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Aussies will stifle Sehwag, says Andrew Symonds
The Aussie think tank has a plan up their sleeves to stifle Sehwag's pyrotechnics in Tuesday's TVS final at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
Indian opener Virender Sehwag's running into form against the Kiwis in Hyderabad with a blistering 130 has not affected Ricky Ponting's Australian team at all.
The Aussie think tank here has a plan up their sleeves to stifle Sehwag's pyrotechnics in Tuesday's TVS final at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
According to Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, Sehwag has been lucky with his stroke play and was the only Indian batsman to get away from the world champions in the World Cup final in March.
"He played some terrific shots but I think he had a bit of luck as well to go with it. That's the way he plays," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Symonds as saying.
"He's probably going to be in better form than he was two hits ago but we've got our way of bowling to him and I don't think that will change much. I still reckon it will work," Symonds added.
Sehwag, who was bothered by Kasprowicz's jagging and short deliveries in the most recent match against Australia, was dropped more than once early in his innings, and was clearly uncomfortable against Nathan Bracken's swinging left-armers in the other games.
"I don't know if we've got it over him, but I think we've made it more difficult for him to score runs. We've had a strategy against him. Whether he's a bit rough on form, I don't know," Symonds said.
With Kasprowicz's strong, run-stifling form in the past two matches — and his ability to create awkward angles and cut the ball around on Indian wickets — the 31-year-old's Queensland teammate and close friend Andy Bichel, who has only four wickets from six matches, is under pressure to keep his spot for the final. That is unless the selectors decide to gamble on four fast bowlers instead of, say, Ian Harvey's medium pacers.
Kasprowicz considered the decision beyond his control, and said he was simply grateful to be playing for Australia again after his first tour in two years was seriously endangered by a gluteal injury.
"I was happy with the way I bowled, good areas and good length and no width," Kasprowicz said. "There could be four quicks, who knows?"
Meanwhile, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has told the Australians to expect a crowd of as many as 120,000 at Eden Gardens, which is sure to assault the senses of the players who have not experienced such mayhem before.
"Don't know where they're going to put 'em all," was Symonds's observation.
"It would have been nice to play the Kiwis here, it would have rubbed a bit of salt in, but it's not to be. It will be a true test for us anyway, having their home crowd and us having to play at our best, especially if we lose the toss."
Symonds produced a match-saving innings against New Zealand in Pune, and in Bangalore bowled spin to one batsman and medium pace to another in the course of the same over to finish with 3-42.
As always, Sachin Tendulkar is a more worrying proposition than Sehwag. He made 102 against New Zealand on Saturday, and against Australia has produced scores of 100, 68 and 89 during the triangular series.
"He's difficult to get at because he's so good," Symonds said. "We've got players that are the same and you've just got to hope that you can restrict him and force him into playing a frustrated shot with the new ball that maybe swings or seams a bit to get him out."
