Looks like Ishant will play..
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Injured Ishant may play in second final
TNN / Vinay Nayudu
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BRISBANE, March 3: Having captured Sydney braving the odds, the Indians are dead determined to hit the final nail in the coffin in the second Tri-series final against the Aussies at the Gabba on Tuesday.
Thanks to another futile attempt Down Under to 'corner' the gritty Harbhajan Singh, the Indians certainly won't relish the prospect of hanging on for a few more days since they believe now their opponents might even take offence to see them walking on the turf.
The thing is, Australians are not used to getting it back, either verbally or on the field. That the Indians have succeeded is doing both, and achieving fantastic results too, is making them see red and go wild. The fact that Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, had to remind his colleagues about the need to pick themselves up was an indication of how much India's dogged performance has pricked his team's pride.
As for the Indians, Sachin Tendulkar was spot on in saying the first blow is what matters. "It was extremely good to go one-up in the series, the first blow is what matters," Tendulkar said. "We don't have much time before the second final, but we have to get up and put up a good show. We are up for it and we want to continue this winning performance."
So far, both India and Australia have scored two wins each with one game abandoned in this farewell year of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series. That washout was here at the Gabba in the opener when the Indians after being bowled out for 194 hit back to reduce Australia to 51 for 3 before the heavens opened.
In the 29-years of this tournament's proud history, India has thrice made it to the finals — in 1985-86, 1991-92 and 2003-04 — only to lose all those games to Australia which is another big reason why Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team wants to topple the world champions and clinch the trophy in its farewell year.
The good thing is both Tendulkar and Ishant Sharma are expected to be fit for the second final. While Tendulkar was hampered by his groin during the course of his majestic hundred at the SCG, Ishant had to leave the field after injuring a finger in his bowling hand.
"Ishant has ruptured a blood vessel in the middle finger. The X-ray has not showed much and the doctor says it will be fine on its own. But it could be twelve hours or more but we expect Ishant to be fit in the nick of time," said assistant coach Lalchand Rajput.
Another important decision that Indian captain Dhoni is likely to go ahead with is in persisting with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who was impressive at Sydney, his first game of the series. However, as has always been the case with this young Indian team, it's not the personnel they choose but their resolve and heart for the battle that has seen them turn the world upside down.
AuthorTopic: Ind vs Aus CB Series 2nd final.. Pre/post-Match discussion and match thread (Read 9930 times)
