Where there’s India versus Australia, there’s controversy

Every time team India travels to Australia, the heat down under takes a hard toll on them, be it the 2007-08 infamous ‘monkey-gate’ episode or the 2011-12 Virat Kohli episode, when he showed the crowd his middle finger. Controversies are sure to hover over the Indian cricket team when they play down under.
The ‘monkey-gate’ embroilment, during the Sydney Test, gained a lot of momentum, where Harbhajan Singh was charged for racially abusing Australia’s Andrew Symonds as a black monkey while Harbhajan refuted by saying he was just using ‘teri maa ki’ – which is an Indian slang phrase. Later, Matthew Hayden termed Harbhajan as an “obnoxious little weed” on a live radio interview.

Andrew Symonds (L) and Harbhajan Singh while playing the Sydney Test match in January, 2008. Photo: AFP

In 2011-12, team India travelled to Australia for a long, enervating tour. Losing the first Test, the team vowed to make amends in Sydney but the atrocious Sydney came to haunt them once again. After failing with the bat in the first innings, the Michael Clarke-tide swept away the Indians, causing some verbal jibes from the fans to which Virat Kohli replied with his middle finger.
Later, he clarified on Twitter that it was a payback gesture to unruly fans. Kohli was fined 50% of his match fee.
In the next Test at Perth, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma couldn’t control his hands. He also reacted to the taunts of some enraged fans by showing them the middle finger. While Virat did it on the ground, in front of television cameras and a million eyes, Ishant too could not take the fans’ tongue wagging and greeted them with his finger after the match.

Ishant Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli

Hark back your mind to 2005, when Greg Chappell was also involved in a similar finger-gate hurrah. The Indian crowd did not accept it and now the tag has been carried to Australia.
Kohli’s argument was that the fans abused his family. Ishant might tow a similar line but what they are forgetting is that some battles are best not fought. It is more of an immatureness that is being displayed by these sports ambassador of the country. Kohli and Sharma wanted to be like Bollywood actors, punishing guilty fans by themselves.
It might be just a finger gesture for them but actions speak louder than words. It landed them in hot water. Actions are a real measure of intelligence and, by flipping their fingers Kohli and Sharma have shown what they lack.
The young brigade is defined by youthful rebellion, with spiked, gelled hair, and tattooed arms. Their attitude is fine, perhaps aggressive too, but them losing their calm so easily is worrying. What such actions highlight is how flappable young Indian cricketers are. They have learnt the art of playing from their seniors but what they didn’t learn is the temperament and manners of the senior players. Look at Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who have always conducted themselves with the utmost poise and presence, wherever they have been.

Sachin Tendulkar (L), Rahul Dravid (C) and V. V. S. Laxman (R)

Once again, team India has set its foot in Australia to play a long Test series, but it is unlikely that this time the build-up to the tour will be different. The tragic death of Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes, has left the players and the nation in emotional apathy, however, this might prove to be more of a vulnerability during the series as emotions will rule the minds of the Aussies. Their captain, Michael Clarke, has already declared that he wants to win this one for his beloved Phillip Hughes, who was a brother to him.
So, expect plenty of drama, emotions and verbal jibes. It will be interesting to see how team India reacts to this approach, will they let it go by understanding the emotions of the grief stricken Aussies, or will they revert back with same force?
The battle of mind and emotions will be one to watch out for; the scorching summer in Australia has already begun and things will surely boil down under.

sean abbot back in action in sheffield shield

Sean Abbott was back "on the horse" at the SCG bowling for NSW against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.

