Australia will play spinner Nathan Lyon instead of paceman Mitchell Starc in this week’s fourth and final Test against India, captain Michael Clarke said on Monday. Clarke said Lyon’s inclusion for the Adelaide match would give Australia an improved chance of sweeping the series 4-0 against India, who suffered heavy losses in the opening three Tests. “We think that is the best XI to give us every chance to win this Test match,” Clarke said ahead of Tuesday’s match. “I think the experience of the other three quicks will play a big part in these conditions. “The wicket looks really good and I think reverse swing is going to play a huge part in this Test match.”
Clarke said the ease of Australia’s quick-fire victories inside the scheduled five days had reduced the workload on his bowlers and he had no intention of resting leading pacemen Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus. “I have said from the start that we want to win every Test match that we play and this series is no different,” Clarke said. “Winning the last two Test matches in less than five days has helped everyone recover as well so all the guys are fighting fit and ready to go.”
Lyon, who was left out of the team for the third Test in Perth, has had minimal impact in the series to date, taking 2-180 off 50.5 overs in his two matches. It will be Lyon’s 10th Test and first at his home ground, where he is a former groundsman. Australia’s bowlers ran through India’s big-name batting line-up twice inside three days in Perth and Clarke is expecting a flat batting wicket in Adelaide with the match likely to run its full five days. India have only won once in nine Tests at Adelaide Oval. The match in the 2007-08 series between the two sides was a high-scoring affair, with India racking up 526 in their first innings and Australia replying with 563.
Sehwag rates Australian bowlers the best
Stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag said Monday he rates Australia’s bowling attack as the best he has faced as India battle to restore some pride in the final Test in Adelaide this week. The tourists face the humiliation of another 4-0 series wipeout if they lose against Australia in the fourth Test starting at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Sehwag leads the beleaguered tourists after regular skipper M.S. Dhoni was suspended for slow over rates in India’s crushing innings defeat inside three days in the third Test in Perth. Australia, spearheaded by Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, have dismissed India’s big-name batting line-up four times for under 200 and have prevented Sachin Tendulkar scoring his elusive 100th international century. “It’s everybody’s responsibility to score runs, especially outside India,” Sehwag said. “Unfortunately, on the last two tours the batsmen didn’t get those runs. “Yes, the openers need to make a good start but other batsmen need to score too.”
Sehwag, who has been one of India’s worst performing batsmen with 118 runs at 19.66, paid tribute to the strength of the Australian bowling attack. “They are bowling in good areas, they are not giving up easy balls to hit boundaries,” Sehwag said. “I think that’s the best bowling attack I’ve ever seen, especially against Australia. “Generally, when I played the fast men at Adelaide Oval, I’d get a couple of balls I could hit for boundaries. But in this attack I hardly get any balls.” Sehwag said hapless India would be playing for pride, out to prevent an eighth consecutive away Test defeat after last year’s 4-0 series drubbing in England.