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A no-holds-barred contest in the offing

By Vijay Lokapally

DUCKING TO CONQUER? V.V.S. Laxman prepares himself for the battle ahead in the second Test against Australia beginning at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. — Photos: V.V. Krishnan

ADELAIDE DEC. 11. As the aircraft descends into the city, the Adelaide Oval presents a fascinating sight. Nose pressed against the window, the Indians can be excused for their anxiety to catch a glimpse of the ground. After all, this presents the best opportunity to the visiting side to put it across the Australians.

Draped in greenery, with the brown strip in the centre, and the cathedral in the backdrop enhancing the aesthetic value of the grand venue, the Oval has a fascinating history to support its claim as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world.

What if the square boundaries are short and those in the front are long enough for the batsmen to run five. It adds to the uniqueness of the field and throws a different challenge to the players. "It's a great place to play", says Australia skipper Steve Waugh, only three Tests away from bidding farewell to the game.

To this venue come the teams with the series just about warming up to some intense cricket. In the background of the hype that preceded this four-Test series, one has begun to suspect if the teams would meet the standards expected of them, what with key players on either side now feeling the strains of the demanding international calendar which leaves little room for quick recovery from injuries — physical and mental.

The Indian camp is experiencing severe jolts on various fronts. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, troubled by a painful injury in the bowling finger, may have played his last match of the series. Zaheer Khan did not bowl in the `nets' and spent the time testing his hamstring injury that has condemned him to the sidelines, a big blow to the attack. His replacement will either be Irfan Pathan or L. Balaji.

Sachin Tendulkar has a stiff back but is expected to carry on. Ashish Nehra is recovering from an ankle surgery and Virender Sehwag too does not appear fully fit. However, skipper Sourav Ganguly asserts he is in the process of gaining strength.

It's indeed an irony that the team management has been forced to summon left-arm spinner Murali Kartik as a cover for Harbhajan. Kartik, who ought to have been here in the first place, is scheduled to arrive on Thursday night and make himself available for selection right away.

So much for all the tactical planning with a back-up team of six officials! It's strange that the team management discovered it was a `long tour' only after landing in Australia, on the eve of the second Test to be precise.

"We're entitled to have a 17th player", said Ganguly in a weak defence on Kartik being sent an emergency call up, when the truth is that the tour selectors are convinced Harbhajan needs a rest.

"Kartik is an asset. He bowled splendidly against the Australians in the tri-series back home", asserted Ganguly.

Memories of M.L. Jaisimha flying out to Brisbane in the 1967-68 series flood the mind.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM: Australia's explosive opener Matthew Hayden presents a relaxed picture on the eve of the second Test.

Jaisimha was an instant success, scoring 74 and 101. Can Kartik emulate Jai? It would be quite interesting to see if he can.

The team management is now busy sorting out its bowling worries on the eve of a Test match. Anil Kumble, according to Ganguly, is "very experienced and we have to consider his contribution in the past". In fact, Kumble will now have to play the dominant role.

The Indians will expect Ashish Nehra to take over the responsibility, in case Zaheer does not make the grade. Nehra did not have a good game at Brisbane and will need to pull up his socks in the company of Ajit Agarkar, who will have to deliver in case he is preferred to L. Balaji, also coming into the reckoning in this match.

From the Aussie camp, they have to watch out for V.V.S. Laxman, who has looked in excellent touch on the tour thus far. Waugh described him in lavish terms when he said "He has an amazing eye and looks terrific when the ball is not doing much off the seam. He's top class and among the very talented players on the world stage".

Laxman has a part to play if India wishes to dominate and the pitch here does raise hopes on that front. "The pitch looks very good, a great batting track. It'll be hard work for the bowlers and there's going to be lot of runs scored on the first three days,'' said Waugh.

The Australians know their task — have a go at the openers and stifle the middle-order. The inclusion of Brad Williams at the cost of Andy Bichel is seen as an aggressive step to deal with the Indian psyche. The local media talks of Williams' raw pace, extra bounce and `in your face attitude' as the plan to unsettle Ganguly. They do not seem to remember his scintillating 144 at the 'Gabba.

Waugh admitted that he missed Williams' pace in the last Test and had to do with bowlers who swung the ball and concentrated on good line and length. Williams, if he gets to play, will lend variety with his ability to get some reverse swing.

The threat, the Indians believe, will come from Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn. Gilchrist can play some astonishingly ruthless shots square of the wicket and Martyn has looked the complete batsman with a natural gift to time and place the ball.

"We played reasonably well at Brisbane and know the Aussies will come hard at us here", said Ganguly. He is right. The indications from the Australian camp are that they will fire on all cylinders in an effort to rattle the opposition with the aggression and positive attitude that Steve Waugh has instilled in his army.

The Indians are ready too, the draw at Brisbane has worked wonders as far as the confidence of the team is concerned.

The teams:

India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Ashish Nehra, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan and L. Balaji.

Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Justin Langer, Mathew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Simon Katich, Stuart MacGill, Jason Gillespie, Brad Williams, Nathan Bracken and Andy Bichel.

Umpires: Messrs Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen; Third umpire: Mr. Steve Davis; Match Referee: Mr. Mike Procter.

Hours of play (IST): 6.00 to 8.00 a.m.; 8.45 to 10.45 a.m.; 11.05 a.m. onwards.

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