only quits midway when he cannot quell the "unrest" in the dressing room or his own form, is so woeful that there is no alternative but to give yourself the boot. Ask Kim Hughes. Having lost the dressing room, the Aussie skipper famously left a press conference in tears as he quit citing his inability to stem his team's slide in 1985. He betrayed the tough as nails Aussie persona and somewhere, he still just doesn't belong.

Dhoni had no such problem, cricketing that is. If anything, his casual brushing aside of the alleged Virat Kohli-Shikhar Dhawan spat only reinforced the idea how he was firmly in command. It was the typical Dhoni play of words that has usually had the touring media party eating out of his hands.

Yet, on Tuesday, if reports from Melbourne are to be believed, a chatty Dhoni reviewed the Boxing Day Test at length but chose to omit the crucial bit about his quitting the format in all capacities. At some level, it was the supreme convenient truth - don't tell if you are not asked. But in doing so, Dhoni approached it with the manner reminiscent of his batting -not just awkward but lacking in grace.

It beggars belief that it was in the time-lag of a quarter hour between the press conference and the arrival of the BCCI press note that Dhoni decided to call it quits. There was a clear window of nearly two months between the Australian tour and the truncated West Indies ODI series that Dhoni had to mull over his future in Tests for India.

Even if the BCCI was hell-bent upon pushing the reluctant cricketer to continue helming the team Down Under, he could have walked away earlier and no one would have questioned given his stature.

Dhoni will be credited as the man under whom India reached No. 1 in Tests, but with the free-fall that followed, he will also be identified as someone who not only failed to halt it, but casually walked away midway. One Test still to go would probably be the greatest number finally attached to his name.

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Dhoni keeps mum amid speculations

SYDNEY: The Indian cricket team flew in here and largely spent the day indoors even as there was intense speculation over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit the Test format with immediate effect, which surprised the cricket fraternity.

In Pics: Dhoni's roller-coaster ride as Test captain

A day after the BCCI announced Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket, citing strains of playing in all three formats, the Indian team management chose to remain tight-lipped on the development.

Dhoni, who himself did not speak about his retirement in the post-match press conference and the preceding presentation ceremony, travelled with the team but did not interact with the media.

The 33-year old Dhoni's retirement came as a bolt from the blue as the Indian captain had not given any hint about his impending decision although pressure was mounting on him to give up Test captaincy in view of his poor overseas track record.

READ ALSO: 'Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to team'

The timing of Dhoni's retirement and the manner in which it was announced has triggered widespread speculation over what could have prompted him to take the decision.

There is speculation that all is not well in the Indian dressing room, which led the captain to quit Test cricket.

Fans of Dhoni exhort him to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

His decision invited criticism from former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who said, "the decision to give up captaincy was right though the decision not to play Test cricket is an incorrect one."

"I would be brutally honest that I am surprised by the decision in the middle of the series. Three Tests are over and it was a question of one more. He could have finished it off," Ganguly added.

"None of us know whether this decision in the middle of the series could have happened because of an injury, which would have ruled him out of the next Test. He did come into the series with a finger injury and none of us has an idea whether that had become worse," Ganguly said.

Many former cricketers had expressed surprise at Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket altogether.

"I was expecting him to step down from captaincy after the Sydney match but did not think he will retire as a player. I still think that he had two or three more years of cricket left in him," former captain Sunil Gavaskar had said.

A spate of overseas Test losses forced the 33-year-old captain to call it a day from the longer format after India's draw at the MCG, which did not save the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from staying with Australia. Gavaskar said the pressure of captaincy can sometimes get too much.

"In a captain's life sometimes the burden gets too heavy. This Test match (Melbourne game) was like that. There are times when you try everything and nothing works. And probably that time had come for Dhoni," Gavaskar said.

Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.

Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.

The criticism notwithstanding, Dhoni has become the Indian captain to score most runs in Tests, making 3454 runs, going past Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azharuddin (2856) and Ganguly (2561).

In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws to show. In the 90 Tests that he was part of, Dhoni scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six hundreds and 33 50s to his credit.

Dhoni did not play the first Test in the current series against Australia because of a thumb injury. In his absence, Kohli led the team and won accolades for his attacking approach.

Dhoni's rise was nothing short of meteoric and he took over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble in 2008 in 2013, he became the most successful Indian Test captain when he eclipsed Ganguly's record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.

His record in away Tests may be dismal, but Dhoni proved to be quite successful on home turf, leading the side to 21 wins in 30 Tests.

Meanwhile, the Australian media celebrated the fact that their country has become "a graveyard for the careers of visiting captains with Dhoni the latest skipper to end his leadership tenure after a mauling down under".

"The Aussies have long prided themselves on their ability to nullify the opposition captain, believing it is key to gaining a psychological advantage during a Test series," 'Herald Sun' wrote.

The newspaper cited example of England's Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, India's Anil Kumble and South Africa's Graeme Smith, who all ended their Test leadership after loss in Australia.

Meanwhile, Sydney Morning Herald speculated that Dhoni may not be in Sydney to see the baton formally passed to Virat Kohli with India contemplating sending the former captain home before the fourth Test.

"Dhoni travelled to Sydney with the Indian team a day after shocking the world with his Test retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to decide if he will remain with the squad," the newspaper wrote.

No longer part of India's Test set-up, Dhoni now has the opportunity to spend close to a fortnight at home to refresh before the tri-series and the World Cup.

After Tests, the tri-series, which also involves England will begin on January 18.

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Kohli-Johnson verbal volleys spice things up

MELBOURNE: Indian vice-captain Virat Kohli's temperament was once again tested after the batsman was hit by a Mitchell Johnson return throw followed by the two players getting into a verbal duel on the third day of the ongoing third Test on Sunday.

The drama began in the 83rd over of the Indian innings when Kohli was 16 short of his hundred. Kohli pushed a delivery back to Johnson, who immediately threw it back at the stumps, taking down the batsman inadvertently.

The pacer immediately apologised and checked on Kohli but the No. 4 batsman was not amused and fired back with a barrage of verbal volleys.

The incident, which happened in between overs, though did seem to have an adverse effect on Kohli who looked shaken and Johnson tried to cash in a couple of overs later.

The left-arm pacer did induce an outside edge off the Indian's bat only to see Shane Watson drop one at first slip. Kohli was on 88.

The stylish batsman went on to register his third century in the series so far, but for a moment it seemed that Australia had once again won the sledging war against the visitors.

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Dhoni, bowlers face flak for tactics

MELBOURNE: India's obstinacy played into Australia's hands on Saturday. MS Dhoni, who once worked for Indian Railways, turned on the railroad switch and treated his seamers like goods trains forced to change track on a whim. The result was awry lengths and a muddled performance which enabled Smith and the Aussie tail to take the game away early on Day Two.

Dhoni has been accused of letting the game drift and in both Brisbane and here, he has been eager to target the tail with short balls. The ploy failed at the Gabba and it failed here again, forcing Dhoni to switch to more recognizable, more sedate defensive fields after lunch. Dhoni made the trio of Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami bowl short to Haddin and bowl length to Smith at the other end, an impossible order to carry out for most pacers as it disrupts their rhythm.

Haddin had been out to such a delivery at the Gabba but decided to take the bowling on this time. In a short while, Dhoni's bowlers were looking incapable of bowling to their fields. Shami, the slowest of the lot, came off the worst affected and strayed too often down leg. India's best bowler on the first day, Ravichandran Ashwin, was inexplicably introduced only 25 minutes before lunch.

Former Australia captain turned commentator Ian Chappell went so far as to label Dhoni's captaincy the "worst he has seen in Test cricket", adding: "It's ridiculous. He's not giving his bowlers a chance. It's difficult for a bowler to thump it in against one batsman and bowl good line and length to the other. He (Dhoni) has lapses as a captain. You have a use-by date as a captain and Dhoni passed his a long-time ago."

India had bowled to a plan on the first day and the change in tactic was unfathomable, especially after Mitchell Johnson had taken the game away at the Gabba after confronting the same short-ball tactic.

India have allowed the opposition to score 400-plus from being five down for less than 250 four times in 2014 and seven times since 2010. It has happened twice against New Zealand, thrice against England and twice here. The seventh to 10th wickets have scored at an average of 4.06, the maximum against any team.

Ashwin, though, defended the pre-lunch tactic to bowl short.

Asked why India persisted with the short ball to Haddin when he seemed comfortable, Ash win shot back, "Did he seem comfort able? If you say so.

We really thought we had a genuine weakness over there. We will continue to target him."

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3rd Test: Rahane, Kohli defy Australia

MELBOURNE: India batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli struck inspired centuries during a record fourth-wicket partnership at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday to help India claw their way back into the third Test against Australia on Day three.

