Die Macht » rankings.We have great faith in Ram, TNTA pres

One of the most critical relationships in a cricket team is that between a captain and his spin bowler. A spinner relies more than fast bowlers do on the captain trusting him enough to offer him the right opportunities with the right fields to be successful. Not every spinner - hardly any in fact - possesses the sort of confidence we saw from a Shane Warne or a Graeme Swann at their peak, and the confidence of the captain is the bedrock on which they gain it.Thats why I was intrigued by the way Steve Smith used Nathan Lyon at the WACA Ground, specifically only giving him 12 overs on the third day, with none before lunch. Ive seen Steves explanation about wanting to focus on using the reverse-swinging ball early in the day, but I also know that when Nathan did come on to bowl in the afternoon, he almost immediately created the first clear chance of the day. I wonder how much confidence the decision to hold him back showed in him.This isnt to say that Steve and Nathan dont have a great relationship - they do. But theres a difference between being friends off the field and strong collaborators on it. One of Michael Clarkes great strengths was a terrific instinct for when and how to use Nathan for maximum impact. Its easy for us to forget that Steve remains a young captain, learning his tactical craft, and a big part of that will be finding ways to get the best out of his spinner.There was a contrast here between Australia and South Africa, one of many in a Test match where the visitors ran out handsome winners. The game turned on the second day around the time that Dale Steyn left the field injured, as Faf du Plessis gambled boldly and successfully on his dwindling pace resources. Kagiso Rabada was given licence to go after the Australians with a piercing spell of reverse swing, and South Africa never surrendered their advantage.To be perfectly honest, I was shocked how skilful Rabada was for someone so young. He actually reminded me of Pat Cummins on his Test debut at the Wanderers in 2011. That week, in a high-pressure game, immediately after we had been bowled out for 47 in Cape Town, Patty put on an amazingly complete display as a fast bowler, delivering different kinds of spells, gearing up and down in pace, swinging the ball both ways, and contributing to a nail-biting victory - he even hit the winning runs.Unfortunately for Pat, hes not been able to stay fit long enough to play another Test since then. But the maturity he showed then, beyond his teenaged years, was mirrored in the way Rabada went about his work in Perth. Once he got a sniff of a wicket he geared up from around 135kph to 145kph, found reverse swing in both innings, and seemed generally to know what he was trying to do at any given moment to work a batsman out. These skills are rare enough in the game, let alone for a 21-year-old. Above all, Rabada bowled like a leader of the attack, taking it upon himself to change the direction of the game. Thats something I look forward to seeing from Josh Hazlewood, who is now getting really settled in the Australian side. Josh played quite a lot of Shield cricket before he took his first big bag, in the 2014 final at Manuka Oval, and I reckon a similar breakthrough moment for him in Tests is just around the corner.It was no good for the team to lose both Shaun Marsh and Peter Siddle. Shaun looked very much the part as an opening partner for Davey Warner, while Sidds is always a selfless contributor to any team. Coming off his back injury, Sidds would have known the risks going into the game, and really he has fallen prey to the need to back up so quickly after the first-innings batting fell away.One part of the game we dont always take into calculations is the mental mindset of the guys, particularly now they have lost four Test matches in a row. At key moments in games, like the second day in Perth, a few losses under your belt can mean a feeling of here we go again and negative thoughts starting to build up.Thats where Ill be looking for something more from Davey and Steve in Hobart. Davey played beautifully in the first innings but probably left a few runs out there, maybe even 100 more. Steve was looking secure in the second innings when Rabada tempted him into error. The true test of where the Australians are at as a cricket team will be how they respond at Bellerive Oval this week. One thing the team has done really well over recent years - with Davey and Steve often at the forefront - is to counterpunch from a loss.Theres a lot of pride in the group about playing for Australia, and there will also be an awareness of the way Darren Lehmann works as a coach. Hes all about letting people make mistakes, because thats how you learn to play the game. But his fuse will shorten if he sees guys repeat similar mistakes a few times, and over the past four Test matches that has certainly been the case, particularly among the batsmen. Cheap Cowboys Jerseys . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. Donovan Wilson Jersey . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseyschina.com/jaylon-smith-jersey/ . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Charles Haley Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Michael Gallup Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. World No. 6 Marin Cilic of Croatia will be the top seed in the 2017 Chennai Open with organisers confirming that four-time champion Stan Wawrinka will, as expected, not defend the title he won this year. Cilic won the title at Indias longest running and most prestigious ATP tournament, in 2009 and 2010.Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, is in some of the best form of his life, having won titles in Basel and Cincinnati to finish the season at a career-high No. 6. The Croat leads a lineup that includes World No. 14 Roberto Bautista Agut (Spain), No. 27 Albert Ramos-Vinolas (Spain), No. 35 Martin Klizan (Slovakia) and No. 48 Borna Coric (Croatia), adding to the star value of the ATP 250 event, scheduled for January 2-8, at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam.Former top-10 players Tommy Robredo (Spain) and Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) also return to India, the former after 12 years and the latter after two years, threatening to give the top seeds a run for their money.Robredo, who had gone as high as World No. 5 in 2006, is a player of high pedigree, having won 10 ATP singles and starring in Spains Davis Cup conquests thrice. The first and only time he played in Chennai in 2004, he teamed up with Rafael Nadal to win the doubles title. He is currently No. 57 and, even at 34, cannot be trifled with.Youzhny is a familiar and popular star in Chennai, having won the 2008 title after beating Nadal in straight sets. He pulled out in the second round with an injury during his last stint in Chennai but has been showinng glimpses of his much feared all-round game in recent months.dddddddddddd He also holds the distinction of making it to the quarterfinals in all Grand Slams, along with the Big Four of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Nadal.Frenchman Benoit Paire, ATPs most improved player of 2015, will be another star who can cause a ripple in Chennai.This is an impressive lineup, Tom Annear, Chennai Opens tournament director, said. Tennis fans in India can expect high quality tennis this year, he added.Indias campaign will be charged by local hero and wild card entry Ramkumar Ramanathan, who also has a training base in Barcelona. The 22-year-old rose to prominence in 2014 when he toppled Somdev Devvarman in the opening round in Chennai. He has been a national champion and has been part of Indias Davis Cup team as well and is currently No. 2 in AITAs rankings.We have great faith in Ram, TNTA president MA Alagappan said. We believe he will go a long way in world tennis. Moreover, Indias fans love him and will give him all the support that he needs.Moldovas Radu Albot, who has become a bit of a star in his country with his tennis exploits, is one of the upcoming players to look out for. The World No. 97 from the tiny Eastern European country has created a series of records, winning his countrys first ATP Challenger, first doubles title and even the first ATP World Tour event. ' ' '