The Hindu : Yet another challenge for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Yet another challenge for India

By S. Dinakar

Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq enjoying a game of football. — Photos: S. Subramanium

MULTAN, MARCH 27. Hot and dusty Multan is steeped in history. It is a town of Sufi saints and tombs, of weather-beaten forts and tales of survival. It is fitting that a Test match of historic significance be staged in a place that many claim is as old as Mohenjadaro itself.

The two vibrant outfits India and Pakistan will meet for their first Test on the Pakistani soil after 14 years at the lovely Multan Cricket Stadium ground on Sunday. The inaugural match of the three-Test Samsung series should prove to be a celebration of cricket.

India will be without Sourav Ganguly, though. The Indian captain has not recovered sufficiently from a muscle spasm of the back and Rahul Dravid will skipper the side in the first Test. India seeks its first Test win in Pakistan, and this should prove a motivation in itself for a side that has been performing increasingly well away from home — India's stirring deeds in Australia has won the side much respect in the cricketing world.

Winning in a Test series in Pakistan represents yet another challenge. Dravid, like Ganguly, is extremely conscious of the country's away record and realises well that despite the triumph in the ODIs, the Indians should not be complacent.

"One day series is different, Test series is different. We start even here," he said. The Indians have announced the 13 for the Test, with the names of Ganguly and Ramesh Powar missing.

Much of the grass has been chopped off from the pitch, although a light tinge of the green might be visible on the day of the match. Still the surface is reputed to be among the harder ones and there should be pace and carry for the pacemen.

SPIKING IN STYLE: Yuvraj Singh and V.V.S. Laxman in Multan on Saturday.

Akash Chopra will open with Virender Sehwag, and Yuvraj Singh should take Ganguly's place in the middle-order. "We will miss the experience of Ganguly, but Yuvraj is in good form, has made two hundreds in the Duleep Trophy final," said Dravid.

On the solid Dravid, the gifted V.V.S. Laxman and the brilliant Sachin Tendulkar — he is the only member of this Indian side with Test experience in Pakistan — will rely much of India's batting hopes.

Of course, the fire and ice combination of Sehwag and Chopra will have to, as in Australia, provide the side a sound start, countering the Pakistani pace attack.

With India likely to field three pacemen, Anil Kumble will be the lone spinner, unless the team-management has second thoughts on the three-pacemen formula.

The composition of the pace attack should be interesting. The team management is impressed with the attitude and spirit shown by the young pace duo of Irfan Pathan and L. Balaji and it is unlikely that either one of them will be left out.

This suggests Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar will be fighting it out for a slot. Zaheer had an ordinary ODI series, and it was only towards the end that he found some kind of a rhythm. Ajit Agarkar, returning from injury worries, might not be rushed into a Test match so soon.

It will be critical from India's point of view to begin the series well. "The first match of a three-Test series is always important. Hopefully we will play to our potential," said Dravid.

Pakistan has a major selection issue to resolve, choosing between Saqlain Mushtaq and Danish Kaneria. The leg-spinner has been the in-form bowler for Pakistan in Tests at home, bowling the side to a series win over South Africa, but the neglected offie, Saqlain Mushtaq, has a fine record against the Indians.

On Friday, there were firm indications from the Pakistan camp that Kaneria would be the lone spinner in the eleven, but on Saturday another theory was doing the rounds — that the Indians play leg-spin far better than off-spin.

Saqlain has been working silently, and there is already talks about a `teesra' being developed by him. It remains to be seen if Saqlain is provided the opportunity to bowl this mystery delivery in Multan.

The other members of the Pakistan bowling should pick themselves. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Sami should prove a pacey combination, while Shabbir Ahmed's height and bounce makes him an ideal support bowler. The Indian batsmen are bound to be tested with short-pitched bowling from Akhtar and Sami, two of the quickest bowlers in the business.

The Pakistani batting is a shade inexperienced and Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana will have a key role in the middle-order. However, Inzamam did not appear too worried over batting.

"Yasir Hameed is in good form and Taufeeq Umar has a tremendous Test record," he said about the openers. Asim Kamal, who made 99 on Test debut against South Africa, and the strokeful Imran Farhat could fill the other batting slots.

Combative wicket-kepeer batsman Moin Khan will be the link between the specialists and the lower order.

This is Inzamam's home ground, and the stand over the pavilion is named after him.

"We have previously won the ODIs series and lost the Tests. Hopefully, it will be the other way around this time. This is a special venue for me. Hopefully, we will make the right beginning here," he said.

The teams: India (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Akash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, L. Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik. Coach John Wright.

Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Moin Khan, Shoiab Akhtar, Mohammed Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq. Coach: Javed Miandad.

Umpires: David Shepherd and Simon Taufel; Third umpire: Asad Rauf; Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play: 10.30 a.m. (IST) to 12.30 p.m., 1.10 p.m. to 3.10 p.m. & 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

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