It's time for the 'Fab Four' of Indian cricket to stand up and be counted against the best.Come October 9 and
There is no doubt that the series will be hard-fought with players on either side of the battle line striving hard to outwit each other.
The collective failure of Tendulkar,Dravid,Laxman and Ganguly in
And, traditionally, the likes of Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid have fired at various crucial stages in an India-Australia Test series.Past record bears ample testimony to this fact.
None would forget the epic innings played by Laxman and Dravid, both in the 2001 Kolkata Test and the 2003 Adelaide Test, to rescue
Tendulak's penchant for scoring big hundreds against the Aussies is not new either. Remeber he scored two 150-plus scores earlier in the year in
Rest is history for Tendulkar against the Aussies. Probably, the only weak link in the India armour as far as batting is concerned is Ganguly, who hasn't had much success coming his way against the world champs.However, his brilliant counter-attacking ton in the 2003 Brisbane Test will always be firmly etched in his fans' memories.
'Fab four' still have two years of cricket left: Akram
While, Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has termed the increasingly shrill debate on the future of Indian cricket's 'fab four' meaningless, saying the quartet still has two years of international cricket left.
Akram feels it is hard to imagine an Indian team without Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman right now.
"I don't understand why this debate was started in the first place? Everybody is asking when will they retire but why only them? There is Anil Kumble also, he is also in the same age bracket ... Why is his name not being discussed?" he asked in an interview.
"Agreed that the young Indian team did well in the one-day series in
The legendary pacer, who scalped 414 Test and 514 one-day wickets, said instead of showing the door to the seniors, the BCCI should make sure that youngsters get a chance to play alongside them.
"Test cricket is a serious affair and you need a mix of youth and experience. If you have to groom youngsters there is no better way than to make them play with the seniors. This way, they will learn a lot. If the youngster is willing, he can learn even while fielding," he explained.
Fab four burdened by own expectations: Dhoni
But, More than the expectations of fans and scrutiny by the experts of the game, Indian cricket's 'Fab Four' are burdened by their own high expectations which puts them under pressure every time they step on the field, feels India one-day skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Asserting that senior batsmen -- Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid -- still have a lot to offer, Dhoni said the quartet deserves a graceful exit as and when they decide to call it a day.
"There is more pressure on them because of their own expectation level and the fear of performance because they have set the benchmark so high that to be there always... there is more pressure that comes from within.
"I don't think you can really write them off, they have plenty in them. But at the same time you have to look into the future. It's all about transition, making a respectful last few years in their international career," Dhoni said.
Dhoni, who has impressed the game experts with his cool head and mindful strategies, also defended seniors place in the Test side.
"Do we have an option? We definitely have players who are talented and can make it big, but at the same time, it's not really about talent, their adaptability and preparation matter," Dhoni told NDTV in an interview.
Speaking about the four-Test series against the Australians, Dhoni said the hosts were well prepared to take on the World Champions.
"Preparation wise, I think, we could not have done an inch more than what we have done. It's all about execution of plans and hopefully, the team will adapt and play better cricket," he said.
