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Zak launches stinging attack on the Aussies


Ram

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'Australia can't take 20 wickets' - Zaheer Cricinfo staff October 13, 2008 94785.2.jpg Zaheer Khan produced a Man-of-the-Match performance in Bangalore before saving his most vicious delivery for after the game. Not satisfied with his all-round efforts, Zaheer attacked Australia's bowlers for being ineffective throughout the opening contest. "They know they can't take 20 wickets and they are on the back foot," Khan said. "They couldn't get me or Bhajji [Harbhajan Singh] out. So we are in with a big chance. They are under pressure - we know that. So we are looking ahead at the second game." The teams will head to Mohali on Tuesday carrying extra tension following Zaheer's comprehensive post-mortem of the tourists' performance. Australia were unable to dismiss India on the final day - bad light cost them ten overs and a little momentum - after setting an unlikely target of 299. After the match Zaheer said the Australians had employed defensive tactics and their spin bowling was a huge weakness. "I have never seen an Australian team play such defensive cricket, which is a good thing for us," he said. "On a fifth-day pitch the spinners could not do us any harm. That shows what their spin attack is all about." The debutant Cameron White and part-timer Michael Clarke combined for only three wickets in the game. But Zaheer wasn't finished. "Even the pacers didn't look like getting wickets at any stage today." Ponting was bemused by Zaheer's "defensive" charge. "I don't know what he means, to tell the truth," he said. "We were the only ones trying to take the game forward. We played aggressive cricket. He can have a little bit of a chuckle on the inside at what he's had to say. I don't think it means too much to us." The exchange adds weight to a rivalry that has simmered since Australia beat India 2-1 at home in 2007-08. It also ensures there will be more spice in the lead-up to the match in Mohali starting Friday. Zaheer was involved in a short, heated argument with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin while he was batting on the third day and said he expected such behaviour from his opponents. "We all know Aussies do all these kind of things," he said. "We settled the matter on the field and did not take it any further." Zaheer collected six wickets for the match, including 5 for 91 in the first innings, to go with his unbeaten 57. Ponting said Zaheer's partnership with Harbhajan, when they rescued India from 232 for 7 on the way to 360, was a big turning point. "Up till then we were way ahead," he said. "The lead went from 180 to 200 to 70. They took the momentum." Zaheer was pleased to have succeeded with the ball along with Ishant Sharma in the first innings. "It was very important for me when we lost the toss that the fast bowlers took responsibility," he said. "We responded and are very happy that as a bowling unit we did that for this match." © Cricinfo http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvaus2008/content/current/story/373830.html -------------- Wow, Zak almost sounds dismissive of the Aussies sometimes. Good on him!

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There was definitely a lot of words being said between Zak and Haddin. Not all of it was shown on TV. I was at the ground and could see lot of tension. But Neo sports dint want to show much of it. Even today, there was a lot of sledging going on when Sachin and VVS were batting, especially from Ponting who stationed himself at silly point. Once VVS left his crease and walked all the way upto the straight umpire and made a complaint. I'm curious to know what really transpired. Anyone who watched Live telecast, can update. Highlight packages are showing only the shots that went to boundaries.

