Indian Tracks -no longer a big worry

The flat decks in India no longer worry pacers, said South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
The current South African pace duo of Steyn and Morne Morkel gave enough indications of their deadly intent in the first Test that ended in an Indian defeat inside four days here yesterday.
Steyn was the fast swinger, in and out, as compared to Morkel who tried to hit the deck with his lanky frame and get the ball to snort at the batsmen even on a slow VCA stadium track in Jamtha.
The secret to their success lay in not allowing themselves to be defeated mentally by the flat decks confronting them.
Smith said the changed mindset of his fast bowlers is one of the reasons for their success.
"I think mindset is crucial coming here. If you come here thinking I would bowl one spell as best as I can and (that for) the next spell?the wicket is flat and the spinners should be doing the job...(then you are will not succeed). I think it's about taking responsibility for your position. It's not always it's going to come off," he said.
"I think the fast bowlers, in particular, have come here with a good and positive mindset that they can contribute on this tour," he said.
"I think having just popped in playing for South Africa they look to do well. The mindset within the team is crucial.
That's the mindset this current pack has and probably has had before," Smith elaborated.
Steyn too had talked about the importance of having positive mindset before the commencement of the Test and said the change had come about after the spanking he, Morkel and Makhaya Ntini got from India's Virender Sehwag in Chennai on their previous visit in 2008.
The Delhi dasher pulverised the Proteas attack slamming an unbelievable 42 fours and 5 sixes in his career-best knock of 319 that came off just 304 deliveries.
"It was definitely not the pitches, it was the mind frame that we definitely got into. I am not giving everything away here, we still have got to play two Test matches against him.
But whenever we go out to bowl in the Test match, you will obviously see what's going to be coming his way," Steyn elaborated ahead of the series opener in which he took 10 for 107, including a career-best 7 for 51 in the first innings.
It contrasted sharply with his figures in Chennai when the speedster conceded 103 runs for four wickets in India's massive score of 627 built around Sehwag's masterpiece. Steyn later ended up with 15 wickets in the drawn three-Test rubber.
Morkel, who gave Steyn admirable support, had stated that the strength of the Proteas lay in their ability to hit the deck hard.
"We got bowlers who can bowl 145 kph. One of the strengths of our fast bowlers is to run up and bowl short. Why not use it," he said.

Indian Team for Bangladesh Series

Sachin Tendulkar was rested while pacemen Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar were on Friday dropped from India's 16-member squad for next month's Tri-series in Bangladesh.

Temperamental speedster S Sreesanth, who missed the ODI series against Sri Lanka because of swine flu, and Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda were included in the ODI squad for the Tri-series announced by the BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan after a selection committee meeting here.

Ishant, who has been in poor form in recent times, was not only axed from the Tri-series squad but was also not included in the team for the fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka here on Sunday.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was also left out of the Tri-series squad with the national selectors preferring leg spinner Amit Mishra to share the spin bowling responsibilities with Harbhajan Singh.

Dashing left-hander Yuvraj Singh, who only played one match in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, has been named in the Tri-series squad which has no new face.

"Sachin Tendulkar desired to be rested for the Tri-series at Bangladesh. He will play the Tests against Bangladesh," Srinivasan said in a BCCI press release issued tonight.

Virender Sehwag, who led India when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was unavailable following the two-match suspension for slow over-rate, has been named vice-captain of the Tri-series squad.

Rohit Sharma, who figured in India's Twenty20 squad, has also been recalled for the Tri-series in Dhaka from January 4-13.

Apart from India, hosts Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the two other teams.

The Tri-series will be followed by a two-match Test series in Chittagong (Jan 17-21) and Dhaka (Jan 24-28).

The team to be captained by Dhoni has six specialist batsmen, two specialist spinners and five pacemen. It has one all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja who has been quite effective as left-arm spinner and two wicketkeepers in captain Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik.

In the absence of Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir is likely to open the innings with his Delhi teammate Sehwag while it will be interesting to see who bats at the crucial number three position.

Zaheer Khan will spearhead the pace attack which also has Ashish Nehra and Sreesanth besides the two two rookies Sudip Tyagi and Ashok Dinda.

Squad for the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka:

MS Dhoni (Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, S Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha.

Sqaud for the Tri-series: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag (Vice-Captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, S Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Amit Mishra.