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Captains promise to stay off row
Source: Agencies |
December 25, 2011, Sunday
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WITH an Australian cricket team in upheaval, India might have its best chance in decades to end an unwelcome streak Down Under - it has never won a test series since it began touring here 64 years ago.
And regardless of the outcome, both captains said yesterday that they'll try to keep the series free from controversy that marred India's last visit.
When the four-test series begins tomorrow at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar might have an opportunity to give India a solid start toward ending that streak, and create a historic milestone for himself: becoming the first cricketer to score 100 centuries in tests or limited-overs internationals.
Tendulkar warmed up for an attempt at the mark when he hit a stylish 92 in India's drawn tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI a week ago.
Tendulkar's last international century came in March against South Africa. Fellow batsman Rahul Dravid has also been in strong form, scoring 1,067 runs in 2011 with five centuries.
But Dravid said he'd trade all the personal achievements for a test series win in Australia. "I wouldn't have minded scoring five hundreds (fewer) or 1,000 runs less if we could win a series in Australia," Dravid said. "The greatest memory for me now is not necessarily statistical ... it's those magical moments. The series wins in tests stay with you."
Yesterday, rival captains Michael Clarke and M.S. Dhoni said they were anxious to avoid the tensions and bad blood that spilled over when India last toured Australia in 2007-08.
"The relationship between the Australia team and the India team could not be stronger," Clarke said yesterday. "We all understand there's a line you can go to but there's a line you can't cross. I can guarantee you that nobody in the Australian team will cross that and if they do, there'll be punishments from the ICC but also from Cricket Australia."
Dhoni said sport played a key role in Australia's culture and his players knew what to expect. "They are a side that play tough when it comes to sport or in life, so it's good to compete against them," Dhoni said. "Even the last series when we were here, we really enjoyed it, keeping the controversies apart."
Dhoni said India would do its best to behave. "A few individuals did make mistakes at that point in time," he said. "It's something that we don't really want to do as professional cricketers. There's a lot at stake. People look up to us. So we'll try to keep it controversy-free. "
And regardless of the outcome, both captains said yesterday that they'll try to keep the series free from controversy that marred India's last visit.
When the four-test series begins tomorrow at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar might have an opportunity to give India a solid start toward ending that streak, and create a historic milestone for himself: becoming the first cricketer to score 100 centuries in tests or limited-overs internationals.
Tendulkar warmed up for an attempt at the mark when he hit a stylish 92 in India's drawn tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI a week ago.
Tendulkar's last international century came in March against South Africa. Fellow batsman Rahul Dravid has also been in strong form, scoring 1,067 runs in 2011 with five centuries.
But Dravid said he'd trade all the personal achievements for a test series win in Australia. "I wouldn't have minded scoring five hundreds (fewer) or 1,000 runs less if we could win a series in Australia," Dravid said. "The greatest memory for me now is not necessarily statistical ... it's those magical moments. The series wins in tests stay with you."
Yesterday, rival captains Michael Clarke and M.S. Dhoni said they were anxious to avoid the tensions and bad blood that spilled over when India last toured Australia in 2007-08.
"The relationship between the Australia team and the India team could not be stronger," Clarke said yesterday. "We all understand there's a line you can go to but there's a line you can't cross. I can guarantee you that nobody in the Australian team will cross that and if they do, there'll be punishments from the ICC but also from Cricket Australia."
Dhoni said sport played a key role in Australia's culture and his players knew what to expect. "They are a side that play tough when it comes to sport or in life, so it's good to compete against them," Dhoni said. "Even the last series when we were here, we really enjoyed it, keeping the controversies apart."
Dhoni said India would do its best to behave. "A few individuals did make mistakes at that point in time," he said. "It's something that we don't really want to do as professional cricketers. There's a lot at stake. People look up to us. So we'll try to keep it controversy-free. "
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