India A vs Australia A in India 2008-09 (SuperSelector added)

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'Results first, entertainment second': Simon Katich Dumped after an ordinary Ashes three years ago, Simon Katich is back, largely due to a huge domestic season. Australian cricket's working-class hero talks about being an unattractive batsman in a team of dashers. More... Simon Katich 'Results first, entertainment second' Australian cricket's working-class hero talks about being a dour batsman in a team full of dashers, and how he overcame his bad patch Interview by Sriram Veera September 5, 2008 Simon Katich is not the prettiest batsman around, what with his exaggerated shuffle and his slow, old-fashioned scoring. The good part is, the base of his game is old-fashioned too; it's about making sure he fits into the team and contributes to victories, as opposed to entertaining the crowds. After an ordinary Ashes in 2005, Katich was dropped from the Australian side, but he has responded with a blockbuster 2007-08 season with New South Wales, scoring 1506 runs at 94.12, the highest by a long distance and also a Pura Cup record. His comeback finally arrived, though as an opener, to fill in for an injured Matthew Hayden. Fill in he did, and then some. Katich scored 319 runs in the West Indies earlier this year, at an average of 63.80, behind only Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ricky Ponting in that series. In India, captaining Australia A on the tour of India, Katich is a man at peace with himself. A man not bothered about his reputation as long as he is a member of a Test team that keeps winning. "Obviously you like to entertain the crowd as much as possible, but when you are playing Test cricket it's all about winning the battle day in and day out," he tells Cricinfo The passion of Katich: after being given out dubiously at Trent Bridge in 2005 © Getty Images In a way, you are the Larry Gomes of Australia. What is the mentality of a defensive batsman in a team full of attacking batsmen? (Laughs). Basically it's about always playing within your limitations. I know that I am not going to strike the ball like Andrew Symonds or Ricky Ponting, so I stick to my own game. Hopefully it complements the rest of the guys in the team. You scored a quick hundred in just over a session last Pura season [during an innings of 306 against Queensland]. We wondered if it was the same Simon Katich. Yeah, 180 in just over a session. There are rare days when I do score reasonably quickly. (Laughs) Does ego come into play? People call you boring. How do you tackle that, mentally? I try not to worry about that too much. I know I have a role within my team. As long as my team-mates, captain and coach are happy, there are no dramas. Obviously you like to entertain the crowd as much as possible, but when you're playing Test cricket, it's all about winning the battle day in and day out. It is said that when a batsman is hitting the ball, he is expressing himself. They never use that phrase about one who defends passionately. What's your take on that? You can still be showing good intent by having a solid defence, dropping the ball for a single and getting to the other end and rotating strike. That puts pressure on the bowlers. We talk about the singles as the other way of showing good intent. It's just not about going there and whacking fours and sixes, particularly in Test cricket. You have to take pressure off yourself by rotating the strike. Even when you are doing well, they might say, 'Ah, we don't want to watch him.' How do you shut that out? It doesn't faze me. You know that at the end of the day not everyone is going to like the way you play. You can't please everyone. That's the way it is. All that concerns me is making sure I'm doing a good job for the team. Was that always your attitude, even at a young age? I always had that thought process. I haven't worried about what the public and the crowd think. Otherwise I would probably have changed the way I played. Look, as I said before, not all of us can go out there and play like Andrew Symonds. I play within my limitations, and I'm very happy with that. That's the beauty of a team sport. You have got to have different sort of guys. You opened with Adam Gilchrist in the ODIs. How difficult was that? Yeah, definitely. And also, I was not playing well during that period. I was dropped from the Test side but managed to hold on to a spot in the ODIs. I battled through that period knowing that my game was not completely in order. Thankfully, now I have worked those problems out. You've had your share of problems in your career: a severe bout of chicken pox, injury problems, a battle with form... but now you're back. What has changed in your approach? I have changed a lot. I had a poor Ashes series in 2005, but prior to that I was playing pretty well in Test cricket. So it was disappointing that I had one bad series and I was out. But that's the way with the Australian set-up. I had to go out and work hard to fight back. When I did get dropped, I took it on the chin. I knew I had not performed well enough. No doubt lots of people thought I was gone, but deep inside I felt I could keep chipping away and the opportunity would come. I was fortunate to get a chance in West Indies. Did anyone help you in the process? Bob Simpson made contact with me after I got dropped, and he was one of the few people to say, 'Look, I can help you out.' I have not forgotten that gesture. At that point I was very down with the way I was going, but to know that someone like him was there and wanting to help me gave me great confidence. The fact that he was prepared to do the hard yards to try and get my career back will be something that I will always be grateful for. Simpson wrote that your balance and footwork were suspect when you were struggling. Did you work on those areas? Yeah. I was unable to hit the ball straight, and that in turn affected my confidence and had a snowball effect. When I was struggling in the