The pair united with India vulnerable at 147-3 in the morning and were finally separated at 409-4 after tea, having creamed 262 runs off Australia's hapless bowlers before spinner Nathan Lyon had Rahane trapped lbw for 147.

Kohli, enjoying an outstanding series with three centuries, pushed on to 169 before he was dismissed courtesy of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's second brilliant catch of the day.

His wicket brought stumps, with Mohammed Shami nine not out and India having reached 462-8, trailing Australia's mammoth first innings total of 530 by 68 runs with two wickets in hand.

Kohli lost three batting partners in quick succession, with debutant Lokesh Rahul holing out for three, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lasting 11 runs and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed for a duck.

Though Australia fought back admirably late in the session, they had no answers to the brilliance of Kohli and Rahane for over four hours, the pair lashing 39 boundaries between them on a warm, sunny day.

Australia's main strike bowler Mitchell Johnson came in for some special punishment, leaching 27 runs in two overs after tea as his short-pitched assault was dismissed with arrogance.

Kohli pulled Johnson to the fence three times in one of the overs to have the large Indian contingent in the crowd of 42,000 roaring their approval.

The ICC Cricketer of the Year ultimately had Kohli caught behind but he ended the day with the ugly figures of 1-133.

Australia had earlier taken two wickets in the first hour, but would rue two dropped catches in the middle session that could have ended Kohli and Rahane's stand much earlier.

Lyon contrived to spill the simplest of catches off his own bowling to reprieve Rahane on 70, while Watson grounded a sharp chance at first slip to grant Kohli a life before tea.

It took umpire Kumar Dharmasena's intervention to split the pair, the Sri Lankan raising his finger for lbw when Rahane missed a sweep-shot, though replays suggested the middle order batsman may have been hard done by.

Rahul lasted a flighty eight balls, dropped on the seventh by substitute fielder Peter Siddle at midwicket after an unsightly slog, only to be caught on the next Lyon delivery at backward square leg by Josh Hazlewood courtesy of another appalling stroke.

Dhoni survived for a streaky 11 before feathering an edge off Ryan Harris through to Haddin, and the bulky paceman caught Ashwin off his own bowling soon after.

Haddin earlier notched his 250th dismissal with a brilliant, diving catch to remove Pujara for 25 on the second ball of the day, having dropped him on 12 late on day two.

Australia lead the four-match series 2-0 after wins in Adelaide and Brisbane and can seal it in Melbourne with a draw.

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No reason to respect Johnson: Kohli

MELBOURNE: After scoring his third Test hundred of the tour, Virat Kohli on Sunday said he was left with no good reason to respect pacer Mitchell Johnson and some of the other Australia players after verbals flew "throughout the day" at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The squabbling reached its peak when Johnson fielded in his follow-through and threw back at the striker's stumps. There was a genuine case for Johnson trying to run Kohli out and the throw was headed for the stumps when it hit Kohli, who was trying to get back into his crease, reports espncricinfo.com.

"I was really annoyed with him hitting me with the ball, and I told him that's not on. 'Try and hit the stumps next time, not my body'," Kohli said.

"You have got to send the right message across. I am not there to take to some unnecessary words or chats from someone. I am going there to play cricket, back myself. There's no good reason that I should respect unnecessarily some people when they are not respecting me."

Kohli said this attitude from Australia helped him play better, which he said might be one of the reasons why five of his nine hundreds have come against them.

"It was going on throughout the day, They were calling me a spoilt brat, and I said, 'Maybe that's the way I am. You guys hate me, and I like that.' I don't mind having a chat on the field, and it worked in my favour I guess," the Indian vice-captain said.

"I like playing against Australia because it is very hard for them to stay calm, and I don't mind an argument on the field, and it really excites me and brings the best out of me. So, they don't seem to be learning the lesson."

According to Kohli, Australia have been saying things about India's habit of crumbling under pressure only because they are up in the series.

"They have the right to talk, I guess. They are two-nil up right now. Would have been interesting if it had been 1-1. When you are on top you can say anything you want. It's when the chips are down that you have got to stand up. Say what you have to say and then go out there and prove it," Kohli said.

"When we played in India, there weren't so many words coming back from them. We are two-nil down, we still took them on today and showed what we can do with the bat, which is the character of this Indian team."

Kohli said he still had respect for some of the Australian players but Johnson wasn't one of them.

"I respect quite a few of them, but someone who doesn't respect me I have no reason to respect him. I am out here to play cricket, not to hear anyone's respect," Kohli said.

"I have got a nice friendship with a few of them. But someone who is not backing off, someone who is saying anything that comes to mouth, I have no reason to respect him."

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Good, bad, and ugly: Indian cricket had it all

NEW DELHI: From Rohit Sharma's record breaking double ton in ODIs, the team's never-ending overseas woes, to the controversy surrounding BCCI president-in-exile N Srinivasan over IPL 6 spot-fixing scandal, Indian cricket had the good, bad and ugly in equal measure in 2014.

Rohit's epic innings of 264 against Sri Lanka on the hallowed Eden Gardens turf was a stuff of legends.

The innings spoke about how one day cricket has evolved over time. There was a point in time, even 10 years back, when 264 was considered a good enough score in ODIs.

No one could ever imagine that someone would break the 200-run individual barrier in ODIs till Sachin Tendulkar became first among equals. Then Virender Sehwag bettered it and Rohit also scaled the 'Mount 200' peak. But 264 not out was something that few could have ever imagined, though the batsman's Test form still remains a cause for concern.

The year was also the first time since 1989, when an Indian cricket team's list didn't have Sachin Tendulkar's name in it.

Life without Tendulkar actually started in 2014 and it's been more lows than highs, if the parameter is performance in the Test matches played on foreign soil.

It was also the year that probably saw the end of another glorious bunch of Indian cricketers, who had played with distinction over the last decade.

Sehwag, arguably the biggest impact player after Tendulkar, probably might not play for India again after being overlooked from the 30-men probables for the 2015 World Cup.

Similarly, it looks like the selectors have 'shut the door' for good on Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir.

Off the field, it was a series of court cases that saw Srinivasan remaining in exile on directives of Supreme Court. Yet he managed to wield enough powers to become the first chairman of ICC and India will now enjoy bigger pie of the ICC revenue.

The Tamil Nadu strongman is embroiled in a legal tussle with unsanctioned Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma, who is believed to be funded by Srinivasan's bete noire Lalit Modi.

As the New Year dawns, one would watch with intrigue as to who gets to control Indian cricket.
Outside India, world cricket was left shocked and heartbroken following the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.

While Rohit's innings will always be remembered, the tragedy that snatched away Hughes, aged 25 at the time of his death, will never be forgotten.

An innings of 63 not out normally doesn't ring a bell but Hughes, who was gearing up to wear his favourite 'Baggy Green' for the 27th time in a Test match, found his life cut short three days ahead of what would have been his 26th birthday. He mistimed a pull shot off Sean Abbott, and that was the beginning of the end.

The number '63' became immortal and Hughes became '63 not-out Forever'.

It was tragedy that brought the cricket community together. From Karachi to Christchurch, Kolkata to Melbourne, London to Cape Town, everyone came together in the hour of grief.

While an emotional Australian captain Michael Clarke broke down on a number of occasions while fondly remembering his 'Little Brother', one also saw an otherwise bullish David Warner wipe a tear as he completed his century against India in the first Test.

Back to the field, even the exclusion of the likes of Sehwag and Yuvraj didn't change Mahendra Singh Dhoni's poor away record as Test captain with India losing series in South Africa, New Zealand and England. India also lost the World T20 finals to Sri Lanka as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara brought the curtains down on their T20 international career.

The tragic part of India's series defeat in England, was that it happened after recording a memorable win at the 'Home of Cricket'. It was after 1986, that an Indian team won a Test match at Lord's as Ishant Sharma bounced the Englishmen out.

Strangely, the momentum was lost in the next Test at Southampton as Ishant was out injured. England duly levelled the series and there was more embarrassment waiting for Dhoni and Co as they lost the next two Test matches at the Old Trafford and the Oval in under three days due to poor technique in adverse conditions.

While Jimmy Anderson no doubt made life difficult for Virat Kohli and company, it was intriguing to find Moeen Ali, with his part-time off-breaks walk away with 19 wickets.

India's problem against off-spinners was not one-off and that was proved when Nathan Lyon scalped 12 wickets in India's 48-run defeat in the first Test of the ongoing series against Australia Down Under.

Murali Vijay has come up as one of the most improved batsmen in the past year. Ajinkya Rahane looked one solid player in the middle-order. Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit's form have been patchy but they do have the talent to overcome difficulties, be it in technique or temperament.

