Will India get it right the third time?
It seemed like the only way Marnus Labuschagne could have done to end his networking session on Tuesday (December 1). But even as everyone else in the Australian camp ran for cover from the thunderstorm that hit the Manuka Oval, the tragic batting slowly dragged on. Labuschagne also paused for a moment, looked up into the dark skies and spread his arms almost as if to complain to the sky.
Australia had been in the practice area for about an hour and a half at the time. Labuschagne, of course, had taken over Steve Smith’s nets once the series’ double centurion finally left the facility. And he was busy facing some rather animated criticism from a member of the support staff when the Canberra weather changed dramatically. Joining him was Cameron Green receiving hands-on training from Justin Langer, which included a lively talk that from a distance appeared to be about hitting zones.
Based purely on the number of short-lived fast pitches Labuschagne had just started tackling minutes before the storm, one wonders if he was bracing for the opportunity to hit at the top of the order. And if her frustration also had to do with her routine being unceremoniously altered. However, we will have to wait until Wednesday (December 2) afternoon to find out, considering Captain Aaron Finch’s decision earlier in the day not to commit to the matter. David Warner’s absence could also open the door for Matthew Wade or even young Green to search for him. But that would mean that Labuschagne maintains its position in the middle order.
Like the Australians, the Indians had also boarded the bus to Canberra on Monday morning and arrived three hours later – the same time it would take to drive from the northeastern suburbs of Mumbai, particularly Ghatkopar, to Pune. The road for at least the first part of that trip would also have been mildly reminiscent of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, especially in terms of the scenery. That’s before the vastness of the Australian countryside had taken hold and the signs of population drifted further and further into the distance.
It’s a bit like that at the Manuka Oval, which is considered Australia’s second-largest playing area behind the MCG. The field will appear much more spread out than in the SCG and as Finch revealed, there will be much more scope for 2 and 3 here in the nation’s capital.
But as Australia ponders finding the right partner for Captain Finch, India should look to make the most of this rare opportunity to start their tour in what will be a dead rubber, but with a lot at stake. Like Finch, players like Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan also have great memories of playing at the Manuka Oval, from four years ago when they both scored centuries in a narrow loss. However, both teams will be looking for a good performance on the ball, although Canberra may not be the most ideal place to look for a bowling revival. The series could have been lost before it even seemed to start for the Indians. While the clichéd approach to Wednesday’s game might be based on ‘playing for pride’, with a month and a half still ahead of them in Australia, Virat Kohli & Co will see it more as an opportunity to seize the Aussies by assault and launch the glove for the two remaining formats on the tour.
When: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 2:40 PM local time, 9:10 AM IST
Where: Manuka Oval, Canberra
What to expect: As with the thunderstorm late Tuesday, the ball is in and out of the bat at Manuka Oval field fairly quickly. And historically it has been bowlers and outfielders who have had to go after leather. Finch indicated that the rebound and pace in the wicket here could indeed be conducive to wickets with the new ball, which both teams have struggled to produce. The weather for the game, which is played on the second official day of summer, is expected to be quite pleasant with temperatures hovering between 20 degrees, which will hopefully mean fewer drinking breaks and a better overshoot rate from both sides. involved.
Team news
Australia
Warner’s groin injury may have long-term implications for Australia’s Indian summer, but it is a quick fix they will seek on Wednesday. Wade is likely to be the regular replacement for Warner. But with the series won, it won’t be a bad decision to give Green a debut and help him prepare for a game with relatively less pressure. Sean Abbott should be a shoo-in for Cummins, who was off for the rest of the white-ball games. And it will also lengthen and strengthen the Australian batting lineup even further.
Possible XI: Aaron Finch (c), Matthew Wade / Cam Green, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschange, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey (week), Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
India
Interestingly, the Manuka Oval could be the perfect pitch for Navdeep Saini, who has had a surprising tour thus far, even if he isn’t the only fast pitcher to have struggled. The question will be whether the Indians want to risk letting the young fast pitcher, who could play a crucial role in Trials, lose confidence even more or do they think a good show in Canberra will do him good. The same could be said of Jasprit Bumrah, who has not been himself in the first two games. I’d still expect to see at least one of, if not both, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan get a look. Mohammed Shami walked off the field with the physio a couple of times during the Australian innings on Sunday. And surely it would deserve a break. The only other potential change could be with Kuldeep Yadav entering through Yuzvendra Chahal.
Possible XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (week), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini / Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami / T Natarajan, Yuzvendra Chahal / Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
What they say
I can tell you that on the field it is definitely no less competitive than it has been in the past. You can see from the scores, they have been entertaining games with high scores and it has definitely been fierce on the field as well, but I think people are reading too much about this. Aaron Finch about the sympathy between the two teams
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