Another challenge for Steve Waugh

Canberra: A travel-weary Indian team, which has criss-crossed Australia to play in the tri-series from early this month, will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in a festival cricket match at Manuka Oval on Wednesday but are still undecided on who would be in the playing eleven.

The Indians had a rather listless stay in Canberra. They stayed in their rooms for the first two days, postponed a morning session at the Oval on Tuesday, generally giving the impression that they don’t want to take part in the game.

Most of the big guns are not likely to play on Wednesday. The list of absentees would include captain Sourav Ganguly, even though there is a certain sentiment attached with the presence of Steve Waugh as the rival skipper and this being bigger than a normal festival match.

The Indians are not treating this game seriously though Australians are giving it a big billing since it is a traditional fixture and that Waugh would be around.

Waugh is looking forward to lock horns with the Indians in one final fling at the tourists who almost caused him grief during the Test series.

“For me, of course, I thought I’d played my last match against India in Sydney earlier this month, but I guess I have another opportunity to face a very in-form team that no doubt will be looking to maintain its successful tour to date,” Waugh said.

The home team has four players who recently represented Australia A against Zimbabwe. They include South Australia’s Mark Cleary and Shaun Tait, Tasmanian fast bowler Damien Wright and Western Australian Marcus North, who smashed a brilliant 115 against the Africans.

TEAMS

Prime Minister’s XI: Stephen Waugh (captain), Marcus North, Cade Brown, Matthew Bradley, David Hussey, Andrew Mcdonald, Chris Hartley, Mark Cleary, Damien Wright, Xavier Doherty and Shaun Tait.

India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Hemang Badani, Sanjay Bangar and Ajit Agarkar.

Kumble declared fit

Leg-spinner Anil Kumble has been ruled fit for the remaining tri-series matches.

Kumble missed India’s last two games owing to a sore shoulder but physio Andrew Leipus was upbeat about the bowler’s recovery in time for the next match scheduled for February 1 in Perth. “Anil only had a sore shoulder. With rest and treatment, he should be fit for the remaining matches,” Leipus said.

Leipus had encouraging news on Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. However, he felt Sehwag might continue to feel some pain in his shoulder for some time. (PTI)