Dismal tour of Oz, but India now know terrain

INDIA’S team director Ravi Shastri dismissed the tri-series in Australia preceding the World Cup as a complete waste of time and energy for a side defending their world title.

The former India captain seemed to have a point as the team, since landing in Australia in late November, could not register a single win in the four-Test series and finished the subsequent tri-series, also involving England, in similar manner.

But what India gained, and Shastri overlooked that point, is valuable knowledge of local conditions in the four months which made them the World Cup’s best prepared team outside the co-hosts.

Their pace bowlers, a revelation at the World Cup, figured out the right length they need to bowl to succeed and the batsmen went into the tournament knowing what kind of bounce to expect on surfaces vastly different from the ones back home.

They have looked a completely transformed side under MS Dhoni as India became the first team to claim 70 wickets in seven matches and remained unbeaten going into tomorrow’s semi-final against Australia. “They’ve just played a lot more cricket here and getting used to the lengths you need to bowl,” Australia opener Aaron Finch said yesterday.

“It’s no rocket science, they're bowling well, they’re batting well, they’re going to be tough to beat,” Finch added. – Reuters