Race is on, again

Gauti-Viru hold key

D Vengsarkar, Former India captain

What do you make of the series?
This series will decide who sits on the top of the rankings table. The World No.1 position will be decided because both teams are evenly balanced and have been vying for supremacy for quite some time now. Australia have been up there for a long time and India tasted No. 1 glory for a little while. But now India deserve to be Numero Uno. They have been consistent over last two to three years. Beating Australia in Australia, Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and England in England is no mean feat. This is a home series and I back India even more.

Team India is in a process of rebuilding.
There are youngsters coming up but the problem is that some of the key players are sitting out due to various reasons. Good players like Irfan Pathan have been injured. Piyush Chawla has been out, Sreesanth has problems with his temperament. But Zaheer Khan’s comeback will definitely add spice to the team. He is an experienced campaigner. It’s not that we are experimenting right now. The current process is all about creating options. With more and more of it, the team only becomes stronger.

Who will be India’s key players?
The opening combination of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will be lethal just as in the past. Then of course, we will have Sachin Tendulkar. I am now concerned about the bowling department. I would prefer to look at a more solid line-up than what we have now.

What about the Australian team?
Australia are a very good side. Like a true champion team, they don’t depend on one or two players. They bat quite deep.

Are India missing out on a genuine all-rounder?
I don’t think about the players who are not there. Cricket at this level is about thinking of the players, the resources which are available. There is no place for ifs and buts in cricket.

How do you compare the two skippers — Dhoni and Ponting?
Ponting is one of the greatest batsmen modern-day cricket has produced. His record as a captain speaks for itself. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has raised the bar as far as the overall standard of the team is concerned. He has also matured as a batsman and as a wicket-keeper. Dhoni is also growing in stature with every passing game.

But of late, Hasn’t he looked out of form?
See, he has been playing continuously for a long time now. Be it be ODIs, T20s or Tests, one cannot expect him to perform in each and every game. He is a terrific player to stay out of the action. I mean, he comes out to bat at a very crucial stage of the game too.

Do you think this series will answer a lot of questions about the future of 50-over cricket
Every format has a life. The problem with 50-over cricket is that the period of play between 15 and 35 overs becomes slightly boring or rather monotonous. We will have to wait and watch for now. We have the World Cup coming up in 2011. The authorities will have to take a call after that. But this series will help the 50-over in a way as we’ll have two very good sides locking horns. And with the No. 1 ranking at stake, it will be all the more exciting.

Ricky’s wicket crucial

Mark Taylor, Former Australia captain

What do you make of the series?
After the disappointment in the Ashes, the Australian team has turned it around with dominating wins in the ODI series against England and of course, the Champions Trophy. I know India are a very tough side to beat, particularly when they are playing at home. It should be an exciting series.

Australian look like a well-settled unit.
It may no longer be the same side but it is as effective. Since losing players like Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchirst, Australia have evolved with players like Tim Paine, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Cameron White coming good consistently.

Who will be the key players for Australia?
I think the big wicket for India will be Ricky Ponting’s. His success could be the key for the series. Skipping a few ODIs against England helped him a lot. Since then, he has looked fresh and played some Ponting-type of innings against England and in the Champions Trophy. Then there are players like Paine and White who are doing very well of late.

What is it that keeps Ponting going?
Ricky has had some disappointments lately, particularly in the Ashes. But he is enjoying his captaincy. He is having his own men, quite different from the team of  Steve Waugh. All those players from the  Steve Waugh era are gone. The current team is his own and he is mentoring them. He enjoys it and that keeps him fresh and hungry.

Will Australia miss players like Symonds?
Yes, Andrew Symonds is a big loss. He was the X-factor. The team will miss not only his batting but also fielding. Having said that, I hope White to deliver. I hope he will come good not just for Victoria but also Australia. Then there is someone like Paine. He will keep the pressure on Brad Haddin.

Do you think this series will decide the No. 1 team?
Being World Champions and now Champions Trophy winners, Australia can claim to be the best team in the world. If India win the series, they can jump over the Aussies in the rankings table. However, I think India, Australia and South Africa are the three best ODI sides in world cricket at the moment.

How do you analyse Dhoni’s captaincy?
MS Dhoni has added a bit of flair to the Indian side. The freedom with which he plays allows others to play freely. Dhoni has earned a lot of respect from teammates. His record as a captain is also very good. I think winning the World T20 title in 2007 was the turning point. Dhoni has more flair than any other Indian captain in recent times.

Who will be the big Indian wicket for Australia?
It has to be Sachin Tendulkar. Regardless of his age, he remain the key player. The Australians, I’m sure, will try to get his wicket as cheaply as they can because he’s a sort of player who can score a hundred any time. That is the beauty of ODIs as it allows batsmen to make hundreds and Sachin is that sort of a player. Australia will like to stop him from batting up to 40-45 overs.

Do you think this series will answer a lot of questions about the future of 50-over cricket
We will have to be patient before coming to a conclusion. I know T20 is very popular but there are a lot of people who want to watch ODIs. We should not be hasty in passing judgments.