It will be a big year for...VIC edition

Part 3 of our look at the domestic players.

Rob Quiney - An average of 37.7 in one-day games may see him get a call up with all the injuries currently plaguing the Australian team. Nice clean hitter of the ball but an average of just 15.2 in T20 matches and 28.5 in first class games may keep him out. Has ability, especially in the shorter forms and another productive year in the FR cup might see him earn an Australian jersey.

David Hussey - In and out of the ODI and T20I sides and in my opinion the best domestic player yet to play a test match for Australia. Almost 32 but may get a start in the Test team in Clarke isn't fit in time or if his brother Michael continues his run of bad form in Test matches. A first class average of 55 with 35 centuries would see him walk into any other test team in the world yet is apparently not even on the selectors radar for the Test team.

Cameron White - Back in the ODI side and is impressing. Will need to bowl himself more if he wants to break back into the test squad. With a few spinners around with wraps on them and Hauritz playing quite well this may be easier said than done. Unlucky not to be named captain of the Australian T20 side.

Jon Holland - Only 22 and is currently with the Australian ODI squad in India. Hasn't played a game but there has been a lot of talk about his ability. A good season or 2 for Victoria and he may find himself in the Australian team soon rather than later.

Andrew Mcdonald - Back with the ODI squad but seems to be about 3rd or 4th in the all-rounder pecking. Another season like last year and he may move up a peg or 2.

Clint McKay - Bowled brilliantly on debut for Australia against India and is a great bowler. Might not be in the team full-time yet but he will get there. Has taken 67 wickets in just 18 first class games at a brilliant average of 24.1. The sort of bowler who can keep it tight and also take wickets, he is exactly what Australia needs at the moment.

Matthew Wade - Brilliant stats already for such a young player. If he continues to play as he has been he will be in the Australian team one day and with the keepers falling like flies that day may be just around the corner.

Brad Hodge and Chris Rogers - Both (but especially Hodge) have no idea what they have to do to get into the side. Hodge is 34 now so it seems his chance is gone, Rogers is 31 and his time is also running out. Hodge, Rogers and Hussey are 3 of the unluckiest domestic players, who knows what they have to do to make it.

Australia beat India by 3 runs in the 5th ODI

Australia has beaten India by 3 runs in the 5th ODI to go up 3-2. Despite a magnificent 175 from the master Sachin Tendulkar India fell agonisingly short of what would have been the highest successful run chase on Indian soil. Set up by a century to Marsh and 90 to Watson Australia posted a massive 4/350. Marsh's maiden ODI century eventually ended for a run a ball 112 while Watson was out for 93 off 89 balls. A rapid 57* from 33 balls by Cameron White which included 5 sixes helped  Australia post the 7th highest score in India and the highest on this ground. Australia's 13 sixes were the most scored by a team against India in India. Harbahjahn Singh was the pick of the bowlers, while only taking 1 wickets his 10 overs only went for 44 runs while Kumar, Jadeja, Nehra and Patel all went for more than 7.5 an over.

In reply India got off to a quick start and a brilliant 175 from 141 balls by Tendulkar and a run a ball 59 from Suresh Raina took India close before the panic set in and a flurry of run outs saw India fall short. . Clint McKay bowled brilliantly on debut picking up 3/59 off his 10 overs while Watson chipped in with 3 wickets as well. Bollinger, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus and Hussey were all expensive.

Scorecard


Quotes 
Ponting " It was one of the amazing games and certainly one of the best innings ever from Sachin. You just have to keep hanging in there, you just have tell your bowlers to keep bowling to the plan. just one bad shot and we could come in but Sachin didn't play many bad shots today! Its really unbelievable how we have played, considering al the injuries. Marsh played realy well.:"


Dhoni "They got off to a good start and we never got into a postion to contain them. It was up to us to chase it. We got a good start and we came in the end due to Tendulkar and Raina. We lost it in our mental calculation, not because of our talent. It was one of the good ODI tracks we have seen in India, you have to be smart. Hopefully we will be up for the next two games."

Cricinfo "Congrats Australia, a team battered with injuries has hung on for a memorable win.. Sixty one years ago, at the end of a tour of England by Don Bradman's famous pack, John Arlott put it thus: "Australianism," wrote Arlott, "means single-minded determination to win - to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the 'impossible' is within the realm of what the human body can do, there are Australians who believe that they can do it - and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match - particularly a Test match - until the last run is scored or their last wicket down."

Man Of the Match
My MOM - Clint McKay and Sachin Tendulkar
Official MOM - Sachin Tendulkar


The last word - A brilliant game of cricket and one the best innings of all time by Tendulkar. As I said in my congratulations on 17,000 runs port we are lucky to be able to watch such a brilliant batsmen, especially when he plays like he did tonight.