{
    "id": "2600",
    "author": "13",
    "cnmid": "0",
    "title": "India\u2019s opening woes",
    "lang": "en",
    "series": "5",
    "cup_year": "2000",
    "article_type": "Spacial",
    "excerpt": "While there has been a lot of talk on how the inexperienced Indian bowling attack would have their tasks cut out in England; the Indian openers too have a conundrum of their own.",
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    "editor1": "<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">New Delhi- While there has been a lot of talk on how the inexperienced Indian bowling attack would have their tasks cut out in England; the Indian openers too have a conundrum of their own.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">In the last 13 tests played overseas (2011-2014), India have only one 50 plus opening partnership which was between Abhinav Mukund and Gautam Gambhir (63), way back in the first test at Lords during India&rsquo;s tour of England where they succumbed to a 4-0 defeat.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">After that, their highest opening partnership was 49 between Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag in the 4th&nbsp;test of the same tour at the Kennigton Oval.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">The matter has been heightened all the more as in the three innings which India have batted till now in England, the opening partnership average has been 31, which has exposed Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli&nbsp;&nbsp;to the new ball early.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">The subsequent tour to Australia, later in 2011, was no less worse. Out of the four tests, the highest opening partnership was 26 between Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag. Both of them failed to give any solid start and left the middle-order exposed to the new ball. Their opening partnership averaged a paltry 31.25 in the test series in which they failed to muster a single test win.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">With the fab four retiring and Sachin Tendulkar hanging his boots in November, India embarked on tours to South Africa and New Zealand with fresh blood in their ranks but failed to make a mark. Both Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan were unable to get good starts and their highest opening stand among both the series was only 41 in the second test at Durban at South Africa. Their opening stand averaged 22.25 and 12.25 in South Africa and New Zealand respectively.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">In fact, India&rsquo;s last opening partnership that crossed the hundred run mark, overseas, was in the 2010-2011 tour to South Africa. The feat was achieved by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag during India&rsquo;s second innings in the opening test at Centurion where they put up a stand of 137 for the first wicket.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family:arial; font-size:14px\">Series&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1st&nbsp;wicket prtnshp avg&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Highest partnership<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">India&rsquo;s tour of England 2011&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;39&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;49 (Sehwag and Dravid)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">(4 tests)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">India&rsquo;s tour of Australia 2011&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;31.25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;26 (Gambhir and Sehwag)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">(4 tests)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">India&rsquo;s tour of South Africa 2013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;43.50&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;41 (Dhawan and Vijay)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">(2 tests)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">India&rsquo;s tour of New Zealand 2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;24.50&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;36 (Dhawan and Vijay)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">(2 tests)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p><strong><em><span style=\"font-size:14px\"><span style=\"font-family:arial\">Abhishek de<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n",
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    "seo_title": "India\u2019s opening woes",
    "seo_desc": "Indian test team is lacking opening partnerships",
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    "created": "2015-02-06 02:05:00",
    "updated": "2015-02-06 02:05:00",
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