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Team changes can't stop Aussies: Border

The former Australian captain feels the four changes to the Indian lineup would not stop the tourists from winning the fourth Test.

Published on: Oct 31, 2004, 21:00:00 IST
PTI | By , Mumbai
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Former Australian Test captain Allan Border on Sunday said the four changes to the Indian lineup would not stop the world champions from winning the fourth and final cricket Test and comlete a 3-0 whitewash of the hosts.

HT Image
HT Image

"I don't think four new faces in the Indian team will make much difference to the Australians," Border, also a national selector, said in Mumbai.

"We will go allout to win the Mumbai Test and as we are leading 2-0 with one match to go, I don't think the new faces would matter much," he said.

India axed wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, opener Aakash Chopra, Yuvraj Singh and Ajit Agarkar and replaced them with young guns Dinesh Kaarthick, Gautam Gambhir, Dheeraj Jadhav and S S Paul after the 342-run thrashing in the third Test.

"The Australians had done their home work this time round unlike in the previous away series and did not let the Indian top order batsmen to settle down in any of the three Tests so far," Border, who led Australia to its first World Cup victory in 1987 in India, said after a game of golf with leggie Shane Warne and former team-mate Dean Jones.

"The Aussie bowlers did a fantastic job and executed the plans they had for each and every Indian batsmen to perfection," the left hander added.

On Ricky Ponting, who missed the three Tests due to a thumb injury, returning to the team for the final Test, Border said: "Ponting's inclusion will further strengthen the Aussie batting line-up and obviously the morale of the team will be high as they have already won the away series after a lapse of 35 years."

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