The bowling is a cause for concern as Ishant, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav have not been consistent enough. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are yet to prove their mettle on wickets that don't offer assistance.

Young left-arm spinner Axar Patel has shown good temperament but his real test will be during the upcoming tri-series in Australia.

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Will Suresh Raina walk in for Rohit Sharma?

MELBOURNE: Out here in Australia, they just call him "264".

No prefixes, no 'number' or 'mister'. The chants follow him wherever he goes, and it was no different at the MCG nets as Rohit Sharma made an entrance on Wednesday. "264, 264, look this side," screamed some Indian fans, phones at the ready. The cricketer obliged, raising an arm.

Rohit knows he is in the Test side precisely because of that format-transcending number. He scored those runs in a One-day International off just 171 balls last month against Sri Lanka, immediately raising expectations of a rousing performance in the Tests Down Under. '264' ensured that his place in the XI was guaranteed, at least for the first two Tests. '264' also ensured that Suresh Raina's Test comeback would have to be put on ice, at least for a while longer.

It's significant how both of India's claimants for the crucial No. 6 spot - a sort of bulwark between the tail and the middle-order, a crucial last stop before the established batsmen run out - have struggled to translate One-day promise into Test performance.

When Rohit Sharma bats well, it's seems inconceivable he will ever fail. But at the Gabba, Ian Chappell commented on Fairfax Radio that the batsman appeared to be "sleepwalking".

There can be few more damning indictments of a player's lack of effort but Chappell was merely expressing what many have wondered for long: How can a player of Rohit's abilities fail so often in pressure situations? How can he be all gorgeous strokeplay and lazy elegance one day, and merely lazy the other?

More than his scores of 43, 6, 32 and 0 in this series, it has been the manner and timing of Rohit's dismissals which have rankled. Both dismissals in Adelaide sparked batting collapses, and while it was a similar story in the first innings at the Gabba, in the second, with India already reeling, he simply failed to stem the tide. Rohit may not get another chance since the Indian team management is giving a serious consideration to Raina's credentials. At the nets too, Raina got two long batting sessions as MS Dhoni and Ravi Shastri looked on.

Sharma batted much later with 'passenger' Wriddhiman Saha, when the established bowlers had already tested their rhythm and departed. If nets are any consideration, Raina's name looks to have been pencilled in for the Boxing Day Test already.

If Raina does get the nod, he should consider himself lucky. He played his last Test in August 2012, and if not for new director of cricket Ravi Shastri's eagerness to give him another go in whites, Raina may not have been on the flight to Australia at all.

Raina's superior performance in the One-Dayers in England, where he scored a century in Cardiff and appeared to revitalise the side, has offered hope of a similar resurgence in Tests in spite of his problems against the short ball.

There was a point when both players were batting in adjacent nets, Raina having come back for yet another stint. "264" was the clear crowd favourite. In India, the crowds are far more cynical. They call Sharma "Talent". The term itself is an indication of promise yet to be fulfilled.

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Rohit was bit frustrated, says Johnson

MELBOURNE: Aussie quick Mitchell Johnson, whose second innings 88 and four-wicket burst broke India's back at the Gabba, admitted that India's ploy to bowl bouncers and verbals got him going. "I said a few words early and then just let it go after that and then just started smiling at Rohit Sharma. He seemed to come in a fair bit and had a fair bit to say. I don't think he had the greatest game and I think he was just a bit frustrated," Johnson said.

Instead of putting him off his rhythm, the Indians seemed to lose the plot a bit, felt Johnson. "To go out there and cop it from a few of their boys, it just played into our hands. I was able to play my game and not worry about anything. I actually didn't know I had scored 50. I always like a bit of verbal on the field... it gets me going.

Asked if he thinks India should sledge him again, Johnson said, "I hope so. It seemed to work for me the last time."

'Sad Ishant has dropped his pace'

Probably the world's most effective pace bowler right now along with South Africa's Dale Steyn, Johnson felt India's quick bowlers are too often guilty of sacrificing pace on the altar of accuracy. Unless India's pacers bowl fast, they will never have the kind of impact they crave in the world arena, Johnson suggested.

Johnson has recently been impressed and surprised by the pace worked up by Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav in the ongoing Test series in Australia. "It is actually a nice surprise to see quick bowlers coming out of there (India)," he told TOI, "I guess it (slow pace) is normal, coming from the conditions they play in day in and day out, on low flat wickets. Ishant was fast when he came in, wasn't he...bowling in the 150s. It's a bit of a shame that he has lost a bit of pace, though."

Although Ishant Sharma is the most experienced Indian bowler on view in this series - having played 60 Tests - and has bowled well in patches, he has lacked wicket-taking impact.

In fact, Ishant has blown hot and cold throughout his career when it comes to taking wickets, and in Tests his strike rate is 65.6. Just to compare with the best, Mitchell Johnson's strike rate is 50.8, and Steyn's is 41.4.

"Hopefully these young guys can continue to bowl fast," Johnson said of Umesh and Aaron, adding: "It is good to see. It is good for cricket if India can produce fast bowlers. They make the game exciting, the crowds love it. I think India enjoyed bowling on a fast wicket like the Gabba. It's good for the game to have real quick bowlers all the time."

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Mastering the breeze can be tricky at MCG

MELBOURNE: Any unwary visiting team member is warned of two things before stepping into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG: the bounce in the pitch and the crowd in the stands. While both can be intimidating, curator David Sandursky believes the biggest challenge for teams here is to understand and master the flow of the breeze. Like the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the MCG has a "bullring", boxed-in feel to it. While that does not hamper swing, knowing the direction of the breeze can be a tricky affair.

"The breeze ends up being pretty opposite to what it actually is," Sandursky told TOI on Wednesday. "The wind comes from outside the stadium and hits the scoreboard on the right and rebounds. It can be pretty weird. It bounces off the stands and comes back too."

There's a simple trick to knowing the direction of the breeze, though. "Watch the flags on the top of the stands," says Sandursky. "Whichever way they're moving, your breeze in the middle is in the opposite direction."

While that's food for thought for visiting captains, India will also be wary of the bounce, though their batsmen mastered the conditions at the Gabba quite well on the first day. "The bounce is not as steep as the Gabba, but I would say we're second," said Sandursky, "The bounce is not spongy like it used to be. I like to have a pitch where if you win the toss or lose the toss, you don't believe the game's over. This is a new pitch, one which I've been working on for three years, and a virgin strip."

Interestingly, Nathan Lyon took five wickets here last year in the second innings of the Boxing Day Ashes Test, bagging 550 and getting rid of Pietersen, Bell and Stokes. Do India need to be wary of the off-spinner a second time?

"No," said Sandursky. "Lyon took five wickets so it can turn but the pitch is not necessarily known as a big turner." Back on India's 2007-08 tour, Sachin Tendulkar had said the MCG pitch "is slower and has less bounce" than other Aussie tracks.

Two of Indian cricket's all-time highs have come at the MCG: They won by 222 runs as Chandrashekhar ran riot with 12 wickets in the match in 1977 and Gavaskar scored a second-innings century, while Kapil Dev and Viswanath starred in the 59run win in 1981.

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Is culture of silence hurting team's image?

MELBOURNE: It was strange watching security officials shooing away crowds from India's nets sessions on Family Day, when the Melbourne Cricket Ground threw its gates open to the public. It may have been par for the course back home in India, but the Aussie crowds were taken by surprise.

An elderly lady who had come to watch India skipper MS Dhoni was shoved away too. She had arrived with autograph book in hand, a teenaged cricket fan in spirit, and left disgusted, chastened by the experience.

Amid all the pushing and shoving and shouting, the Indian cricketers went about their task with monk-like concentration, oblivious to the melee or choosing not to notice. MS Dhoni was bowling spin on this day, but wasn't as talkative as he usually is while bowling. Did he remember that he played his first match for India on this same day a decade back in Chittagong?

Dhoni is not a numbers man, so maybe that slipped his mind. Was he aware that in these 10 years, he had cocooned himself off from the public eye so successfully that no one really knew who he was?

Does he ever realize, in spite of all the highs as a player that one of his biggest influences as captain, has been to seal the Indian cricket team off behind a wall of silence?

Did he know, as controversy after controversy hit the Indian dressing room and everything from spot-fixing to dressing room 'unrest' seemed de riguer in the public domain that somehow, somewhere, the silence had only fuelled speculation, not quelled it?

One can only guess. Dhoni's relationship with the media hasn't been the greatest, and at times he has been silent when a word or two would have sufficed. The BCCI, and by extension the team, perceives the media as an antagonist, but it is often merely a bridge between the players and the public.

