The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Opener issue: Wright keeping the options open

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Monday, Apr 12, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Opener issue: Wright keeping the options open

By S. Dinakar

RAWALPINDI, APRIL 11. The Indian team-management is keeping the cards close to its chest on the issue of opening partner for Virender Sehwag, on what is likely to be a pitch with a fair tinge of green in the third Test beginning on Tuesday.

Coach John Wright, after supervising a rigorous Indian practice session at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, that saw skipper Sourav Ganguly bowling seamers indicating he had recovered fully from a back injury, presented both sides of the coin.

Wright was appreciative of Yuvraj Singh's current form, while remembering the important contribution of the Sehwag-Akash Chopra pair in India's displays Down Under and in the first Test in Multan.

"It's a good problem to have. Yuvraj's efforts have been outstanding. A quality 59 in Multan, followed by a maiden Test century. We've just got to sort out the batting positions. The big thing about opening is that you actually got to be `wanting to be there'. It's a specialist position. Obviously we might go into the Test with a non-specialist at the other end with Veeru (Sehwag). Let's not forget that Veeru in his mind, as he has mentioned before, is a middle order batsman. We've got to pull through it. It's an interesting one.''

He did not, however, rule out the possibility of Chopra, after all the fuss, walking out with Sehwag. "There is that option as well and that will be discussed. That opening partnership has done well. And the first two hours of the partnership have been very important to us in Australia. Getting away from that combination would be difficult. Anyone can have two failures in a Test opening the innings. There was the 160-run partnership between the two in the first Test,'' added Wright.

The Indian coach said pressure was bound to be on both the sides in the series decider, but looked at the positive side. "Maybe that will help us achieve a winning result. Both sides will be desperate to win the match.''

Commenting on the grass on the pitch — on Sunday it was difficult to separate the wicket from the lush green outfield, although some of the grass will surely be chopped off before the match — he said, "It (the pitch) looks similar to the one in Lahore. There might be a little bit in it before lunch. Getting through that pre-lunch period will be critical if we bat first. Obviously it gives us the opportunity to take wickets.''

Wright said while Irfan Pathan and L. Balaji were "pretty certain'' to figure in the eleven, the team will have to decide between Ajit Agarkar and Aashish Nehra for the third paceman's slot. "If we decide to bat, we may even go in with two spinners.''

Commenting on the captain's call on tosses, he said, "A captain has to say, `I will listen to all opinions, then I will make my choice.' A captain who cannot decide whether to bat or bowl is in trouble from the start. You have to make a positive decision which Rahul (Dravid) did in the last match. He backed his batters to do the job. Looking at the way the wicket was behaving, if we had parity in the first innings, we would have had a big chance.''

He was not willing to read too much into the injuries to key Pakistan pacemen Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed. "They (Pakistan) were hit by injuries in the last game and they found a fellow who came in and took five wickets. You got to respect, whomever you play against. Sometimes, when someone new comes into the side, who hasn't had a chance, he can be dangerous.''

Wright refused to be critical of the umpiring in the second Test, and expressed confidence in David Shepherd and Rudi Koertzen, who will do the job in the third Test.

Looking back at the reverse in Lahore, he said a dismissal such as Rahul Dravid's run-out in the second innings could have a significant impact in the eventual outcome when two sides were so evenly matched.

The coach admitted that the Indians had not been able to `nail it' in the first innings of the away Tests, either while attempting to retain a series lead or in the series deciders. "What generally happens when we win a Test is that we play on a wicket that favours seam bowling a little more. It happened in Barbados. It happened in Harare, in Melbourne, and in Lahore. Any opposition will come back harder at you.''

He said the Indians would have to put that behind them, and register a sizable total in the first innings here to give the bowlers a fair chance. "That's got to be our challenge in this game.''

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