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Luck running out for India: Gillespie

Ashish Shukla | February 04, 2004 18:17 IST

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 beginning at Melbourne 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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Number of User Comments: 5




Sub: Luck... LOL :-))

Gillespie would be better off bowling rather than giving these stupid comments. Luck (and the Aussies have been really lucky that they have Steve Bucknor ...


Posted by Rahul





Sub: Luck running out for India

Mr. Gillespie, Whatever performance Indians have shown on the tour is very good. no luck factor in it, if any luck is there its in ...


Posted by Kedar





Sub: final one days

so, actually the final will be between the pitch versus the indian team, not australia vs india. (according to gilespee) raghavan


Posted by raghavan





Sub: Re: Luck ruunning out for India

Gillespie and the other Aussies are trash talking again. It's the showpiece event of the Aussie domestic ODI calendar and the pressure is more on ...


Posted by Shrikar D





Sub: talking too much!

This is a case of talking too much before a game just to be smashed out of the park! Mr. Gillespie, why do you want ...


Posted by Raja




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