For someone who will go down in history as one of India's most influential cricketers and captains, the now-infamous pre Champions Trophy (2013) press conference, for example, won't be a high point.

At that time, he was grilled about the IPL controversies and had simply smiled back in extremely unsettling fashion. A simple "I can't speak about that" would have sufficed. The Anderson-Jadeja spat in England, which had a disastrous ripple effect, wasn't memorable either.

Here in Australia, his "unrest" remark following the batting collapse at the Gabba sounded like a clue from a treasure-hunt game, a carrot for those fishing for controversy. In fact, the incident should never have left the dressing room at all.

If Dhoni chose to speak about it, why leave it halfway?

Incidentally, captain has been labelled a 'whinger' by the Aussie press, for criticizing practice pitches and blaming `unrest' for on-field mishaps.

Already there are fears that India are again in danger of imploding on the field because of issues outside it -mostly issues of their own creation. The team, which has performed better on this tour so far than it has in recent times away from home, needs to keep it together now more than ever. This is where a captain's role becomes crucial.

Dhoni needs only to look at the Australian team, which handles media and public commitments so professionally it makes for more accessible players and leaves little room for conjecture.

Lately, the Indian team has behaved like it is scared of the public glare. The captain might argue that he and his boys have been gagged by the Indian cricket board. But Dhoni's stature ensures that history will not judge him by what the BCCI told him to do.

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At MCG, a bouncer rattles Shane Watson

MELBOURNE: Dramatic scenes unfolded at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday when Shane Watson was hit on the head by a James Pattinson bouncer.

Watson looked distressed and immediately sank to his knees before both players left the training session. The incident comes just as the Aussies seemed to be gradually shaking off the Phillip Hughes incident.

Watson, who was present at the Sydney Cricket Ground when Hughes was fatally struck by a bouncer, seemed more shaken than injured by the incident. "I had a chat with him. He's okay, just a bit shaken, as anyone would be. I can't really go into anymore because there are no more details to give you," said the team's wicketkeeper, Brad Haddin.

The Australian players immediately rushed to Watson's side after he seemed overcome more by emotion than pain. Team doctor Peter Brukner was seen attending to the player before leading him away into the dressing room.

Mitchell Starc also suffered a minor injury at nets and hobbled out after being struck on the knee. With rain and strong winds lashing Melbourne intermittently through the day, the practice nets seemed treacherous even when the Indians batted, and Ishant Sharma got hit on the pads by one that skidded through while batting.

The Phillip Hughes incident has left a nasty psychological scar on all Aussie players. Opener Chris Rogers, speaking an hour before the Watson incident, said he felt angry when he was hit on the back of the helmet in Brisbane by a Rohit Sharma shot while fielding at short leg.

"I'm not the bravest out there," Rogers says. "You get hit in the head and it's just two inches from where Phil got hit and lot of things go through your mind...I'm 37 and I'm standing at short leg and I think, what the hell am I doing here? I was a bit upset at that time and didn't want to speak to anyone."

Watson had earlier nearly broken down during a media interaction preceding the Adelaide Test.

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Rohit was bit frustrated, says Johnson

MELBOURNE: Aussie quick Mitchell Johnson, whose second innings 88 and four-wicket burst broke India's back at the Gabba, admitted that India's ploy to bowl bouncers and verbals got him going. "I said a few words early and then just let it go after that and then just started smiling at Rohit Sharma. He seemed to come in a fair bit and had a fair bit to say. I don't think he had the greatest game and I think he was just a bit frustrated," Johnson said.

Instead of putting him off his rhythm, the Indians seemed to lose the plot a bit, felt Johnson. "To go out there and cop it from a few of their boys, it just played into our hands. I was able to play my game and not worry about anything. I actually didn't know I had scored 50. I always like a bit of verbal on the field... it gets me going.

Asked if he thinks India should sledge him again, Johnson said, "I hope so. It seemed to work for me the last time."

'Sad Ishant has dropped his pace'

Probably the world's most effective pace bowler right now along with South Africa's Dale Steyn, Johnson felt India's quick bowlers are too often guilty of sacrificing pace on the altar of accuracy. Unless India's pacers bowl fast, they will never have the kind of impact they crave in the world arena, Johnson suggested.

Johnson has recently been impressed and surprised by the pace worked up by Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav in the ongoing Test series in Australia. "It is actually a nice surprise to see quick bowlers coming out of there (India)," he told TOI, "I guess it (slow pace) is normal, coming from the conditions they play in day in and day out, on low flat wickets. Ishant was fast when he came in, wasn't he...bowling in the 150s. It's a bit of a shame that he has lost a bit of pace, though."

Although Ishant Sharma is the most experienced Indian bowler on view in this series - having played 60 Tests - and has bowled well in patches, he has lacked wicket-taking impact.

In fact, Ishant has blown hot and cold throughout his career when it comes to taking wickets, and in Tests his strike rate is 65.6. Just to compare with the best, Mitchell Johnson's strike rate is 50.8, and Steyn's is 41.4.

"Hopefully these young guys can continue to bowl fast," Johnson said of Umesh and Aaron, adding: "It is good to see. It is good for cricket if India can produce fast bowlers. They make the game exciting, the crowds love it. I think India enjoyed bowling on a fast wicket like the Gabba. It's good for the game to have real quick bowlers all the time."

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Good, bad, and ugly: Indian cricket had it all

NEW DELHI: From Rohit Sharma's record breaking double ton in ODIs, the team's never-ending overseas woes, to the controversy surrounding BCCI president-in-exile N Srinivasan over IPL 6 spot-fixing scandal, Indian cricket had the good, bad and ugly in equal measure in 2014.

Rohit's epic innings of 264 against Sri Lanka on the hallowed Eden Gardens turf was a stuff of legends.

The innings spoke about how one day cricket has evolved over time. There was a point in time, even 10 years back, when 264 was considered a good enough score in ODIs.

No one could ever imagine that someone would break the 200-run individual barrier in ODIs till Sachin Tendulkar became first among equals. Then Virender Sehwag bettered it and Rohit also scaled the 'Mount 200' peak. But 264 not out was something that few could have ever imagined, though the batsman's Test form still remains a cause for concern.

The year was also the first time since 1989, when an Indian cricket team's list didn't have Sachin Tendulkar's name in it.

Life without Tendulkar actually started in 2014 and it's been more lows than highs, if the parameter is performance in the Test matches played on foreign soil.

It was also the year that probably saw the end of another glorious bunch of Indian cricketers, who had played with distinction over the last decade.

Sehwag, arguably the biggest impact player after Tendulkar, probably might not play for India again after being overlooked from the 30-men probables for the 2015 World Cup.

Similarly, it looks like the selectors have 'shut the door' for good on Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir.

Off the field, it was a series of court cases that saw Srinivasan remaining in exile on directives of Supreme Court. Yet he managed to wield enough powers to become the first chairman of ICC and India will now enjoy bigger pie of the ICC revenue.

The Tamil Nadu strongman is embroiled in a legal tussle with unsanctioned Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma, who is believed to be funded by Srinivasan's bete noire Lalit Modi.

As the New Year dawns, one would watch with intrigue as to who gets to control Indian cricket.
Outside India, world cricket was left shocked and heartbroken following the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.

While Rohit's innings will always be remembered, the tragedy that snatched away Hughes, aged 25 at the time of his death, will never be forgotten.

An innings of 63 not out normally doesn't ring a bell but Hughes, who was gearing up to wear his favourite 'Baggy Green' for the 27th time in a Test match, found his life cut short three days ahead of what would have been his 26th birthday. He mistimed a pull shot off Sean Abbott, and that was the beginning of the end.

The number '63' became immortal and Hughes became '63 not-out Forever'.

It was tragedy that brought the cricket community together. From Karachi to Christchurch, Kolkata to Melbourne, London to Cape Town, everyone came together in the hour of grief.

While an emotional Australian captain Michael Clarke broke down on a number of occasions while fondly remembering his 'Little Brother', one also saw an otherwise bullish David Warner wipe a tear as he completed his century against India in the first Test.

Back to the field, even the exclusion of the likes of Sehwag and Yuvraj didn't change Mahendra Singh Dhoni's poor away record as Test captain with India losing series in South Africa, New Zealand and England. India also lost the World T20 finals to Sri Lanka as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara brought the curtains down on their T20 international career.

The tragic part of India's series defeat in England, was that it happened after recording a memorable win at the 'Home of Cricket'. It was after 1986, that an Indian team won a Test match at Lord's as Ishant Sharma bounced the Englishmen out.

Strangely, the momentum was lost in the next Test at Southampton as Ishant was out injured. England duly levelled the series and there was more embarrassment waiting for Dhoni and Co as they lost the next two Test matches at the Old Trafford and the Oval in under three days due to poor technique in adverse conditions.

