End of 8th over(double wicket maiden) India 16-4
Tick Tick Tick Tick. The clock chimes.
I peep out from the rubble of warm blankets I'm engulfed in and rub my eyes to check the time. That's the first thing you want to do when you have a bad dream. Its 4.00 am. Which means i must have been barely asleep for over 3 hours. What's bizarre is that this has been happening continuously for the past 3 days and I'm not liking it a bit. Then realization dawns on me and in a hap-hazardous motion i check my Berry to find out the date.
It Reads December 23(i breathe a sigh of relief)....Its Still 3 days to the Boxing Test.
There is just something special about a series down under. The entire rigmarole of getting up at 4.30 am on a chilly winter morning, making a warm cup of coffee & watching with bated eyes at the sheer drama unfolding in front of a full capacity audience whose constant buzzing noise creates a dramatic atmosphere for cricket lovers on television as the Melbourne sun sweeps the entire stadium into bright daylight making the atmosphere intensely passionate for a cricket fanatic. This topped with top commentators from the world taking centre stage with the sheer pitch of the voice, the way they react to the fall of a wicket & the applaud at a top shot played. This surely has to be Test Cricket at its best.
One has to wait 4 long years to watch their favourite country play at the Melbourne Cricket ground on the 26th of December, commonly known as the BOXING DAY Test Match. It is always played at the MCG in Melbourne every year between Australia and the team which is touring them for the summer. MCG boasts of a capacity of over 1 lakh audience and promises to be a sell out this time round as well because this would, most probably, be their last chance to see batting legends Sachin, Rahul & VVS take centre stage. But, as Dravid mentioned..Who knows??
India has played 5 Boxing Day Test Matches, drawing the one in 1985 & losing the remaining four in 1991 1999,2003 & 2007. Considering their track record it must be said that it will be a mighty ask for them. What works in their favour is that for the first time they have been touted as the favourites to win the series. Also, they come into this tour after a very successful Test & ODI series win against the West Indies and all what remains of the 4-0 loss to England earlier this year are charred & distant memories & the loss of the No. 1 Ranking which they are desperate the gain back.
On the Flip side, Australia's record at the MCG hasn't been too great in the past 3-4 years. Post retirement of legends like Macgrath, Warne, Gilchrist & Lee they have lost 2 out of the 3 Boxing Day Test Matches. Their win too has come against a lowly Pakistan side while stronger sides like South Africa & England( Ashes 2010) have routed them by a 9 wicket margin & a whooping Innings margin respectively. With a question mark over Ponting & Hussey's form & injuries to premier players like Watson, Marsh, Harris, Johnson & teen sensation Patrick Cummins, Australia need a blinder to save themselves from an embarrassment. Their recent loss to New Zealand a fortnight ago hasn't helped either.
Agneepath...as the series has been named based on the intense cricket which is played between the two nations should be a great contest between bat & ball. If the Indian Fast bowlers remain injury free during the tour, we have a great possibility of winning our 1st series down under & add a Boxing Day victory to our credentials as well. Sachin will have his chance to score the 100th international century & Rahul & VVS will look to add on to the pile of runs they have scored in Australia. Youngsters like Ashwin, Yadav, Midhun & Vinay Kumar should look to impress the selectors. Inshant & Zaheer are the key to India's fortunes though. Zaheer Khan is the kind of bowler who can win you matches. His fitness & form will surely affect the result of this series. Ishant was the find of the 2007 tour where he tormented Ponting & made him his bunny. According to latest reports he has declared himself fit for the first test & so has Shaun Marsh, the impressive young no. 3 for australia. Lets hope both teams remain injury free so that we can a great contest to look forward to.
72 hours & 30 mins to go....
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