Ashes, I was falling over a bit and I couldn't play straight back down the ground. Also, on the off side, not being balanced, I was hitting the ball too square. The ball was not going where I wanted it to. Plus England bowled very well. Plus those Murray mints? (Laughs) Yeah, that might have played a little part! I spent lots of time in the nets in Sydney - getting my balance right, getting my foot movement and timing right. I got enormous help from Simpson and my NSW coach, Matthew Mott. And the whole team ambience at NSW was great. It's amazing what can happen when the environment is relaxed, enjoyable and fun. Your stance has been criticised. You make those shuffling initial movements and then you straighten up. It's just a natural thing. I have always had the movement before the ball gets bowled. I think it's similar to someone like Darren Lehmann. And Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The other left-handers do it as well. One of the things as a left-hander is that you can obviously get exposed outside off stump if you are not covering it. I always try to make sure I am strong around the off stump. Workman at work: in the West Indies, during his successful comeback © AFP How do you approach the nets sessions? Matthew Hayden said in an interview that he prepared according to the bowlers in the opposition. I try to replicate what happens in the first ten minutes of the match. Now after opening it's about making sure I am tight and not playing extravagantly. Some openers like Hayden like to put pressure on the bowlers. I would be more inclined to take my time and build my foundations. But there have been times in your career when you have suddenly gone for the hook and got out. It happened against India in Adelaide. Was there a bit of ego involved there? No, I just felt good at that time. I was on 70-odd, I was seeing the ball well and it was an instinctive shot. What's the worst shot you've played in international cricket? Getting out on 99 at Nagpur, when I had played well and should have got a hundred. And here in Bangalore, when I got out for 81. I was lbw in Nagpur. I missed one from Murali Kartik and was plumb. In Bangalore I got out trying a pull shot off Anil Kumble. I gloved it onto my thigh pad, and it rolled to the stumps. I should have just tucked it for a single. I paid the price. What gives you confidence? Is there any shot in particular after playing which you say you are up and ready? If I am able to hit straight and the ball is going where I want it to go, I feel confident. That to me has been the sign in the last 12 months: I have started to drive a lot straighter, and my confidence level has increased. The players you admire? I have never played against Allan Border, but I admired his fighting quality. Playing with Steve Waugh was a big learning curve, seeing how he went about it when the team was under pressure. Did you sit down and talk with Waugh? What exactly made him so special? I think because he got out there and set a good example when the team needed him. We had huge respect for him. He would perform when the pressure was on. Be it in the 1999 World Cup or in Tests when he got that double hundred in West Indies. Stuff like that. It was about respect. What drives you? I am very competitive and I love to win. I have been fortunate to play in winning teams throughout my career, and that's something I love. Sometimes I have been more inclined to worry about the win rather than whether I entertain the crowd or not. It's about celebrating the win with my team-mates, be it club, Australia, NSW, county or Mohali [iPL]. That's what I love about the game. Early in your career you moved from Western Australia to New South Wales, which the WA fans didn't like. Some of them called you a traitor and said you moved to NSW just to get into the national side - since there is supposedly a bias towards NSW in the national selection. (Laughs) That move had nothing to do with playing for Australia. It was about trying to become a better player. I felt that at that time in WA I was stalling. I had to get better against spinners and also work on my spin bowling. That's why my move to Sydney was an ideal opportunity. In my mind it never mattered whether I played for WA or NSW, because I got picked to Australia from WA. I have always believed if you are good enough you will be picked. No doubt, history shows that lots of NSW players have been picked, and that has something to do with the fact that NSW had a couple of Australian captains in Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. But you look at the squad now; the guys are coming in from everywhere. There are four different selectors and it's not as biased as it seems. There were many NSW players on the West Indies tour, but that's also a by-product of us winning the Pura Cup last year. The guys who had performed had warranted selection. Peter Roebuck wrote an article earlier this year saying you should be the next Australian captain. I was embarrassed to read that. I respect what he wrote, but I don't think in my situation that's going to be the case. I am just happy to be back in the mix as a player and doing my role whenever I get the opportunity. You might get the chance only when someone is injured or something like that. How do you adjust and prepare mentally for that? I understand that's the situation I am in. I have tried to relax myself thinking that whatever will be will be. That showed in the West Indies. I had a bad start but I kept myself relaxed and playing as well as I have done for NSW. What is your emotional support system? My wife and both our families. At the end of the day it's a game and I love it, but there are other important things in life. Don't get me wrong, Test cricket is a very huge thing and I have really worked hard to come back. I certainly want to make the most of this opportunity. Does your wife give you advice about how to play? Yeah. She has come to understand the game, and it's funny. She keeps telling me, 'Don't hook, don't hook'!