While Jimmy Anderson no doubt made life difficult for Virat Kohli and company, it was intriguing to find Moeen Ali, with his part-time off-breaks walk away with 19 wickets.

India's problem against off-spinners was not one-off and that was proved when Nathan Lyon scalped 12 wickets in India's 48-run defeat in the first Test of the ongoing series against Australia Down Under.

Murali Vijay has come up as one of the most improved batsmen in the past year. Ajinkya Rahane looked one solid player in the middle-order. Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit's form have been patchy but they do have the talent to overcome difficulties, be it in technique or temperament.

The bowling is a cause for concern as Ishant, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav have not been consistent enough. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are yet to prove their mettle on wickets that don't offer assistance.

Young left-arm spinner Axar Patel has shown good temperament but his real test will be during the upcoming tri-series in Australia.

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'Axar going to Australia not best move'

NEW DELHI: As Axar Patel packs his bags to join the Test squad in Australia, as a replacement for the unfit Ravindra Jadeja, there is a sense of unease in the spin fraternity of the country. He becomes another spinner getting into the Test squad riding on performances in the shorter and the shortest formats of the game, something a lot of experts are not really comfortable with. They ask, "Has the job of an Indian spinner come down to just containing?"

Spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi recalled, "I met the boy (Axar) recently during the ODI series against Sri Lanka and he said 'Sir, I am a limited-overs bowler. I am just doing what people have asked me to do.' This is an alarming trend." Even Team India assistant coach Sanjay Bangar, who has coached young Axar at Kings XI Punjab, had said Axar needed to work on his bowling in domestic cricket after a successful last IPL season for Kings XI Punjab. Even as the experts point at Indian spinners' ineffectiveness in overseas Tests, they point towards the captain's lack of confidence in his tweakers which is a bigger concern. "Bringing in Axar for just two Tests in place of the third spinner (Ravindra Jadeja) isn't a good signal for Karn Sharma who played the first match. That shows the captain has no confidence in his spinners. Dhoni wants his spinners to be just stock bowlers.

The captain's approach towards the spinners isn't doing any good," opined former off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna while adding that Axar is not yet a five-day bowler. "Our spinners are even struggling to get tailenders out," he added.

Maninder Singh, former India left-arm spinner, feels Axar has a good attitude but it needs to be used well by the captain. "It seems Dhoni doesn't know how to handle spinners. Besides, the current lot of spinners isn't ready for Test cricket. The example which the current Indian team has set is not good for encouraging the art of spin bowling. With the kind of pacers we have, you can't expect your fast bowlers to win you matches while the spinners do a restrictive job. The Lord's Test win was a fluke," Maninder remarked.

He, however, backed Virat Kohli's approach in the first Test. "As a captain, Virat was positive in playing Karn Sharma. Whatever may have been the results, at least thinking of playing a legspinner was an attacking decision," he mentioned.

Bedi's thoughts run on the same lines. "I felt both Virat and Karn's attitude was very good in the first Test match. The lad did bowl some good overs," Bedi said.

The experts feel the board needs to wake up. "The Indian board didn't plan for the crisis. There needs to be proper academies for spinners," Prasanna reckoned.

Maninder suggests, "You just can't take players out of limited overs cricket and expect them to do the job at the Test level immediately. The grooming needs to happen lower down the system."

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A test of captains awaits India at MCG

MELBOURNE: Melbourne is a case study in urban synthesis, with giant, gleaming metallic spires casting grim shadows over faded Victorian facades. Here, post-punk sounds blend happily with the merry comfort of Christmas carols. If a city could have a sun sign, Melbourne would be a Gemini.

It is here, in the next week or so, that Indian cricket will know if the time has come to adopt a more two-faced approach to the issue of central leadership.

Another defeat in the Boxing Day Test and questions on MS Dhoni's Test captaincy credentials will begin anew. Yet the captain is a valuable asset in the Oneday arena, where his leadership and finishing skills are still second to none.

Even victory in Melbourne, however, will not mask the fact that Dhoni is better off shedding some of his immense responsibilities within a jam-packed schedule and concentrating on prolonging his limited-overs career.

So should the India cricket board (BCCI) and its new director of cricket Ravi Shastri try shedding a traditional aversion to multiple captains, at least for the short term?

Shastri is known to love feisty characters who thrive under pressure and responsibility , and Kohli checked all the boxes in Adelaide.

The Delhi cricketer seemed eager for the job, scored centuries in both innings, exhorted India to shed its languorous approach in crisis and eventually perished going for the kill when a retreat would have been a wiser option.

The impetuosity of youth aside, Kohli seems cast in the Steve Smith mould and there are hidden parallels in the way their careers have panned out.

Both have bounced back after indifferent form threatened to nip their careers in the bud. Both have the rare ability to demand respect by bringing forth their batting skills when most required. They also have age on their side. There is a reason why the whole of Australia is going gaga over Smith right now, and one wonders what the series would have been like if Smith and Kohli had been allowed to square off against each other for the duration.

Ian Chappell has already suggested Dhoni should go, saying, "There's no doubt Dhoni is past his use-by date as a Test captain, and this seems to perfect time to enact the changeover." Even Dhoni himself seemed impressed by Kohli's effort in Adelaide. "The aggressive approach was the right approach. Kohli has been fantastic not only as a batsman but as a leader. He had a very lean series in England and it was good to see the way he prepared for the match. He is an aggressive character and different to what I am," he said of Kohli's captaincy.

Dhoni also seemed aware that his captaincy style away from home has been marked by an overabundance of prudence, and appeared keen to set the record straight at the Gabba. "The captaincy style will remain the same. You exploit what is there for you. A lot depends on the runs you have got, how the game is going, the momentum."

The end of the Gabba Test, however, was marked by a return to the negative body language and hopelessness which seemed to swamp the team in England earlier this year.

India have won only two of 22 away Tests since the 2011 World Cup, and lost 15. Dhoni's win percentage away from home is a dismal 20.68, with India having lost 15 of 29 away Tests under his captaincy.

Ironically, in Brisbane he went past Sourav Ganguly's record and has now led India in most away Tests. Given these figures, can Kohli do any worse? Should he be made to wait till the time Dhoni voluntarily gives up the role? Australia have the luxury of a long assembly line of talented products, India do not. Maybe splitting the captaincy could help the team delineate roles better.

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'A' Grade for Bhuvi in new contract list

MUMBAI: If there is one player India have missed badly during their first two Test defeats in Australia, it is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been out due to an ankle injury. The young seam bowling all-rounder's meteoric rise was officially recognized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday as he was awarded a grade 'A' contract which would allow him to take home a pay cheque of at least Rs 1 crore regardless of his performance or availability. That he has replaced retired legend Sachin Tendulkar in this elite list of players, which includes skipper MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Suresh Raina, should make this 24-year-old from Uttar Pradesh smile even more with pride.

"We have a set formula for calculating these things. He has performed consistently for India in the concerned period (September 2013 till now), and deserves his promotion. He is a key player for us in the World Cup and this should motivate him," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told TOI on Monday, while explaining Bhuvi's promotion from the 'B' to 'A' grade.

Kumar has delivered regularly with the ball and even with the bat at times ever since his debut in international cricket a couple of years ago. With 19 wickets and three fifties, he was one of the few success stories of India's disappointing Test series defeat in England.

In all, the list of contracted players has increased from 25 to 34 this time.

Not surprisingly, senior players Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, who have been left out of the 2015 World Cup's 30man probables list, haven't been given a contract this time. Both have been removed from the Grade 'B' pool and it gives a fair idea where these two talented batsmen stand in the current scenario.

Raina and Ashwin's continuation in the Grade 'A' contract list is debatable.

Though both are exceptional limited overs performers, Raina has failed to make the cut in the Test side over the past two years, while Ashwin too isn't a surety in the XI outside India. In this context, Ajinkya Rahane, who has done well in tough overseas conditions in all formats in the past year, had a genuine case for a Grade 'A' contract, though he has jumped from 'C' to 'B'.

'Keeper Dinesh Karthik and seamer Jaydev Unadkat found themselves out in the cold with a 13 new players earning Grade 'C' contracts. The notable names are youngsters 'chinaman' Kuldeep Yadav and opener KL Rahul, who are yet to play for India.

Patel said that the Board was mindful of the player's cause even as it was locked in legal wrangles currently. "To be honest, it (announcing the new player contracts) was long overdue, but due to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) being postponed, we weren't able to do it so far. We don't want the players to suffer due to legal issues. They are entitled to this. We must remember that they won't come home till the World Cup," he said.

