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Rediff.com  » Sports » Luck running out for India: Gillespie

Luck running out for India: Gillespie

By Ashish Shukla
February 04, 2004 18:17 IST
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Australian paceman Jason Gillespie believes the law of averages is beginning to catch up with the Indians and it is now the turn of his team to ride its luck in the VB tri-series finals beginningĀ at MelbourneĀ on Friday.

"The Indians have rode their luck, especially a couple of guys in the top-order and they have got away with a bit," the speedster said after a two-hour training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"They have run the gauntlet pretty well all summer and got away with a lot. I think it is time luck goes our way a little bit," he said.

Australia pummelled India by five wickets in Perth on Sunday as Brett Lee and company blew the tourists away on a pacy and bouncy WACA wicket.

The Indians did go on to win the last league game against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in Perth but their batsmen looked far from comfortable, making heavy weather of a target of 136 runs.

Gillespie, however, felt there would not be any mental scars for India from Perth as the wicket at MCG was entirely different.

"I don't think the ball is going to carry through like it did in Perth. I don't think you can take too much from it because the wicket was a lot different to everything we have played all summer and what we are going to get in the finals," said Gillespie.

But the pace spearhead believed there were reasons beyond pace and bounce at WACA, which worked to the advantage of the Aussie bowlers.

"I honestly think our simple plans of line and length and a bit of a mixture in pace now and then -- I think that worked really well in Perth," he said.

"Hopefully that sort of game plan can work going into the finals," he added.

Gillespie, personally, is hoping for better returns in the finals, having taken only six wickets at 42 in six preliminary games with three at 63.67 in four games against India.

Even though Indian batting has been a cause for concern for the Australians all summer, the Asian giants have lost three of their four tri-series matches against the world champions who have now won 10 of their last 12 meetings with India.

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Ashish Shukla
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