Aussies bugged before ODI series

But the momentum has shifted dramatically in India’s favour in the last few weeks and Australia, struggling with the form of their bowlers, have an added worry on the count of Ricky Ponting.

The Australian captain is down with a virus bug in the stomach which has led to selectors delaying the announcement of the 12 for the game.

However, Ponting remained upbeat about his prospects on playing tomorrow. “I feel a bit better today than I was yesterday, I just had the whole day in bed yesterday,” he said. “I have had a pretty lazy day so far today, probably I will not do too much training but just try and recover as well as I can and make sure I am right for tomorrow morning.”

Ponting’s absence, if it so happens, will leave a big hole at the top of the order but Australia have enough one-day specialists to plug the gap in the abbreviated form of game.

Andrew Symonds, Michael Clark and Michael Bevan provide great depth to Australian batting and are capable of playing long innings, as well as shore up the bowling with their varied styles.

Australia’s bowling is gearing up for another bout with the Indian batsmen who have been in marauding form this summer. The top order is proven one with Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly providing the thrust and Rahul Dravid holding the innings in the middle.

The presence of VVS Laxman adds another dimension to the formidable line-up as he has time and again proved his stranglehold on Australian bowling.

Laxman was a disappointment in the one-day series last time around but the difference this time is his form as well as the fact that he is batting in the middle-order and not as an opener.

India’s bowling line-up is far from settled but it seems three medium-pacers and a spinner is what Ganguly is looking as a bowling unit. “It (bowling attack) depends on what kind of track we see tomorrow. If we find grass, we would not think about the two-spinner option,” Ganguly said. “We were beaten by them (Australia) in the World Cup, we lost to them in the triangular at home last year. But that is past and we need to carry on the good work of Test series,” he said.

For achieving his goals, Ganguly may repose faith in Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra while Anil Kumble picks himself on account of brilliant bowling in the Test series.

Kumble, who was ignored both in the World Cup and the triangular series final, is again expected to bowl with purpose and resolve. Two of the four one-day specialists flown in for the series — Yuvraj Singh and Hemang Badani — are also likely to figure in the starting line-up.

(Reuters)