India and Australia to try new faces in one-day series

Australia will rely on an experimental line-up as they seek to atone for their Test series defeat in India by winning the one-day leg of the tour.

The tourists have included uncapped all-rounder James Hastings and paceman Mitchell Starc in their squad.

They have also given opener David Warner a chance to prove he is more than just a Twenty20 specialist.

India, who won the Test series 2-0, are set to try out young batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary.

Dhawan, 24, and 20-year-old Tiwary are both left-handed, both free-scoring at domestic level and were team-mates for Mumbai Indians during last month's Champions League T20 competition.

But they have big shoes to fill with the Indian selectors having chosen to rest Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir because of injury concerns.

Having slipped to fifth in the Test rankings, Australia will be keen to bolster their position at the top of the one-day list, as well as gaining valuable preparation for the World Cup, which will be jointly staged by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from february to April next year.

However, they will be without Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus, who are all being rested ahead of the forthcoming Ashes Test series against England.

The absence of Johnson and Hilfenhaus means Doug Bollinger, who had to sit out he second Test because of injury, and Clint McKay will lead the seam attack with left-armer Starc providing the back-up.

Plans to give another 20-year-old, James Pattinson, his first opportunity were scrapped because of a back problem, prompting the selectors to call up Hastings as a late replacement.

But there is good news for batsman Callum Ferguson, who makes his international comeback after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right knee, 17 months on from his last appearance.

Shame India Shame....

August 15th, 2010. India celebrated its 63rd Independence Day. The radio will be blaring ‘Aye mere watan ke logon’. TV channels will alternate between ‘Roja’, ‘Rang de Basanti’, ‘Border’ and ‘Lakshya’. Schools across the country will compel their students to shed Sunday morning sleepiness and partake in flag-hoisting ceremonies. Milestones will be recounted, leaders glorified and saffron, white and green will dominate the landscape . Indians across the country will wear patriotism on their sleeve.

But I’ve been wondering what are we actually celebrating? Are we rejoicing over how corrupt officials choose heftier bank balances over national pride? Or maybe we’re happy about how our elected representatives decide to put the country’s security at risk to further their own agendas.

Let’s sample a few headlines from this past week to determine whether ’tis the season to be jolly:

The two biggest sports stories of the year haven’t been those of individual excellence or teams defying all odds to come out trumps. They’ve been the stories of the IPL imbroglio and the Commonwealth Games Fiasco, with administrators from both events under the scanner for financial irregularities and other malpractices. After Lalit Modi, it’s now Suresh Kalmadi’s turn to be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Delays, tottering venues and an ever escalating budget were only beginning signs of the rot. Charges against Kalmadi and other officials over the past couple weeks have included corruption, money laundering and discrepancies in broadcasting and sponsorship deals. The CWG was supposed to generate pride among citizens and showcase India’s ability to stage a global event, but instead has only managed to be the source of worldwide embarrassment.

Industrial growth is at the lowest its been in 13 months even as inflation has returned to double digits. Petrol and diesel prices seem to be hiked every month. Prices of commodities like milk, cereals and fruits have touched an all-time high. Soaring expenses means that even the middle class are crossing out essentials from their grocery list and the poor are going hungry. This is even as surplus foodgrains lie rotting in godowns.

The oil spill off the coast of Mumbai last Sunday after two cargo ships collided has brought up severe environmental concerns. Marine life and migratory birds have been affected and the livelihood of thousands has been hampered with estimated losses above Rs 85 crore per day. This environmental hazard occurred even as 25 years after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the Congress party faced allegations of letting off the guilty under political pressure. Victims of the tragedy have till date not been provided adequate compensation and health care.

Elsewhere in India, an eight-year-old girl was mercilessly beaten up by her teacher for failing to contribute Rs 2 to an Independence day function. This is the kind of ‘freedom’ kids in this country enjoy, where corporal punishment is an everyday occurrence that rarely comes to the fore.

Nature’s fury hasn’t left us unscathed either. The cloudburst and subsequent floods in Leh, has turned entire towns to slush and has left the area to appear like a war ravaged battleground. The death toll is at 183 and mounting while over 200 people are still missing.

Kashmir continued to boil this week with this summer’s death toll from violence rising to over 50. The Indian establishment has been unable to win over the Kashmiri population through overwhelming force and the protests in the valley are directed against the military presence. Bunkers and security forces symbolise India for most Kashmiris.

It’s not just Kashmiris who are in the centre of internal strife. The Maoist menace rears its ugly head almost every day with murders, kidnappings and attacks now a common feature in Naxal-dominated areas.

Are all the above reasons, cause enough to celebrate? The optimist in me will still search for those odd success stories and attempts to overcome calamities. I too love my country and wish to be proud of what I see happening in it. To my misfortune, events of the recent past are making my wish seem like just wishful thinking.

I don’t know about you, but come Sunday, it will be difficult for me to go about chanting ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’. Instead, I might just be tempted to hang my head in shame.