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December 14, 1999

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India Down Under



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Tendulkar plans batting up the order

Buoyed by their crushing 285-run win over India in the first Test at Adelaide Oval today, Australian captain Steve Waugh said his players are confident of registering a 6-0 clean sweep of their home Tests this summer.

The Australians completed a 3-0 series whitewash over Pakistan last month and Waugh said the way his team disposed of India suggested they could do the same to them.

''There's not much you can really improve on,'' Waugh said. ''We were really keen to finish it off well today.

''The lasting impression from today is that we were really clinical and professional.

''I think they'll take a few scars into the next Test match.

''We expected to win but we didn't expect to win so easily.

''We're very confident at the moment but we're also very disciplined. We're playing very well but we don't want to get too carried away with it.''

Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar said his side would have to do a lot of soul searching before the second Test starting in Melbourne on December 26.

Tendulkar said he would probably give a couple of the squad's younger players a chance to push for Test selection in the warm-up game against Tasmania starting in Hobart on Friday.

He also said he would consider moving up the batting order from his current spot at five to add some stability to the top.

''That is one thing we are looking at,'' Tendulkar said. ''But we know we all have to pull our socks up.

''We are very disappointed but we have to look forward to the next Test with some confidence.

''I thought we bowled and fielded well in Australia's second innings but the wicket had deteriorated a lot during our second innings.''

Needing five wickets on the final day to clinch victory, Australia cleaned up India's tailend in just 54 minutes on Tuesday, dismissing the tourists for 110 in their second innings to win by 285.

Damien Fleming claimed four of the final five wickets in the space of 23 deliveries to finish with five for 30 and was unlucky not to have claimed a hat-trick.

He dismissed Sourav Ganguly and Ajit Agarkar in successive balls then found the edge of Javagal Srinath's bat only for Shane Warne to spill a regulation catch at first slip.

The Australian vice-captain was inconsolable after dropping the chance but Fleming, who took a hat-trick on his Test debut against Pakistan in 1994, said he had no axe to grind.

''He's taken a couple of blinders off me during the year so I'm not too upset,'' Fleming said.

''He's very hard on himself ... And he sets himself a high standard so he's obviously disappointed for me, but I've been chatting to him and he's fine.

''It would have been nice but the big picture was to win the game.''

UNI

Mail Sports Editor

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