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Bowlers giving away runs cheaply: VVS

KOLKATA: VVS Laxman, one of India's most successful batsmen Down Under, is not disappointed with the team's show there, even though MS Dhoni's boys are already down 0-2 in the four-match Test series.

"Frankly speaking, India have done well so far in Australia. I was very impressed with how the team played in Adelaide (first Test). They were fearless and positive, and were always looking for victory," he said. "In Brisbane too, they played very well for most part of the match. Only that unexpected collapse in the second innings hurt them. It was just one bad session that cost them the game," Laxman, who is here as batting consultant for Bengal's Vision 2020 programme, felt.

Although the Indian team failed to save both the Test matches, the former India international does not feel the need to press the panic button. "Going by the way India have batted so far in the series, I don't think batting is a concern for us. I would say bowling is an area of worry," he stated.

Elaborating on this, Laxman said, "I feel we have been leaking out too many runs. When you give away runs cheaply, you fail to keep the pressure on your opponent and the game tends to drift away from you. So we should really work on our bowling and not give away easy runs to Australia." Talking about the confusion on the fourth morning of the second Test created by an injury to opener Shikhar Dhawan during practice, Laxman felt the team management should have handled the situation better.

"From the outside, it's difficult for us to say what exactly happened in the dressing room on that day. But I would like to say that in international cricket, you have to be ready to combat different situations and challenges. The team should be ready to face any situation that may crop up," he stated.

But Laxman refused to buy the theory that India lost the Brisbane Test because of the Shikhar issue. "We didn't lose the match because of that. We lost the match because we didn't start the fourth day too well while Mitchell Johnson started excellently. He took crucial wickets in the morning session and that took the game away from India," he remarked. The Hyderabadi stylist, however, is optimistic that India will come back in the series. "I do believe that India can still make a comeback in the series. But for that, it's important to win the key moments in the match. India have to learn from their mistakes as quickly as possible," he said.

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Should India persist with same players?

BRISBANE: It is easy to lambast a team when it is down. It's not so easy to identify the causes and engineer a remedy.

The twin defeats in Australia have raised the question of whether Team India is happy to merely compete away from home. Do they have the skill and temperament to win at least one of the remaining two Tests, beginning with the Boxing Day match in Melbourne?

It also brings under the scanner the team's long-term plan regarding the tricky issue of blooding youngsters - which ones can be carried in the team for a while longer to gain experience, and which ones should be discarded?

In both Tests, India have looked more intent on talking about and showcasing their new-found positive approach away from home. The results, meanwhile, have gone south. The team's decision to highlight the state of practice pitches as a possible precursor to defeat too appears an ill-timed distraction.

Rather than change tack according to the situation or go for the kill in positions of ascendancy, the focus - as Dhoni admitted at the Gabba - has been on that old cliche of process, rather than result. The general refrain has been that the team is inexperienced. As Dhoni said, the team will take some more time to "cross the line".

It's an argument which might not help some of the players keep their spots in the team.

Whether under Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni, the common approach has been to take the bull by the horns in moments of crisis, or at least appear to be doing so. It's a fresh approach which appeals to the youngsters in the team. Though it hasn't always worked, Dhoni seemed pleased that India had been able to offer moments in the match when they seemed competitive.

"The exciting part is that we have competed," he said. "The last time we were here we were not really able to compete. That is something very crucial because when you are competing and it is going to the last hour and the last day and the last moment, the match can turn. What it means is one good spell or a run out or a couple of catches...it all boils down to that. A little bit of luck really matters in cricket."

Unfortunately, the match at the Gabba lasted only four days, and the result can't be explained away by bad luck. Asked how long the team was willing to carry individuals to give them 'experience', Dhoni said, "There is no substitute to that....till the time youngsters play matches and gain experience. We cannot get experienced players from anywhere. The more we play overseas the more experience we will gain."

It appears that India's dismal away record since 2011, during which they have often been accused of being reactive and unimaginative, has left deep psychological scars which the team is struggling to shake off. It also appears some of the batsmen, in particular, might have been asked to fill boots which are simply too big for them.

Even the fine team of the mid-2000s started out raw, with players performing poorly in South Africa and Australia and the West Indies. It was only post-2001 that their performances attained memorable levels.

Dhoni seemed to recognize the problem when he said, "You just accept the result but at the same time don't throw in the towel. With a bit more experience to both bowlers and batsmen this can turn out to be a very good side.

"Overall there are plenty of areas in which a lot of improvement has been made. We have been able to take plenty of wickets. But we are not crossing the line. That 'crossing the line' is like a wine that is brewing. Once they start crossing the line and start harnessing the aggression in right channels you will see plenty of good results from this side."

But is this the right crop of youngsters? Any team in transition needs a patient approach, but if a team is happy to be merely competitive, the selectors must decide whether it's time to let the wine brew or bring in fresh stock.

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Under pressure, India fail to walk the talk

BRISBANE: Is India doing enough to curb bad behavior on the field?

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to penalize Ishant Sharma for using obscene and offensive language and gesture on the field has brought into focus the team's lenient approach to such incidents.

Both in Adelaide and here, many of India's players including Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma have been seen riling up some Aussie players. Occasionally, the umpires have been forced to intervene in the matter.

The planned assault on Mitchell Johnson on Friday at the Gabba involved both verbals and short balls. Though the effort fell flat on its face, some Indian players seem ready to jump into heated conversations with Aussie players no strangers to sledging themselves in a bid to appear combative.

"This is Australia, we have to give it back to them," Rohit Sharma had declared matter-of-factly before the start of the tour, and turning on the verbals has often appeared to be a strategic exercise to unsettle opposition players.

But in taking a leaf out of Australia's book, India may be in danger of being perceived as a boorish bunch of bad losers, not to mention appearing out of character. To add insult to injury, op position captain Steve Smith said India's sledging has often played into Aussie hands.

However, viewpoints differ on this thorny issue. VVS Laxman, until recently a part of the Team India bandwagon, tweeted in sup port of the team following the Mitchell Johnson incident, saying, "When an Aussie sledges it's aggression but if an Indian sledges it's unnecessary and foolish. Bottom line India didn't bowl well to Mitch."

But why emulate bad behavior in the first place? Did VVS Laxman, an epitome of the gentleman cricketer, ever need to resort to such measures? And is the constant sledging helping Indian bowlers to perform better?

The Indian skipper, who has already been labelled a "whinger" by the Aussie media for criticizing the state of practice pitches, appeared to be in two minds on the issue. "I feel they are not abusing each other, and till they don't cross the line it is fine. A lot of kids and elderly people also watch the game. A lot of time we are asked what spirit of cricket is.

"What I feel is it (scuffles and banter) is something you don't want your kids to do when they are playing. Most of the players have played with each other in the IPL. If anything is within the boundaries and guidelines of the game, I am happy with it. You also want a bit of aggression in the game. It also brings in a bit of entertainment for the spectators," said Dhoni.

Judging by the decision to penalize Ishant, the ICC clearly has a different take on the matter of entertainment.

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Sachin named ambassador for 2015 WC

DUBAI: Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who is the all-time leading run-getter in World Cup history, was on Monday named the event's ambassador for the second successive edition.

"The International Cricket Council today announced Sachin Tendulkar as the World Cup 2015 Ambassador. It will be the second successive time that the India maestro will be the Ambassador of ICC's pinnacle tournament, after he fulfilled the role in the previous event in 2011," the ICC said in a statement.

In his role as ambassador, Tendulkar will promote and support a variety of ICC initiatives to enhance the profile of the tournament, which is the third biggest sporting event in the world and will take place in Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29.

Tendulkar retired from international cricket last year after representing India in 200 Tests, 463 one-dayers and one Twenty20 International. In a career spanning 24 years, the 41-year-old scored a total of 34,357 international runs and 100 centuries.

Tendulkar added the missing World Cup title to his long list of achievements in his sixth attempt in 2011. He is the all-time leading run-getter in World Cup history with 2,278 runs in 45 matches at an average of 56.95.

For his 673 runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, he was awarded player of the tournament as India finished runner-up to Australia.

"I am delighted and honoured to be appointed ICC Cricket World Cup Ambassador for the second successive time. After playing in the last six editions, the upcoming World Cup will be a different experience as I will follow it from the sidelines. It could probably be comparable to the ICC Cricket World Cup 1987 where I was a ball boy, enthusiastically cheering every ball," Tendulkar said.

"The excitement of the World Cup grows with every new edition and this year's host nations, Australia and New Zealand, are known for their sporting culture, great cricket facilities and knowledgeable crowds. Lifting the World Cup is every international cricketer's quest and the tournament brings out the best of individuals and competing teams.

