Cricket News In Brief – Part 1 – January 16, 2012 – Live Cricket Score and Update
India has named a 17-men squad which will take hosts, Australia in the two T20s from Feb 1st before playing the 50-over tri-series which also includes Sri Lanka from 5th of next month.
Zaheer Khan and Sachin Tendulkar return to the ODI setup since playing the final of World Cup 2011, while there is also a return for medium-pacer, Praveen Kumar, who missed the ongoing Test series due to fractured rib.
The major absentee from the squad remains of all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh, who failed to prove his fitness to the selectors following a lung infection.
Australian flamboyant opener, David Warner is hoping to improve on his consistency in the longer version of the game after being named the Player of the Match in the Third Test against Indian, following his whirlwind knock of 180.
Apart from the two centuries he has in Test cricket, Warner’s next highest score remains 37, and in order to fill the gap, the left-hander is expecting more consistent performances for the national team.
Hopefully this wasn't a one-off thing. It was my second Test hundred. I showed that I can play maturely as well in difficult situations [in Hobart]. Hopefully I can keep continuing with my form," said Warner.
Despite another failure from the experienced Indian middle-order, skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stated that he will not make any sudden changes in the Test team and will only assess after the end of the series.
The major concern for the Men In Blue has been the form of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, who has been on a barren run away from home. While the media is calling for Dhoni to bring in youngsters following a third consecutive loss in the longer version, the skipper is standing pretty firm on his stance of taking a radical approach.
“Very important to have the right mixture at the right time," he said. "You can't have all the seniors missing out all of a sudden, and all the juniors coming in. We will have to thoughtfully decide the best option. Give a bit of exposure to youngsters coming [in], at the same time have the fair mix of experienced guys and youngsters.