It’s another one of the tactical mind games played by the Aussies, and it sure is in very bad taste. The Indian team has been getting sub-standard net bowlers, and today’s lot at the Adelaide nets were the worst in the series. The Indian team management had spoken to the local association even back in Perth on this issue, but nothing has been done.In this way, not only are the Aussies ensuring that the Indian batsmen don’t get quality practice at nets, but also seeing to it that the Indian seam bowlers, who have been troubling them right through the series, tire out before the actual match itself.Because of the ineptness of the local net-bowlers, mostly of club standard, the Indian team management is forced to use its main bowlers for longer durations at the nets to give their batters a good hit.“This is not acceptable at all. Look at the quality of net bowlers given to us and come and look at the bowlers who bowl at Australian batsmen. There is a vast difference. This is hitting below the belt, providing decent bowlers is a courtesy and we surely expected better than this. They are just trying to tire out our bowlers by doing all this,” admitted a senior team member.So team analyst Dhanajaya is ready with his seam-up, Pankaj and VRV Singh went flat out to come as back-up to Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan and RP Singh. Coach Lalchand Rajput, fielding coach Robin Singh were more in demand as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid preferred more time at the nets. And naturally, no one was happy with this Aussie assault.Asked if the team was planning to lodge a protest, manager Chetan Chauhan provided a diplomatic reply. “I will first have to talk with the boys and if they think that the bowlers were not good enough, we will request the association to give us better bowlers. I am sure this can be sorted out,” he said.
