Story India In Australia - 2011, A Series Of Champions

[Aditya]

India In Australia - 2011, A Series Of Champions​

After a horrible tour of England, the Indian team had critics to answer when England traveled to India to play 5 ODI's, 1 T20I and 2 Tests. The Indian team didn't disappoint their fans as they white washed the England team by beating them in all the ODI's, only T20I and the 2 tests. Next team to tour India was, West Indies. All the big players were rested for the ODI's and yet again, the youngsters were given a chance. They didn't disappoint the selectors as the West Indies team was beaten in the ODI's 4-1. In the test matches, all the big players returned to international cricket and the West Indies team was badly beaten in both the tests. Sehwag managed to make one century in the two test matches. Dravid continued his great form from the England tour as he made two centuries in two test matches. Tendulkar though, proved to be a big disappointment as he didn't even manage to make a fifity and that magical figure on hundred hundreds needed to wait a bit more. Laxman played fine, made 30's and 40's and one century.

After two good tours, the Indian team is high on confidence but on the other hand, Australian team didn't do too badly in the last two tours they have played. Australian team went to South Africa to play 2 T20I, 3 ODI's and 2 Tests. The T20I series was tied 1-1. The ODI series yet again was a close won but Australia managed to win the last ODI by 15 runs and won the ODI series 2-1. The test series though, was won by South Africa 2-0. Australian team just didn't look good in the test matches. Their fielding was poor, their bowlers were not bowling well and some of their batsmen were just not able to play the big innings. Though, their ex skipper, Ricky Ponting was in excellent form throughout the series. Ponting made 2 centuries in the ODI series and 1 hundred in the test series. So, surely this legend is in form and can be dangerous for the Indian team because we all know that if Ponting continues his good form against India, the Indian bowlers are gonna have a tough time in Australia.

After the test matches and the T20I, the next to follow will be a triangular series between Australia, India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's last two tours have also been very impressive. They had a series against Pakistan in UAE. They played, 3 Tests, 5 ODI's and only T20I. Sri Lanka won the tests series 1-0 but lost the ODI series 3-2. They even lost the only T20I. Now, the next tour was important for them as the Pakistan tour didn't went too well for them. Sri Lanka's next tour was of South Africa. They were going to South Africa to play this series and as we know beating South Africa in their home conditions can be a tricky task but Sri Lanka played some good cricket. There were no T20I's on this series and so they were playing 3 tests and 5 ODI's. The test series was won by Sri Lanka, beating the South African team 2-1. Kallis was injured for the test series and this really costed the South African team. The ODI series was a tight one but Sri Lanka yet again played some good cricket and beat the South African team 2-1 with two games washed out.

So, this means that the test series is sure to be exciting but the ODI series isn't gonna be bad either, it surely gonna be tremendously exciting. All the three teams have played some really good cricket over the last few months. This series is surely gonna be exciting! This is a series of champions! First up to follow is the test series between Australia and India.

Series Fixture
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Test Series

December 26 - 30: Australia v India, Melbourne

January 3 - 7: Australia v India, Sydney

January 13 - 17: Australia v India, Perth

January 24 - 28: Australia v India, Adelaide

Twenty20 Internationals

February 1: Australia v India, 1st Twenty20, Sydney

February 3: Australia v India, Melbourne

Limited Overs Series

February 5: Australia v India, Melbourne

February 8: India v Sri Lanka, Perth

February 10: Australia v Sri Lanka, Perth

February 12: Australia v India, Adelaide

February 14: India v Sri Lanka, Adelaide

February 17: Australia v Sri Lanka, Sydney

February 19: Australia v India, Brisbane

February 21: India v Sri Lanka, Brisbane

February 24: Australia v Sri Lanka, Hobart

February 26: Australia v India, Sydney

February 28: India v Sri Lanka, Hobart

March 2: Australia v Sri Lanka, Melbourne

March 4: 1st Final, Brisbane

March 6: 2nd Final, Adelaide

March 8: 3rd Final, Adelaide

Tour matches

December 18 - 21, New South Wales v India, Melbourne​

Credits to Zax for the brilliant logos

 

[swacker]

Could I know who won the test series (Australia v India) :P

 

[Aditya]

Just follow this story, you would come to know.

 

[timchrist984]

This promises to be a thrilling series! The Punter v Sachin battle will be the key. If Ponting scores more in the series, the Aussies will win. If Sachin scores more, India win. Given the recent form of these 2 men, Ponting looks likely to win the series for Australia. I'm tipping that Sachin's bad form continues and Australia win the series 2-1.

@ Aditya: Great writeup, looking forward to the story
@ swacker: I LOLed at your comment.