MORE: Live coverage of Australia v India day 2 | Warner: Hughes was with me | Australia v India day 1 photos


Sean Abbott of the Blues runs onto the field at the start of play during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott of the Blues encourages team mates during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott of the Blues bowls during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott of the Blues bowls during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott of the Blues fields off his own bowling during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott (R) of the Blues celebrates with Peter Nevill (L) and Stephen O'Keefe (R) after taking the wicket of Nathan Reardon of the Bulls during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)


Sean Abbott of the Blues looks at Chris Hartley of the Bulls after bowling during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

warner fifty leads australia

With the focus firmly on how the Australians would front up to Test cricket following Phillip Hughes' death, David Warner scattered whatever nerves or doubts there may have been with a blazing start to the first Test. Warner hit seven of his first 15 deliveries for fours on the way to a 45-ball fifty after Michael Clarke chose to bat on an easy-paced Adelaide Oval pitch. 

India's new-ball pair of Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron were taken for 81 in 13 overs, and had it not been for Ishant Sharma's control, the visitors would have suffered more. Warner was on 37 off 20 when Ishant came on and bowled a maiden to the opener. In his next over, he slanted one across to have Chris Rogers edging a drive to second slip for 9.

India stuck to their strategy of bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Warner, probably in an attempt to deny him width. They still ended up providing plenty of room, particularly at the start, and Warner punished them. He was especially severe on Aaron who went for three fours in his opening over, driven first ball through extra cover and flayed backward of point twice. Shami got the same treatment in his next over.

Barring a probing first over from Shami to Rogers, the India fast bowlers could not find much swing or seam and the new ball came on nicely for Warner to hit on the up freely. The first bouncer the Indians tried was in the fourth over when Aaron made Warner crouch. The batsman's response was to upper cut the next ball, another bouncer, for four. Warner pulled Aaron for successive fours to reach his fifty, closed his eyes and looked up to the skies, something he also did on reaching 63, the score Hughes was batting on when he was felled by a bouncer.

Shane Watson eased himself to a start in his first Test since March, before chasing a wide one from Aaron on 14 and edging to second slip, where Shikhar Dhawan made no mistake again.

Clarke was welcomed by a sharp bouncer from Aaron, as Watson had been by Ishant. Even as Clarke gradually settled down, Warner hit the debutant legspinner Karn Sharma for a couple of boundaries to go to lunch on 77 off 73, leaving Virat Kohli with lots to think about in his first Test as captain.

its time for new begning for australia and india

Big Picture

A fortnight ago, everyone thought the first Test would be finishing today if it hadn't already, the teams wrapping things up at the Gabba and about to move on to Adelaide Oval. They thought the series would begin without either side being led by their regular captain. They thought that Michael Clarke's hamstring was the most important issue affecting the Australian team. They thought that Phillip Hughes was a strong chance to replace Clarke in Australia's XI. Nobody ever thought cricket would witness what it has over the past two weeks. And when the tragedy of Hughes' death became a reality, nobody thought it would be a big surprise if the series was trimmed back to three Tests to give the players some grieving time.

But, here we are at the new beginning. A reworked fixture retained all four Tests in the series, which now starts in Adelaide before moving on to Brisbane. Clarke was certain to miss the Gabba Test had it started last Thursday, but now will lead the Australians in a Test that will be more emotional than any they have played. Clarke saw Hughes as a "little brother" and struggled to hold back tears while delivering his remarkable tribute at Wednesday's funeral. Australia could not risk Clarke reinjuring his hamstring at the start of such an enormous summer, but it was also unthinkable that anyone else might lead Australia in Adelaide. Fortunately, he has looked genuinely fit at training.

MS Dhoni has also looked fit at training, but unlike Clarke has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a broken thumb. India will be captained by Virat Kohli, whose task is to ensure his men are up and ready for the challenge of a Test match given their unusual preparation. Not only was their previous Test series cancelled when West Indies pulled out, but since arriving in Australia they have had a pair of two-day matches separated by a period of mourning for Hughes and a trip to the funeral for several of the players.

But then, nothing about this match will quite be normal, as much as everyone wants to be able to switch their focus to the cricket. Tributes to Hughes will include 63 seconds of applause from the crowd and players before the match, the Australians wearing his Test number 408 on their shirts, and his being listed as "13th man" on the Australian team sheet. Many questions remain, including how the Australian players will mentally handle returning to action after farewelling their team-mate. But as Clarke said in his speech at Hughes' funeral: "We must play on".