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Australia A salvage a draw The Australia A batsmen undid all the good work of their bowlers as they crumbled to 113 for 8 against India A, still 22 runs short of avoiding the follow-on by the end of the second day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. More... India A v Australia A, 1st Test, Bangalore, 3rd day Australia A salvage a draw The Bulletin by Sriram Veera at the Chinnaswamy Stadium September 5, 2008 India A 284 (Kaif 94, Chawla 66, Bollinger 4-59) drew with Australia A 116 (North 41, Parmar 4-37, Chawla 3-39) & 263 for 7 (North 88, Katich 56, Tyagi 4-42) Scorecard Marcus North stood out in an otherwise insipid Australian A batting performance, top scoring in both innings © Getty Images The first unofficial Test ended in a stalemate and, though India A held the upper hand for the most part, forcing Australia A to follow on, the visitors clung on to force a draw, play being called off with an hour left. Both teams will leave Bangalore with several positives. Bryce McGain's accurate bowling on the first day and Marcus North's batting in the second innings are the gains for Australia, while the hosts will take heart from the batting of Mohammad Kaif and the feisty Virat Kohli and the performance of the spinners - Mohnish Parmar, the Murali clone, and Piyush Chawla. Yet both sides also had a few questions unanswered, with the visitors worse off in this aspect. They arrived with the intent of picking one spinner for Australia's tour of India later in October; however, Beau Casson, who bowled just one over in the game after picking up a hamstring strain, and Bryce McGain, who didn't bowl a single over on the second day after a shoulder niggle, are likely to miss the next game in Hyderabad. In any case McGain, though he picked up three wickets, hardly looked threatening. And apart from Simon Katich and Marcus North, the Australian batsman have looked pretty vulnerable against spin. India A too, have had their share of problems. Barring Kaif, who played a superb knock, displaying an improved technique, and Kohli, the batsmen including S Badrinath and Robin Uthappa, didn't come to the party. Parthiv Patel's wicketkeeping continued to be below par - failing to gather several deliveries cleanly, missing a stumping chance off Chawla - and will have given Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of the selectors who was in attendance, much to think about. Among the pacemen, Dhawal Kulkarni and Sudeep Tyagi - who was back after a back injury that laid him low for four months - showed promise but Vinay Kumar looked pretty ineffective. The spinners' real test came on the last day and though it would be harsh to say they failed, they didn't come out unscathed. In the first innings, they didn't have to show the guile of flight and loop and variations in pace; in the second, when they needed to, they didn't. The Australians seemed to have overcome the surprise element of Parmar's action and picked Chawla's googlies better. Australia A began the second innings with much to prove after they failed to clear the follow-on mark, lasting only nine deliveries on the third day. The top order showed more character from the start with Australia A marching to 228 for 3 before the inevitable mini-collapse arrived but the game was saved by then. The stand-out performances for the Australians came from North, who led with a polished 88, Simon Katich, and the 19-year old Phillip Hughes. Katich looked very composed and though Hughes had his share of problems outside off against the unlucky Dhawal Kulkarni, they saw off the new ball before they negated the threat of the spinners, their nemeses from the previous day. Mostly crease-bound in the first innings, they used their feet second time around and looked to remain positive. Katich, in particular, used the crease well, going forward or backward as the length demanded. He struck the first counter-attacking blow when he lifted Parmar over cow corner. Time and again, he would come down the track to drive the legspinner Chawla through the on side or go back to cut Parmar. And the trademark wristy flicks to square leg were ever present, though he fell, yorking himself, attempting to whip Badrinath across the line. Though Hughes fell, edging a glance to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, North ensured there wouldn't be any flutter in the camp. Looking very assured against both spin and pace, he leaned well forward to smother the turn from the spinners, batted ahead of the pad and middled the ball. He seemed to be reading the variations of the googlies and doosras much better than on the previous occasion, using his feet well to counter the spin and thread both sides of the wickets. However, the lower order continued to struggle against the incutters of Tyagi, who looked devastating against the right-hand batsmen particularly. Three of his wickets were right-handers of which two dismissals were off beauties that would have troubled any batsman. He had George Bailey trapped in front and burst through the defences of the startled Luke Ronchi. Even North, was surprised by the extra bounce as he top-edged the pull to mid-on. However, it was the other seamer Kulkarni who hit the right areas more consistently and moved the ball both ways. He troubled Hughes with deliveries both cutting away and moving in, but was unlucky to finish wicketless. It remains to be seen whether the second match in Hyderabad will reveal the answers or throw up more questions for both teams.

