India’s inability to enforce a challenge continues

Australia dominate India in first one-day match

The second T20 game where the Australians experimented a bit with the side provided the Indians a much-needed respite in this tour but unfortunately it didn't help them in the first ODI of the tri series. I am truly baffled by the tactics of the Indians.

Winning the toss and bowling first is not what you do time and again in Australia. I understand there was rain around the corner but in Australia, it's always easy to bat first and put on runs on the board under the sun and when you bowl second there is a bit more for the bowler. It seams around and bounces around a bit more. Also, in these conditions you don’t select a team that you would regularly play in the subcontinent.

Two medium pacers and three regular spinners aren’t going to win you matches here. In the middle and closure of the innings, when the Australians had stepped up a gear, I am sure MS Dhoni must have felt handicapped with his bowling options. Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar had almost finished their quota before the rain interruption.

Dhoni says Sehwag's omission was team decision

When Michael Clarke might have gone out for toss, he must have been a happy man knowing that Virender Sehwag was 'rested'. When we talk about this format of cricket, his last innings was the double hundred. Though it was some time back and his current form has been ordinary, but a fit Sehwag has to be playing. What does the team management mean by 'resting' him in the first game of a tri series? It isn't that he has scored plenty prior to this game to deserve a 'rest'. That’s why I say that the tactics and the planning by the Indians throughout this tour have been ridiculous.

This is not the first time that Gautam Gambhir has pushed away from the body and got dismissed. In the last game he got the runs but even then he was looking more to play behind the wickets. His technique has been found wanting and surprisingly he doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes. Whenever the ball the bounced and seamed more, he has looked vulnerable.

At the position when the game was restarted, Indians looked to be the favourites to win, but once again their bowling options made the difference. Matthew Wade played a mature knock and this time we got to see the other side of his batting which was more of consolidating with the right mix of aggression.

The Hussey brothers then joined in. David Hussey is very dangerous against spinners and gentle medium pacers, and India’s bowling perfectly suited his game and he just did what he is reputed for.

Some other time the problems back home could have been an excuse, but India’s inability to enforce a challenge has been the order of this tour. In the clash of two struggling sides, India play their next game against Sri Lanka at Perth and if senses prevail they will at least play more fast bowlers there and hopefully Sehwag won’t be rested again.