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why wud u say something that stupid after winning the MOM . everyone knows aus were clearly the better side. so just shut up
Well they looked better becos of just two reasons. 1. They won the toss and hence made first use of the pitch. 2. Indian middle order dint do well in the first innings. Apart from this, I think India looked better or equal to Australia. Zaheer's observation is indeed right. Australia dint play like the way they used to play. The aggressive body language was nmot there today, when India were trying to save the match. Except for their age old tactics of sledging, they dint do anything extra ordinary to win this match. The field placing were defensive at best. Only when Gambhir was batting and when VVS was starting his innings, they were attacking. Otherwise, it was just a defenisive field with just one slip at all times. I'm just wondering how this Aussie attack would have reacted, had the Indians decided to give it a shot at the target, say by sending Dhoni up the order, to get some quick runs... All in all - the feeling I get is that the series is going to go on India's terms, with Aussies playing defensive cricket
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WOW strange comments from Zak really taking the challenge to the Aussies come on India:isalute:
but timing could've been lot better.india's just scraped to safety via sachin's brilliance n zak says all these things. he could 've said it before the series
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but timing could've been lot better.india's just scraped to safety via sachin's brilliance n zak says all these things. he could 've said it before the series
I think this is a better time to make the comments, they've now seen Australia, if he made comments before its making predictions, now he is making the comments based on his observation of the Australian attack
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I think this is a better time to make the comments' date=' they've now seen Australia, if he made comments before its making predictions, now he is making the comments based on his observation of the Australian attack[/quote'] but mohali test is upon us now. the pitch ;ll favour the pacers i.e. aussies. they r more likely to take 20 wickets than india
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Well they looked better becos of just two reasons. 1. They won the toss and hence made first use of the pitch. 2. Indian middle order dint do well in the first innings. Apart from this, I think India looked better or equal to Australia. Zaheer's observation is indeed right. Australia dint play like the way they used to play. The aggressive body language was nmot there today, when India were trying to save the match. Except for their age old tactics of sledging, they dint do anything extra ordinary to win this match. The field placing were defensive at best. Only when Gambhir was batting and when VVS was starting his innings, they were attacking. Otherwise, it was just a defenisive field with just one slip at all times. I'm just wondering how this Aussie attack would have reacted, had the Indians decided to give it a shot at the target, say by sending Dhoni up the order, to get some quick runs... All in all - the feeling I get is that the series is going to go on India's terms, with Aussies playing defensive cricket
even then they were more agressive than india
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but timing could've been lot better.india's just scraped to safety via sachin's brilliance n zak says all these things. he could 've said it before the series
Man.. you must be the most biased Sachin fan. Even I'm a fan of Sachin and I wont be blindly adoring him for every little thing he does. It was Zak and Bajji who saved the match for us with their effort to keep the lead below 100 runs. Had we conceded a lead of 150 plus, Austrlia would have batted more time and got a lead of about 350 runs and declared end of 4th day. Then we would have surely lost. Dont keep saying that Sachin saved the match. Had sachin showded some intent to chase the target, I would have felt it was a good innings. It was just an ordinary innings whioch any tom dick and harry would have played, given the circumstances. You call this teeny weeny innings of 49 as brilliance? With a MoM performance of 5 W/I and an unbeaten 50, Zaheer is much better placed to make this comment than Sachin. Zak was clearly a better player than Sachin in this game.
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Man.. you must be the most biased Sachin fan. Even I'm a fan of Sachin and I wont be blindly adoring him for every little thing he does. It was Zak and Bajji who saved the match for us with their effort to keep the lead below 100 runs. Had we conceded a lead of 150 plus, Austrlia would have batted more time and got a lead of about 350 runs and declared end of 4th day. Then we would have surely lost. Dont keep saying that Sachin saved the match. Had sachin showded some intent to chase the target, I would have felt it was a good innings. It was just an ordinary innings whioch any tom dick and harry would have played, given the circumstances. You call this teeny weeny innings of 49 as brilliance? With a MoM performance of 5 W/I and an unbeaten 50, Zaheer is much better placed to make this comment than Sachin. Zak was clearly a better player than Sachin in this game.
don't make me laugh
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Man.. you must be the most biased Sachin fan. Even I'm a fan of Sachin and I wont be blindly adoring him for every little thing he does. It was Zak and Bajji who saved the match for us with their effort to keep the lead below 100 runs. Had we conceded a lead of 150 plus, Austrlia would have batted more time and got a lead of about 350 runs and declared end of 4th day. Then we would have surely lost. Dont keep saying that Sachin saved the match. Had sachin showded some intent to chase the target, I would have felt it was a good innings. It was just an ordinary innings whioch any tom dick and harry would have played, given the circumstances. You call this teeny weeny innings of 49 as brilliance? With a MoM performance of 5 W/I and an unbeaten 50, Zaheer is much better placed to make this comment than Sachin. Zak was clearly a better player than Sachin in this game.
no doubt about it,i'm not taking anything away from zak n bhajji,but wen sachin came in at 24/2 aussie win looked on the cards . another wicket there of sachin n we were screwed.so sachin saved us imo
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Did we win the test or did were we in any position to win the test? Donno what Zak is yapping about.
exactly! he says aussie spinners took only 3 wickets b/w them as if indian spinners took 15 .they only took 3 themselves. gotta worry about ur selves first
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no doubt about it' date='i'm not taking anything away from zak n bhajji,but wen sachin came in at 24/2 aussie win looked on the cards . another wicket there of sachin n we were screwed.so sachin saved us imo[/quote'] Oh.. so are yo saying, we would have lost if Sachin went out cheaply? Do you think, the others wouldn't have saved the game for us? this thing of "India clicks if Sachin clicks" is a thing of the past. We have won/saved matches even when Sachin has failed miserably. The most recent example is our first innings, where Dravid, Sourav, Bajji and Zak did well to reduce the lead.
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Oh.. so are yo saying, we would have lost if Sachin went out cheaply? Do you think, the others wouldn't have saved the game for us? this thing of "India clicks if Sachin clicks" is a thing of the past. We have won/saved matches even when Sachin has failed miserably. The most recent example is our first innings, where Dravid, Sourav, Bajji and Zak did well to reduce the lead.
looks like u wud do anything to bash sachin.u r comparing woeful start on a 5th day to a wonderful start on a 3rd day.dada most prolly wud have played a few overs. but then? bhajji n zak swung their bats in 1st innings they had license to do that. dont think they could play defensively well.dravid was gone by time sachin walked in
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