[bharat297]

Well batted Kaif ... he's showing good promise at making a comeback.

[Holysmoke]

This Tyagi dude looks interesting. Who does he play for?

[Dravid]

UP

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A moral victory for us: Badrinath India ‘A’ skipper S. Badrinath said that his team had scored a moral victory over Australia ‘A’. More... A moral victory for us: Badrinath Special Correspondent Bangalore: India ‘A’ skipper S. Badrinath said that his team had scored a moral victory over Australia ‘A’. “It was a moral victory for us though we couldn’t finish it off,” Badrinath told the media here on Friday evening. “We always wanted to enforce the follow-on. When you get a chance to beat Australia, you should use it and there’s no better way to finish a match than with a victory. It’s about the killer instinct,” Badrinath said. Aggressive batting On the Aussie resurgence in the second innings, Badrinath said: “They attacked our spinners, used their feet and we were pushed on the defensive but overall I am happy with the way we played.” On his team’s mixed returns in batting, Badrinath said: “In our first innings we knew that on this kind of wicket and ground affected by rain, it was critical to get a couple of 80-run partnerships and we almost did that. I guess some of our batsmen fell while attacking their spinners. Badrinath also praised seamer Sudeep Tyagi. “Tyagi is a talent but he is a bit raw and inexperienced. Gritty show Meanwhile, Australia ‘A’ skipper Simon Katich said that his team displayed grit in the second innings. “We stuck it out in the second innings and did well especially after conceding the first innings deficit. “In the second innings our batsmen began to read their spinners better and it was also a matter of spending some time in the middle. (Marcus) North batted well,” Katich said.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

good match indeed. both the teams played well, although i cudnt quite understand why badri agreed for a draw with aout 8 overs to spare. if this is a sample of wat can be xpected when the senior teams clash a month from now, i'll take it...

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Sreesanth remains at the NCA nursing a stiff back S. Sreesanth, nursing a stiff back that ruled him out of the recent match between India ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’, stayed back at the National Cricket Academy. More... Sreesanth remains at the NCA Sunday, Sep 07, 2008 Bangalore: S. Sreesanth, nursing a stiff back that ruled him out of the recent match between India ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’, stayed back at the National Cricket Academy while his team-mates flew to Hyderabad for the next match commencing on September 9. Sreesanth, who has been asked by the selectors to prove his fitness in the domestic circuit, was on a comeback trail following a side strain but with the latest injury cropping up, the seamer’s rehabilitation program might have an extension. — Principal Correspondent

[cowboysfan]

sreesanth seems to be made of glass-he cant stay healthy.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

he'l bounce back soon.

[DomainK]

Wont be surprised to find him dancing in a stage show again.

[bharat297]

^ Well, dancing is not strenuous on the back (well not as much as fast bowling anyway) ... In any case, him staying active (as opposed to just lying on a bed) will only speed up his recovery.

[msb1991]

Shame that Sreesanth has reinjured himself. I hope the NCA can locate the root cause of his injury prone nature and look to eradicate it, if indeed there is a problem, and a solution.