Form guide

Australia LLWLW
India LLLWD

In the spotlight

One of the great unknowns is how the tragedy of Hughes' death will affect the use of the bouncer, and the response of players and fans to its bowling. Never will that be more the case than when one of the world's fastest and most fearsome bowlers, Mitchell Johnson, is operating. There can be no doubt that England's batsmen were at times scared of Johnson during last year's Ashes campaign on these same pitches, and presumably India's batsmen will be no different this summer. It will be just as interesting to see how often Johnson uses the bouncer, and whether he gives it everything when he does.

India have few reasons to remember their previous Test tour of Australia with fondness, but it was notable as the series in which Virat Kohli came of age as a Test player. In just his second Test series, Kohli was India's leading run scorer and was third only to Clarke and Ricky Ponting on the series tally, which was a fine effort given Australia's dominance over the four Tests. He was also the only Indian to score a century, which he achieved in the fourth Test in Adelaide. Now, he returns to the same venue captaining his country.

Team news

Australia named their side on the day before the match, with Clarke passed fit and Shaun Marsh therefore left out. Josh Hazlewood was the unlucky bowler to miss selection. Shane Watson returns to the Test side after missing the series against Pakistan in the UAE due to injury, and is expected to slot in at No.3.

Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Nathan Lyon.

The absence of Dhoni means Wriddiman Saha will keep wickets and Kohli will captain India for the first time in a Test. It also appears unlikely that Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play due to an ankle injury, which would leave Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Mohammad Shami as the probably pace attack.

India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammad Shami.

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide Oval now uses drop-in pitches but the curator Damian Hough said on match eve that he expected "a typical Adelaide Oval pitch" for the Test. "Hopefully there is a little bit in it early, it's going to be good to bat on, and then take a little bit of spin and some inconsistency later in the game," Hough said. The forecast for most of the Test is for fine weather and temperatures in the high 20s.

Stats and trivia

• Kohli will become the 32nd man to captain India in a Test
• Clarke has a remarkable record at Adelaide Oval, where in nine Tests he has scored 1279 runs at 98.38, including six centuries
• Australia begin the series ranked second and India sixth in Tests; India could drop to seventh if they lose 3-0 or 4-0
  Quotes
  "The first spell might be the most difficult. Then we might just get back into the game a bit more."
  Mitchell Johnson acknowledges it won't be easy playing after the death of Phillip Hughes
  "This one of the best bowling attacks we've had in a while. Guys who are bowling with pace and they're fit"
  Virat Kohli is pleased with the attack he has at his disposal

australia back in grounds

australia back in training after the death of phil hughes

Getting back on your feet after losing a close one is a tricky business, especially when that close one was a constant presence at work. After a while, you want to get out of the mourning atmosphere and itch to go back to work, but you can never be sure what is in store for you. You can take all the counselling you want, you can psyche yourself up, you can want to get back all you want, but nothing prepares you for what actually happens on the first day back. During their first training session after the loss of Phillip Hughes, Australia made conscious attempts at fun and games, at bonding, at being there for each other.

It worked for the most part; there were smiles, laughter, cheers, dives, plenty of bouncers, quite a few blows on the thigh pad and above. David Warner, though, walked out early from his net session - possibly his first since Hughes' death - after which team psychologist Michael Lloyd spoke to him for about 20 minutes. Warner then went indoors, removed his pads, and came out to bowl to some of his team-mates. That he was back on the field, even if just bowling medium-pace and dodgy offbreaks, would have come as relief to his team-mates, but they will keep a close eye on him in the lead-up to the Test, which begins on Tuesday.