"The image of the champion team lifting the World Cup inspires many youngsters around the world and gives them a dream to chase - a dream which I fulfilled after 22 years of relentless pursuit by being part of the victorious Indian team in 2011," he added.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said Tendulkar is the perfect ambassador for the marquee event.

"The ICC is delighted to once again have Sachin as an Ambassador for its biggest and most prestigious tournament. Sachin is not only an inspiration to cricketers but to all sportspeople for his endurance, perseverance, talent, personality and commitment to the game," he said.

The 11th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup will kick off in Christchurch on February 14 when co-hosts New Zealand take on former champion Sri Lanka.

On the same day at the picturesque Melbourne Cricket Ground, four-time world champion Australia will square-off against England, which reached the final the last time the event was staged in Australia/New Zealand in 1992.

A total of 49 matches will be played across 14 venues, seven in New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington) and seven in Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney).

The format of the tournament is the same as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, i.e. two groups of seven sides each, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. All the knock-out stage matches will have reserve days.

Apart from the 10 Full Members, four qualifiers -- Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates -- will take part in the tournament.

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Patel to replace Jadeja in Test squad

MELBOURNE: Young left-arm spinner Axar Patel will replace an injured Ravindra Jadeja, who was ruled out due to a shoulder injury from India's remaining two Tests against Australia.

According to a media release issued by the BCCI, "Axar Patel will join the Indian team in Australia for the remainder of the Test Series as a replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, who has a shoulder injury and will be returning to India to undergo a rehabilitation program."

The injury will also raise question marks over whether Jadeja will recover in time for the ODI tri-series in January, which will be India's preparatory ground for the World Cup.

The opportunity couldn't have come at a better time for the 20-year-old Axar, who has already played 9 ODIs for India taking 14 wickets with best figures of 3/40 against Sri Lanka.

He was in contention for a place in the ODI squad for the tri-series after the Gujarat boy impressed one and all by taking 11 wickets from the five ODIs against Sri Lanka.

He is only two seasons old in first-class cricket having made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2012 against Madhya Pradesh. He has so far played 10 first-class matches with 32 wickets to his name.

Axar is currently playing for Gujarat against Saurashtra at Rajkot in an ongoing Ranji Trophy match where he emerged as the most successful bowler for his team in the first innings grabbing 4/72.

He will probably be reaching Melbourne in time before the Boxing Day Test match starting Friday

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Lack of veg dish: Ishant leaves Gabba

NEW DELHI: Barely two weeks after mutually sharing the grief of Phillip Hughes' death, Indian team's relations with Cricket Australia is turning sour as pacer Ishant Sharma left the Gabba at lunch on the third day, after finding that there was no vegetarian preparation in the menu.

ALSO READ: Australia beat India by 4 wickets, take 2-0 series lead

Apparently they have been unhappy with the food provided to the visitors ever since they landed here.

The team was very unhappy about the food provided at Glenelg Oval for the two practice matches and the same was notified to the concerned authorities. However they did not make their grievance public as it was the time that the nation was in mourning after Hughes' tragedy.

The team was happy with the arrangements made for the first Test in Adelaide where South Australia Cricket Association arranged for an Indian chef to prepare food for the Indian team during the match.

But things have taken a turn for the worse here in Brisbane. On day three, proper vegetarian fare was not provided at lunch, as was noticed in the media room as well.

Two Indian players Ishant Sharma and Suresh Raina complained about the same. They then proceeded outside the stadium premises to procure proper vegetarian food for themselves, accompanied by ICC's ACSU personnel and team director Ravi Shastri.

However on their return, they were told that food or beverages can't be brought inside the stadium.

The two players consumed their food sitting outside and then returned to the dressing room. It should be noted that Raina isn't playing in this match, though Ishant is and he bowled for India on the third day.

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BCCI to 'probe' Shikhar Dhawan injury

CHENNAI: The BCCI is going to ask the team management about Shikhar Dhawan's decision to not bat first thing in the morning on the fourth day of Gabba Test. The board members are extremely unhappy with the team's capitulation after being in a strong position at one stage, and one understands the top bosses will have a word with the coaching staff on the incident that led to "unrest" in the dressing-room.

"Dhawan came out to bat in less than an hour. It was surprising that he didn't do so from the beginning, because that would have helped us start in an advantageous position. It was a matter of winning the first hour and we might have won this Test on a deteriorating wicket. We have to know about the gravity of the injury," a senior BCCI official told TOI.

The team management had complained about the quality of the practice wickets at the Gabba but the BCCI is not giving too much importance to it. "Practice bowlers, practice wickets - these are eternal complaints. Sometimes the visiting teams lodge similar complaints but you have to live with it. That is the nature of international cricket," the official added.

However, reports of Ishant Sharma and Suresh Raina not getting vegetarian food in the dressing-room on the third day has not gone down too well with the BCCI. "If it's true, we will have a word with Cricket Australia. Before every tour, the requirements of our team are sent to the host board. Still, if the players had to go out to get their food for lunch, it's unacceptable," the official added.

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2nd Test: Australia beat India by 4 wickets

Australia made a meal of it but successfully chased down 128 for a four-wicket victory and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after dismissing India for 224 on the fourth day of the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.

Mitchell Marsh hit the winning runs after Indian paceman Ishant Sharma had given the hosts cause for some nerves by removing David Warner and Shane Watson cheaply and bringing an end to a solid innings of 55 from opener Chris Rogers.

The nerves deepened when Shaun Marsh was caught behind off Umesh Yadav with Australia 14 runs from their target before Steve Smith was run out for 28 and vice captain Brad Haddin caught in the deep with victory in sight.

Injured all rounder Mitchell Marsh (six not out) ushered Australia over the line with a cover drive for four and Mitchell Johnson finished with an unbeaten two.

"It's nice to get home there in the end," stand-in captain Smith, who was named Man of the Match after scoring a century in his first innings, said in a pitchside interview.

"Unfortunately I wasn't there at the end to do it, but Chris Rogers came out and played positively and got the runs to get us over the line."

The day had started with the match still in the balance but a magical spell of fast bowling from Johnson (4-61) in the first 20 minutes of play triggered an Indian collapse and the tourists lost their last nine wickets for 153 runs.

India had resumed on 71/1 without opener Dhawan, who was injured warming up in the nets, looking to rub the last 26 runs off their first innings deficit and build another imposing tally to match their first innings 408.

Johnson, though, reprised the onslaught that drove his country to victory in the opening Ashes Test at the same ground last year, taking three for 10 in 11 balls in the first 20 minutes.

"My job in this team is to get out there and get wickets and be aggressive," Johnson said.

"It's just nice to feel some rhythm and contribute to the team."

Backing up the pugnacious innings of 88 that brought Australia back into the match on Friday, Johnson summoned up pace and venom to remove Virat Kohli (1), Ajinkya Rahane (10) and Rohit Sharma (0).

Debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood, who took five for 68 in the first innings, then pitched in by trapping India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in front for a duck with the second ball of the following over to leave the tourists reeling.

India had crept passed Australia's first innings tally of 505 when Ravi Ashwin was dismissed for 19 and Dhawan's trip to hospital for X-rays on his injured right wrist was hurriedly cancelled so he could rejoin Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.

Pujara had brought the only solidity to the innings but he too departed just before lunch for 43, giving Hazlewood his second victim of the day and sending India into lunch clinging on at 157/7.

Dhawan and Umesh Yadav, however, put on 60 for the eighth wicket to give India some hope but when the opener finally departed for 81, Australia soon mopped up the tail.

Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 48 runs last weekend to take a lead in the series, which was rescheduled after the death of Phillip Hughes and concludes with matches in Melbourne and Sydney.

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Dhoni's bizarre solution to avoid collapse

BRISBANE: Judging by the number of collapses they have suffered in recent times, the Indian batsmen may as well put 'Domino Dancing' on repeat in the dressing room when they tour away from home.

The Gabba on Saturday offered just the latest example of opportunity wasted but it wasn't long in coming: the first Test on this tour in Adelaide followed an identical script.

In Adelaide, India scored 444 in the first innings but lost their last six wickets for 77 runs to concede the lead. In the second innings they went from 242/2 to 315 all out chasing 364 and lost the game.

Here at the Gabba, India did extremely well to put up 408 on the scorecard after opting to bat first on a pitch renowned for its pace and bounce, but lost their last six wickets for 87 when they could have batted Australia out of the game. And on Saturday, they lost the game on the fourth day itself, going from 71/1 overnight to 87/5 in the first session.

Skipper MS Dhoni didn't agree that Saturday's debacle was related to the others. "Today was quite different compared to some other games," he said. "Yes, we have had batting collapses in the recent Test series that we have played. This was something very different. This will be addressed in a different way."

