MS Dhoni Starts Campaign against Australia

Indian Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived with his brigade, Team India on Monday to a 76 day tour of Australia. Team India will be playing 4 Test and 2 T20 games against Australia in a span from 26 December 2011 to 3rd February 2012. The tour will continue with tri-nation CB Series from 5-28 February where Sri Lanka will join as a third team.

MS Dhoni will be leading Team India in Australia for the second time. The last tour happened in 2008 comprising of 4 match test series which India lost by 2-1 margin, a T20 which Australia won and tri nation one day series which India won in the best of 3 finals against Australia.

So this tour will be a repeat of the previous one that involved the same three teams. Team India will start their campaign in Australia with 2 practice matches against CA Chairman’s XI with first starting from 15 Dec-11 in Manuka Oval ground in Canberra.

The senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman arrived earlier on 8th Dec to get used to the conditions. Young fast bowler Umesh Yadav, speedster Ishant Sharma and spinner Pragyan Ojha too came with the seniors.

Team India is fresh from a 4-1 drubbing of West Indies in India while Australia tasted defeat in the second test against New Zealand to draw the series 1-1.
MS Dhoni after arriving was of the view that this will be a tour of very high importance and will be a learning experience for a young fresh bowling attack.