Kohli & Co get under Haddin's skin

SYDNEY: It was in Adelaide, in the immediate aftermath of Phillip Hughes' death, that David Warner was asked if playing Test cricket would be tough. "It will be hardest in Sydney," replied Warner, one of four players along with Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon and Shane Watson who was there on the field of play when Hughes was felled.
Sydney has arrived, and there will be tributes galore, including a new plaque at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Hughes' honour.But while pacer Josh Hazlewood and coach Darren Lehmann both expressed concerns about the quartet's mindset when the series resumes at the SCG, Haddin himself seemed to be busy stoking the sledging fires ahead of what is expected to be another acrimonious contest.
The Indians have targeted Haddin with short-pitched bowling during the series and the Aussie wicketkeeper has had numerous run-ins with India's new Test captain Virat Kohli. Asked to comment on MS Dhoni's successor, Haddin was brusque. "I am not here to comment on Kohli," he told Australian media. He also warned the Indian players that he was ready for more short-pitched stuff and wouldn't hesitate to put the bowling to sword.
Now that Kohli is captain, of course, he will be doing more than merely chirping and spicing things up on the field – he will be setting the tone for his bowlers.
"If that's their plan (short-pitched) bowling, I'll combat them whichever way I see fit. If their bowlers want to bang it down halfway for an hour-and-a-half then go for your life," Haddin said.
"I knew where they were bowling (in Melbourne)." Kohli and Haddin were often in each other's face during the Boxing Day Test, and after a mix-up between Kohli and Murali Vi jay, Haddin was heard saying, "There he goes on his team again.
It's all about you, it's all about the one." Kohli said during the Test the Aussies had termed him "a spoilt brat", adding: "It (the sledging) really excites me. They don't seem to be learning the lesson." MS Dhoni, on his last day as Test skipper in Melbourne, had acknowledged that sledging is entertaining only up to a point.
"Apart from good cricket, they (crowds) love if the opposition players are going at each other. But in this game the temperature was high."
While it may be entertaining for some, the acrimony seems in bad taste as the series heads to Hughes' home ground, where aggression in cricket took a deadly new turn in November. The series started in remembrance to the spirit of cricket, which both teams would do well to respect.
`VERY SURPRISED DHONI RETIRED'
Aussie wicketkeeper Brad Haddin praised MS Dhoni's contributions as India skipper but expressed surprise at his mid-series retirement from Test cricket. "I was very surprised," said Haddin.
"He has been a great servant for Indian cricket, the way he handled himself and the team, the calmness he brought to a very, very big job in captaining the Indian cricket team. He was great to play against and a true gentleman of the game. I think he's left Indian cricket in a better place than it was when he took over. The great thing about Dhoni was his temperament. He had a pretty even tempo through whatever situation was going on and that's why he's had such longevity in the game."