"Generally how you address this situation is you tell them to bat as normally as possible....to not really look at the scorecard and see what really happened," said Dhoni. "You play according to the merit of the delivery. If it is there to be hit, you hit. You look to score and be positive. That's how it is supposed to be. But today was slightly different, as I said."

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Australia stumble early in victory chase

Australia were 25 for two at tea chasing 128 for victory and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after dismissing India for 224 on the fourth day of the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.

India paceman Ishant Sharma removed David Warner for six and Shane Watson for a duck, both caught behind, to leave Chris Rogers (15 not out) and captain Steve Smith (2) at the crease at the break, 103 runs short of their target.

Earlier, a magical spell from Mitchell Johnson (4-61) had triggered an Indian collapse with Shikhar Dhawan providing the only real resistance before the hosts mopped up the tail midway through the afternoon.

India had resumed on 71-1 without opener Dhawan, who was injured warming up in the nets, looking to rub the last 26 runs off their first innings deficit and build another imposing tally to match their first innings 408.

Johnson, though, reprised the onslaught that drove his country to victory in the opening Ashes Test at the same ground last year, taking three for 10 in 11 balls in the first 20 minutes.

Backing up the pugnacious innings of 88 that brought Australia back into the match on Friday, Johnson summoned up pace and venom to remove Virat Kholi (1), Ajinkya Rahane (10) and Rohit Sharma (0).

Debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood, who took five for 68 in the first innings, then pitched in by trapping India skipper Mahendra Singh Doni in front for a duck with the second ball of the following over to leave the tourists reeling.

India had crept passed Australia's first innings tally of 505 when Ravi Ashwin was dismissed for 19 and Dhawan's trip to hospital for X-rays on his injured right wrist was hurriedly cancelled so he could rejoin Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.

Pujara had brought the only solidity to the innings but he too departed just before lunch for 43, giving Hazlewood his second victim of the day and sending India into lunch clinging on at 157-7.

Dhawan and Umesh Yadav, however, put on 60 for the eighth wicket to give India some hope of mitigating the worst impact of yet another batting collapse.

The opener finally departed for 81 when he missed an attempted lap sweep and was adjudged lbw to off spinner Nathan Lyon and Varun Aaron (3) and Yadav (30) soon followed.

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'Green' tracks killing spin bowling: Bhajji

PUNE: Harbhajan Singh feels that the seamer-friendly pitches in domestic cricket are turning out to be detrimental to slow bowling skills, India's traditional strength.

"A lot of Indian batsmen play spin well... but the wickets are not helping the spinners anymore," the Turbanator, who will turn out for Punjab in the Group B match against Maharashtra starting here on Sunday, said on Friday. "They leave a lot of grass to make sure the pitch remains good and fast bowlers get some help. But once the grass goes, they turn out to be flat pitches with no help for the spinners at all."

After two rounds of league matches in the Ranji Trophy, seamers dominate the bowling chart with no spinner featuring in the top-10 wicket-takers list. "We have to understand our soil conditions and need to prepare challenging wickets. There must be something for the fast bowlers on Day One, then the batsmen, and the spinners must come into play on the fourth day We must make sure the skill is not killed with one-sided matches."

The 34-year-old bemoaned the declining interest among the public for first-class cricket. "It's a sad story. Not a single guy comes to watch a Ranji match," he said. "I have played county cricket and a lot of people come to support their home teams.The BCCI has all the tools. It has to plan to bring in people for the four-day games and definitely for the domestic one-dayers and T20 matches."

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Toothless attack or clueless approach?

BRISBANE: India's troubles with the opposition tail seem endemic away from home.

On Friday, as Australia went from 247/6 to 505 all out, MS Dhoni must have been thinking about Johannesburg last year, when Faf Du Plessis and AB De Villiers took South Africa from 197/4 to 442/7.

Or Wellington in February, when New Zealand recovered from 94/5 to 639/8 as Brendon McCullum scored 302 in the second innings. Or Nottingham in July, when England went from 298/9 to 496 all out and Anderson and Root broke a world record. The last three wickets on that occasion, in fact, added 294 runs.

At the Gabba on Friday it was Smith, Johnson and Starc who dug in.

What's worse is no one seems to have a clear idea what the problem is. It was funny watching Umesh Yadav trying to explain the phenomenon. "Just because it has happened in England and New Zealand and here does not mean we are not trying. All the time we are trying, sometimes we are giving away runs also," he said. India have allowed the opposition to recover from being five down for 250 or less to making 400-plus four times in 2014, and seven times since 2010. While that's not a specific tail-end problem, the seventh to tenth wickets have also scored at 4.06 against India since 2010, the highest run-rate achieved by tailenders against any team.

"It is all part of the game.Johnson and Starc played well.I feel we gave away 50 more runs.The outfield is a little heavy . The pace we had on Day 1 and 2, it's not the same. It's not that the ball is not swinging, but it is not swinging much," said Umesh.

In England, Cheteshwar Pujara had hinted at a lack of planning. "We will have to think about how to get the tailenders out," he had said, "We will have to regroup and chat with the bowlers and plan for the next few matches. We definitely need a strategy in place for the tail-enders."

There was a strategy in place on Friday , that of out-bouncing the opposition and placing men in catching positions, but it didn't seem to work. In the past, Dhoni has been accused of being defensive, with long-ons, deep midwickets, deep fine-legs and the absence of slips often marking his fields when the tail is in.

It seems the skipper is still trying to work out a middle ground with his bowling attack.

TAIL BETWEEN THEIR LEGS

Since 2010, India have been the worst Test team in leaking runs against the tail (7th to 10th wickets) in away Test matches.In 145 innings in this period, a cricket website reports, India have given away 4695 runs at an average of 34.77 at a run rate of 4.06 per over. India lag behind all others in both total runs conceded and the run rate. This means India not only give away runs generously to tail-enders, they also fail to restrict the rate of scoring, thus giving their opponents a bigger chance of winning a Test match.

BATTERED AT BRISBANE

Indian bowlers not only failed to get the tail out quickly, they also failed to stem the flow of runs. The following stats makes a stark point:

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2nd Test: Australia beat India by 4 wickets

Australia made a meal of it but successfully chased down 128 for a four-wicket victory and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after dismissing India for 224 on the fourth day of the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.

Mitchell Marsh hit the winning runs after Indian paceman Ishant Sharma had given the hosts cause for some nerves by removing David Warner and Shane Watson cheaply and bringing an end to a solid innings of 55 from opener Chris Rogers.

The nerves deepened when Shaun Marsh was caught behind off Umesh Yadav with Australia 14 runs from their target before Steve Smith was run out for 28 and vice captain Brad Haddin caught in the deep with victory in sight.

Injured all rounder Mitchell Marsh (six not out) ushered Australia over the line with a cover drive for four and Mitchell Johnson finished with an unbeaten two.

"It's nice to get home there in the end," stand-in captain Smith, who was named Man of the Match after scoring a century in his first innings, said in a pitchside interview.

"Unfortunately I wasn't there at the end to do it, but Chris Rogers came out and played positively and got the runs to get us over the line."

The day had started with the match still in the balance but a magical spell of fast bowling from Johnson (4-61) in the first 20 minutes of play triggered an Indian collapse and the tourists lost their last nine wickets for 153 runs.

India had resumed on 71/1 without opener Dhawan, who was injured warming up in the nets, looking to rub the last 26 runs off their first innings deficit and build another imposing tally to match their first innings 408.

Johnson, though, reprised the onslaught that drove his country to victory in the opening Ashes Test at the same ground last year, taking three for 10 in 11 balls in the first 20 minutes.

"My job in this team is to get out there and get wickets and be aggressive," Johnson said.

"It's just nice to feel some rhythm and contribute to the team."

Backing up the pugnacious innings of 88 that brought Australia back into the match on Friday, Johnson summoned up pace and venom to remove Virat Kohli (1), Ajinkya Rahane (10) and Rohit Sharma (0).

Debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood, who took five for 68 in the first innings, then pitched in by trapping India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in front for a duck with the second ball of the following over to leave the tourists reeling.

India had crept passed Australia's first innings tally of 505 when Ravi Ashwin was dismissed for 19 and Dhawan's trip to hospital for X-rays on his injured right wrist was hurriedly cancelled so he could rejoin Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.

Pujara had brought the only solidity to the innings but he too departed just before lunch for 43, giving Hazlewood his second victim of the day and sending India into lunch clinging on at 157/7.

Dhawan and Umesh Yadav, however, put on 60 for the eighth wicket to give India some hope but when the opener finally departed for 81, Australia soon mopped up the tail.

Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 48 runs last weekend to take a lead in the series, which was rescheduled after the death of Phillip Hughes and concludes with matches in Melbourne and Sydney.

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