[Dravid]

his action goes everywhere....prob. is the cause

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‘You have to just aim for a win’ : India 'A' coach “It doesn’t matter at what level you are playing. You have to just aim for a win,” he said. “When some Test matches are won inside three days, we can also look at the possibility of winning the three-day match against the Australia ‘A’ here (starting on September 9),” he said. More... ‘You have to just aim for a win’ Monday, Sep 08, 2008 Principal Correspondent HYDERABAD: Dave Whatmore feels that his role in the National Cricket Academy and now as the India ‘A’ coach is more a developmental function — to provide correct information to the concerned authorities about his experience of handling various players and about the Academy. Speaking on the sidelines of a practice session at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Sunday, Whatmore said that for him any task — be it as coach of a national team or an under-19 team — is always a big challenge and the ultimate goal is to go for a win. “It doesn’t matter at what level you are playing. You have to just aim for a win,” he said. “When some Test matches are won inside three days, we can also look at the possibility of winning the three-day match against the Australia ‘A’ here (starting on September 9),” he said. Whatmore praised the chief curator Y.L. Chandrasekhar for preparing what he believes to be a very “good pitch which looks hard.” “I feel that there is abundance of talent in the subcontinent, more so in India because of so many young players taking to the sport. That is why I feel that the NCA is a wonderful place to work where all sorts of individuals — from youngsters to the established stars — hone their skills, improve their fitness levels and also learn to cope with injuries,” said remarked Whatmore. The Australian refused to name anyone who could make the higher grade. “I have never individualised. All should be capable of moving up if they complement their desire with the required hard work and commitment,” he said. Tri-series in Hyderabad Meanwhile, Hyderabad Cricket Association Secretary N. Shivlal Yadav stated that the BCCI had allotted three matches of the tri-nation series featuring the ‘A’ teams from India, Australia and New Zealand to Hyderabad. Australia will be taking on New Zealand on September 15, India will meet Australia on September 16 and India and New Zealand will clash on September 17.

[Chandan]

India A squad announced for the limited over tri-series against Australia A and Newzealand A Badrinath will continue leading India A side, in the limited-overs tri-series, involving Australia A and New Zealand A, starting on September 15. His deputy will be Suresh Raina, fresh from impressive showings in the Asia Cup and in Sri Lanka. Dinesh Karthik, who lost out on the Irani Trophy slot to Parthiv, will be India A's keeper in the tri-series. There were rewards for those who did well in the inaugural IPL: Swapnil Asnodkar, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Yusuf Pathan and Wriddhiman Saha found themselves in the 15-member squad. Hyderabad opener DB Ravi Teja was included, as was Saurashtra's Jaydev Shah. Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar, India's ODI regulars, will also play in the series, while Piyush Chawla and Robin Uthappa, dropped recently, get another chance to impress the selectors. India A squad for tri-series: S Badrinath(capt), Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Swapnil Asnodkar, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Abhishek Nayar, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Piyush Chawla, Ravi Teja, Yusuf Pathan, Jaydev Shah, Wriddhiman Saha. Asnodkar expected call-up Cricinfo staff September 9, 2008 Swapnil Asnodkar, the Goa batsman, has said he was expecting a call-up to the India A side after his success at the Indian Premier League. Asnodkar, who aggregated 311 runs from nine matches for the Rajasthan Royals, was named in the A squad for the tri-series involving Australia A and New Zealand A next month. "After the exploits in the IPL, a call from the national selectors was always around the corner," he told the Times of India. "I knew my time would come." Asnodkar, 24, said he wanted to be recognised for more than just his Twenty20 abilities. He averages 42.20 from 33 first-class games, with six hundreds and 11 half-centuries. "I am not getting carried away by the call. I know I have lots to do before making the international grade." Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, hoped Asnodkar would make the best of the opportunity. "Opportunities like these come rarely as the competition is extremely stiff. Swapnil is a talented cricketer and has deservedly got the nod from the selectors." The tri-series, scheduled between September 15 and 26, will be played in Hyderabad and Chennai. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Does anyone remember what Jayadev Shah has done either in List A or IPL? This is real curse for India. One Arjun Yadav left only for Jayadev Shah to replace him.:mad: Otherwise the One Day squad looks far better than the FC squad. Only stupidity has been removing Tyago despite his 4 wicket burst in the previous match. Pace bowling stock really looks poor. If bowlers like YoMahesh and Tyagi are not groomed, we are in for a tough time ahead with so much of cricket! Why was Mishra removed the team? He has not been chosen for Irani Trophy, he can't play Md Nissar trophy. So why was he not chosen in this squad despite doing so well in the Emerging Players' tournament?