 

[swacker]

Bleh, for once I thought it was a tri-series after seeing the three nations.

 

[timchrist984]

It's a tri-series in real life this year, so I assume it will be so in the story,

 

[6ry4nj]

I would advise anyone who listens to keep the wishful thinking/rewrite history element out of their stories. I trust you have got that out of your system now.

 

[Aditya]

India in Australia, squads for the test series​

MS Dhoni (C) (WK)
Virender Sehwag
Gautam Gambhir
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Suresh Raina
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Praveen Kumar
Ishant Sharma
Varun Aaron
Irfan Pathan
Wriddhiman Saha
Munaf Patel​

Michael Clarke (C)
Shane Watson
Phillip Hughes
Ricky Ponting
Usman Khawaja
Michael Hussey
Brad Haddin (WK)
Peter Siddle
Nathan Lyon
Patrick Cummins
Doug Bollinger
Ryan Harris
Trent Copeland
Steven Smith
Ben Hilfenhaus​

All the experienced players for India are fit and playing, this is a great news for the Indian fans. Who can forget the England tour just few months ago? The tour proved out to be horrible for India due to some of their experienced players coming home from the tour due to injuries but at home, the Indian youngsters showed promise and when the experienced players returned in test matches, the Indian team looked very solid. Varun Aaron, who performed very well against England gets a chance at the test level. The selectors have also shown faith in Irfan, who recovered from his injury just few months ago. Rest are the expected selections. So, overall the Indian team looks strong and ready to start with the series. They will be landing in Australia soon and then this much awaited series will start.

Australia team looks very solid too. It has the mixture of experienced players and youth, just like the Indian team. They have a new captain leading them in Clarke. Ponting is no more the Australian skipper but he will look to make some runs with the bat. A young bowler in Patrick Cummins has also been included in the test side due to his very good performances against South Africa. Siddle is also back in the side but Johnson has been dropped due to his very bad performances over the last few series'. Both the sides look balanced and have a good mixture of youth and experienced players. Surely this series is gonna be exciting.

 

[timchrist984]

I'm happy that Dougie made the squad. He deserves his callup. Michael Clarke's in the squad twice by the way.

 

[RPHKR]

Excellent presentation, hope india won't disappoint.

 

[The Rock]

Your stories are quite enjoyable to read. I hope this goes on for some time. GL!

 

[Fenil]

Good to see Irfan Pathan in the squad. On the other hand, disappointed that better choices for second WK options like Parthiv and Dinesh are not considered and lesser good Saha is taken. No second spinner too. Apart from that it is a very fine squad.

 

[Aditya]

Star Cricket to broadcast the tour in India​

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Star Cricket will be broadcasting the tour in India. Both the teams have agreed to use the Hot Spot for this series and the other new technologies as well. So, we will be seeing all the new technologies taking place in this series. In Australia, channel 9 will be covering the matches. Youtube will be broadcasting the tour on internet, in India there will be a 5 minute delay for the coverage but the good thing is, the cricket fans all over the world can watch the series on internet which is a good step taken by both the boards and the ICC.

 

[Fenil]

5 minutes delay on bcci.tv if I'm not mistaken. Also, did BCCI agree on DRS? Well, well. At least in virtual world, BCCI is supporting DRS.

 

[Aditya]

I'm determined to do well on this Australian tour - Sachin Tendulkar​

The Indian team has reached Australia and has landed in Melbourne, where they will be playing their practice match against NSW and the first test match against Australia. As soon as the Indian team reached Australia, a press conference was organized for Sachin, who is just one century away from that magical figure of hundred hundred's at international level, he will be the first cricketer to achieve this record.

Sachin said "I'm determined to do well on this Australian tour. I love to play in Australia, cricket fans here in Australia turn up for cricket matches in great numbers. Playing in front of them is something that every cricketer dreams of and doing well in front of them is something to be proud of".

"The last few matches I have played, I have not been at my very best and I know that I can do a lot better. I needed some rest from cricket, we have been playing a lot of cricket recently and the rest that I and some of the other players got was needed and now we're ready to do well against Australia."

"I'm not thinking about hundred hundred's at the moment. If I play well, that record is bound to be made but right now, I'm just planning to do well and win the matches for my team and I know if I do so, the record will be broken but that's not something that I'm thinking about, I just want my team to win. That's what matters. I will be training hard and I will try and score runs for my team and win the matches for my team."

"The Australian team has got some very talented youngsters. It's also good to see Ponting back in form. He's a legend; he is someone who has the capability of taking apart any team's bowling attack. He has a got a very interesting aggressive approach in his game and it's important for us to get him out cheaply throughout the series because we know how dangerous he can be."