Test Cricket Tours - Australia to
India 2008-09
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Tour of India 2008-09 Captain: Ricky Ponting |
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Eightieth Test tour Tenth
Test-playing tour of India by Australia (September - November 2008) |
Andrew Symonds who was involved in a row with Harbhajan Singh on
the previous occasion that Australia met India in Tests, was
sent home from Darwin by the team's leadership group before the winter ODI
series against Bangladesh after he chose to go fishing while skipping a team
meeting. He was not considered for selection until he demonstrated a changed
attitude. Following bomb
blasts in Delhi a few days before the team left for India, Cricket Australia
commissioned a special security report but decided to proceed with the tour. After dominating the
first Test Australia was outplayed in the rest of the series. Shane Watson was
fined 10% of his match fee and Gautam Gambhir, the Indian opener, earned a
one-Test ban after the two players clashed while Gambhir was taking a run in
the Test at Delhi. Ponting's tactics at
Nagpur, using part-time slow bowlers to boost the over-rate instead of
his main strike bowlers who might finish off the Indian innings, drew
criticism for its part in contributing to Australia losing the match. |
Other Australian Tours Previous tour West Indies 2007-08 Next tour South Africa 2008-09 Next tour of India 2010-11 |
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Members of the Test tour party
(15 + 2) Opening
batsmen Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich,
Phil Jaques (replaced by Shaun Marsh). Middle-order
batsmen:Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke, Simon Katich All-rounder:
Shane Watson Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin Spin
bowlers Jason Krejza,
Bryce McGain (replaced by Cameron White). Fast
bowlers : Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Peter
Siddle, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger. |
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State
representation Pura Cup *
2007-08 teams N New South Wales (7) Q Queensland (3) S South Australia (0) T Tasmania (2) V Victoria
(2) W Western Australia (1) * The
name of the Australian domestic season’s first-class competition reverted to
the Sheffield Shield from the start of the 2008-09 season. Average age of team at time of first Test match (9 October 2008) 30 yrs 6 months |
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Test Appearances made before the tour |
Ponting 119, Hayden
94, Lee 68, Clarke 35,
Katich 26, Hussey 25, Clark 18,
Jaques 11, Johnson 9, Haddin 3,
Watson 3, Bollinger 0, Krejza 0, Siddle 0,
McGain 0, Marsh 0, White 0. |
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Tour Officials |
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Selectors |
Andrew Hilditch (chairman), David Boon?, Jamie Cox,
Merv Hughes. |
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Selection |
The tour party was chosen as the Australia A tour of India drew
to a close. Five members of the Australia A side were chosen for the Test
tour - Katich, Bollinger, Krejza, McGain and
Siddle. Unavailable: Stuart MacGill (retired). Tour Party Announced : 12 September 2008. Matthew Hayden was
chosen subject to recovering from his heel injury, Mike Hussey from an achilles tendon problem, Ricky Ponting from wrist
surgery, and Bryce McGain from a strain to his right shoulder. Not selected : Andrew Symonds (he was sent home from Darwin ahead of the
ODI series against Bangladesh by the team's leadership group after he chose
to go fishing while skipping a team meeting); Beau Casson,
Ashley Noffke. |
Time between selection and departure from Australia 9 days (12 - 21 September) |
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Travel Sydney Q Mumbai
Q Jaipur |
Australia were at first
scheduled to arrive in India on 29 September, one day after the Champions
Trophy final in Lahore (which was eventually cancelled), and fly to
Hyderabad. But they decided to arrive earlier and have a week’s preparation
in Jaipur (arranged by Greg Chappell, an advisor to the Rajasthan Cricket
Academy), including a 2-day practice match. Departure from Sydney was on Sunday 21 September. The 15-man team flew via Dubai and Mumbai’s
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, proceding
to Jaipur. They arrived at Sanganer Airport, Jaipur, on Monday 22 September and were immediately escorted to the team hotel amidst tight
security. |
Time spent in India 50 days (22 September - 11 November) |
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On-tour selection |
Ricky Ponting (captain), Tim Nielsen
(coach), x (vice-captain). |
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Reinforcements |
Cameron White replaced Bryce McGain before the First Test. McGain had
arrived in India with a shoulder injury: the tendons in his right armpit
would not mend and surgery was required.
White landed at Bangalore on 6 October.
Shaun Marsh replaced Peter Jaques who went home on Friday 17 October
for treatment to his back. Stuart Clark was kept out of the Test matches by an elbow injury,
but did not return home early. |
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Fixtures/Results |
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“ not first-class § one-day international Time
spent in India before First Test:
17 days (22 September - 9 October) |
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Test appearances on tour |
4 -
Clarke, Haddin, Hayden, Hussey,
Johnson, Katich, Lee,
Ponting, Watson, White. 2 - SR
Clark. 1 - Krejza, Siddle. 0
- Bollinger, Jaques, McGain, Marsh. |
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Highlights |
- Mike Hussey in his
first Test innings in India, scored 146 at Bangalore. - Ricky Ponting earlier
scored a century (123) as well, adding 166 with Katich (66) for the second
wicket - Michael Clarke (112)
was dropped three times but scored a match-saving century at Delhi. - Jason Krejza's return of 12 for 358 (8-215 and 4-143) in nearly
75 overs was on debut at Nagpur. Only one bowler has conceded more runs in a
Test match (Tommy Scott took 9 for 374 for West Indies in 1929-30) - Mitchell Johnson took
most wickets for Australia (13) in the series, and Hussey scored the most
runs (394). |
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Tour Summary |
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Return to Australia Mumbai Q Sydney |
Injured player Bryce
McGain flew from Bangalore and arrived home in Melbourne on Monday 6
October. Phil Jaques flew home on Friday 17 October. The team arrived home at Sydney Airport on 11 November 2008. |
Time away from Australia
51 days (21 September to 11 November) |
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Finances |
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Accounts of the tour |
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Postscript |
India proved they were
becoming the dominant force in world cricket by winning the Border-Gavaskar
Trophy. Despite losing Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly to retirement during
this series, younger players strengthened the team over the next few years.
Australia were outplayed and Ponting said his team needed to play at a higher
level than they did through the India tour. The Australian newspaper
said: “...Questions will be asked about a tour where several senior players failed
to provide the results expected of them.” |
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