[Chandan]

India A v Australia A, 2nd Test, Hyderabad, 1st day Indian seamers strike on truncated day The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran in Hyderabad September 9, 2008 Australia A 82 for 3 (Katich 32, Kulkarni 2-22) v India A Scorecard Simon Katich scored 32 on an unsatisfactory day for Australia © AFP India A's seamers, led by Dhawal Kulkarni, made steady inroads to leave Australia A at an unsatisfactory 82 for 3 in a truncated day in Hyderabad. Poor weather continued to take the sheen off the series as play started five hours late due to a wet outfield. The umpires played it by the hour, and after periodic inspections, tried to get in three hours of play. Though the rain stayed away, bad light forced the players off the field with an hour of play still left. A grassy pitch - unaffected by the weather - didn't deter Simon Katich from opting to bat but his choice wasn't entirely surprising. Australia's batsmen recovered well after being asked to follow-on in Bangalore and his decision was probably intended to carry on the momentum. Australia's opening pair added 88 in the second innings in Bangalore but failed to replicate that effort. Phillip Hughes and Katich saw off the first few overs comfortably, but a lapse in concentration cost Hughes his wicket. Kulkarni, who opened the bowling ahead of Sudeep Tyagi, preferred bowling over the wicket to the left-handers and an away swinger induced an outside edge into the safe hands of Mohammad Kaif at second slip. Kulkarni, however, failed to trouble Katich and was guilty of feeding too many deliveries close to his pads. Katich, a strong on side player, regularly shuffled across his stumps and flicked and glanced Kulkarni for four boundaries down to the region between fine leg and deep square-leg. The Indians continued to attack, packing the inner ring with fielders. Katich's partner Adam Voges looked to get on top of the seamers, dispatching two half-volleys over square leg. He failed to push on as Kulkarni got one to kick up off a good length, feathering a thick edge to Parthiv Patel. The wicket went against the run of play, just as the Australians were progressing smoothly with a stand of 44. Tyagi, the UP seamer then opened his tally when Katich slashed at a delivery close to his body, with Mohnish Parmar at gully taking a sharp catch. Marcus North and George Bailey were at the crease for a short while before the light deteriorated. The forecast is for more rains in the evenings, thereby diminishing any chance of a result after the draw in Bangalore. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- How I wish India would have chosen better seamers for this series. And I'm very very angry to see that neither Mishra nor Pujara have found a place in XI again. Just can't understand this tendency of not including good players in the squad!

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India A-Aus A: Day 2 called off The second day's play in the three-day match between India 'A' and the Australians was called off in Hyderabad on Wednesday without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield because of heavy rain. Australia are 82 for three at stumps with Marcus North and George Balley unbeaten on 14 and nine respectively. More... India A-Aus A: Day 2 called off September 10, 2008 18:02 IST The second day's play in the three-day match between India 'A' and the Australians was called off in Hyderabad on Wednesday without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield because of heavy rain. The umpires inspected the ground at 1230 hours IST, three hours after the scheduled start of the day's play, and ruled out play. On the first day, only two hours play was possible due to wet outfield and bad light. Australia [images] are 82 for three at stumps with Marcus North and George Balley unbeaten on 14 and nine respectively. The third day is also likely too be delayed by inclement weather with more rains forecast in the next 24 hours in the city

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2nd unofficial test : India 'A', Aus 'A' match washed out The second and final three-day match between India 'A' and Australia 'A' was abandoned on Thursday after overnight rains in Hyderabad washed out the third day's play without a ball being bowled. More... India 'A', Aus 'A' match washed out September 11, 2008 16:46 IST The second and final three-day match between India 'A' and Australia [images] 'A' was abandoned on Thursday after overnight rain in Hyderabad washed out the third day's play without a ball being bowled. The umpires inspected the ground at the Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium at 1230 IST but, for the second consecutive day, the conditions remained unsuitable for play. Only three hours' play was possible on the first day due to wet outfield and poor light, while the remaining two days were completely washed out due to rain. Australia scored 82 runs for three wickets, with Marcus North and George Balley not out on 14 and nine respectively. The opening match of the series in Bangalore was also drawn.

[Mr. Wicket]

The rain gods must have been expressing their displeasure with Mishra/Rahane's exclusions.