There was a certain deliberateness to how Australia went about their first day back at work. They didn't go to Adelaide Oval, choosing instead Park 25 Cricket Ground, which is open from all sides. One reason could be that they wanted to be able to bat in the middle, which might not have been possible at a ground getting ready for a Test. "We felt doing it in the open air would be better," coach Darren Lehmann commented before the session began. His answers remained short, suggesting even he didn't - as expected - know how the return was going to go, and promised normal - good, hard - Test cricket.

"We have plenty of steps to be honest, but we would like to keep it to ourselves for now to be honest," Lehmann said when asked if any of the players came out of a training session not feeling too good about playing the Test. "It's all about facing that first ball on Tuesday. So that's what we are trying to do: get them to that first ball over the next few days."

	Team bonding was a major focus during Australia's first training session since Phillip Hughes' death © Getty Images Enlarge

You could tell Lehmann himself didn't know what lay ahead. He had all the support, though. A familiar face welcomed the team to the ground. Barry "Nugget" Rees, the former Adelaide Oval dressing-room attendant, a motivating figure and a favourite among the players, was the first person they met as they walked in to the ground. The 70-year-old had that calming look on his face, one that said "I know what you have been through", and he shook hands and patted the shoulders of everyone.

The focus clearly was on easing the players back in. Selector Rod Marsh was present too, and he took part in the huddle, which ended in loud applause. The players were then divided into pairs, almost like they were at a dance. Brad Haddin, who could be captaining at the Adelaide Oval should Michael Clarke not be fit, and Ryan Harris, who is coming back from a career-threatening injury, responded by getting into a mock ball-room dance. Some others started doing the worm. The actual exercise was for the players to send their partner in circles, like a revolving door, until they felt dizzy. They all had a good laugh or three over it.

Fielding consultant Greg Blewett then made his way towards the cameramen, speaking to the one from cricket.com.au, presumably telling him to focus on something in particular. Presumably that something in particular was the same warm-up game with a football that Hughes is seen playing and enjoying immensely in the endearing cricket.com.au tribute video. After that they played another warm-up game, that of handball with a cricket ball, except that in this game the ball had to be kept close to the ground. Dives, slides, passes, dribbles, goals, all had the players expressing themselves freely, which would have been a struggle over the last few days.

When the nets began, the fast bowlers were given the centre pitch. No one held back. Bouncers flew from every arm. Thighs pads and ribs were hit. Hooks were played. There was no visible stigma around the bouncer. Finally you could see the players were getting some much-needed release.

However, it's when you are alone that your recovery from a personal loss is tested. And batting is a lonely job. When Warner went into the net, to face throwdowns from batting coach Michael Di Venuto, he was all alone. He didn't seem pleased with the way he hit the ball. The first bouncer at him, though, he hooked away comfortably. At other times he kicked the ground whenever he mis-hit. He cussed when he wore one in the rib. Eventually he hit the stumps with the bat when he edged one towards gully, ending his session. Di Venuto walked towards Warner, asking him if he was all right, but didn't get much of a response.

Warner walked straight to the tent outside the nets, seeming to wipe his face with his arm. He sat with his face in his hands until Lloyd joined him. What stood out was that the other players went on with their work even though Lehmann and Rod Marsh did have conversations with Lloyd.

Warner then walked back into the sheds, emerged about half an hour later with a ball in hand, and had a long bowl at the centre wicket. The usual legbreaks were missing. He bowled energetic seam-up for quite some time before bowling offbreaks with an action that would have had the ICC technical committee in knots had they been watching. Blewett, who kept wicket with a baseball mitt on, kept calling every delivery a no-ball. Warner didn't react much, but seemed more at ease. Bowling provides a release, batting draws you inwards. After he was done, Warner walked back to his hotel with his fellow opener Chris Rogers.

The first session was now out of the way. Three more of these, many press conferences where they will be asked emotional questions, some ceremony on Tuesday morning, and the Test match will be upon Australia. If this training session was emotional for Australia, Tuesday morning will be many times more so. As Harris said earlier this week, this is a great unknown, and nothing can prepare Australia enough for the morning of the first Test after Hughes.