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Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

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India in search of match winners

By Vijay Lokapally

TRENT BRIDGE, AUG. 31 . The perennial journey of hope continues as India leaves the bitter memories of Colombo and Amsterdam behind in an attempt to give a positive shape to its dreams. Of course, the scenario has not changed in the past few years as Sourav Ganguly's aggressive bunch gropes around in search of that much elusive winning potion.

In most cases, quality and performance have remained on paper and it is time for the team management to understand that match winners have to be identified and groomed as India prepares for the tough Champions Trophy by playing in a three-match NatWest Challenge series against England starting here on Wednesday.

The team, to begin with, will have to learn to play without Sachin Tendulkar, ruled out for this three-match series but optimistic of recovering in time for the Champions Trophy. "I'll take it step by step,'' said the maestro, looking ahead.

He was at the `nets', sorting out Harbhajan Singh's batting problems and Irfan Pathan's bowling woes.

The Indian team management cannot afford to lose time when analysing and finalising its strength. Enough opportunities have been accorded to those wanting to establish themselves and it is time these players deliver. Players like Mohammad Kaif have to shed past glory and perform consistently. To say he deserves a place just for his fielding abilities would mean denying someone else a deserving look-in.

The Indian camp was huddled on Monday in various discussions, with the longest involving Bruce Reid and the bowlers where Pathan and L. Balaji were given extra attention. "He was trying to help me improve my action,'' revealed Pathan. Action, run-up, follow-through, all vital aspects of bowling are being improved on the eve of a series. "It helps one gain confidence," continued the left-arm seamer from Baroda. Reid is here for a short period at the invitation of the team management, which is yet to sort out strategies. He was absent at the `nets' today.

Constant shuffling

Constant shuffling of the batting order has also not shown the coach and captain in good light. The captain at least is willing to speak his mind on the issue but the coach has remained guarded even though he knows the batsmen have to simply stay at the crease and not rush things. It is a matter of time.

Talking of match winners, V.V.S. Laxman is a victim of the team management's questionable moves, demoting him in the order and keeping him under constant pressure. As far as Laxman is concerned, he is just waiting to make a compelling statement with the bat to put things in the right perspective.

The stalwarts are waiting too.

Ganguly finds himself in a tricky corner and needs to raise his game at this crucial stage; Rahul Dravid is the man the team can look forward to for the simple reason that overseas he places himself in a different zone.

In Dravid, the team has a cricketer of strong character and in conditions that prevail here he has the right technique and attitude to excel. His waiting game policy will work strongly here, given the nature of batsmen at the other end.

Virender Sehwag has not been in the best of form but then there is no need for him to make changes to his style. As Ganguly stressed, "Sehwag has a distinct quality to play aggressive cricket and we would prefer he sticks to his natural game.''

Not that Sehwag is not aware of his responsibility to give the team a racy start. It is just a matter of getting his timing and shots right, with a little luck to back him, and soon he would find himself on the desired course.

Captain's favourite

Yuvraj Singh is the captain's favourite. Nothing wrong because he has delivered and promises a lot every time he occupies the crease. The same cannot be said of Kaif. At number seven, a team needs a batsman who can snatch the initiative instead of waiting for one. With Zaheer Khan, the best bowler out of action, the onus will be on Pathan to justify the hype that surrounds his presence in the team, not to forget Ashish Nehra and Balaji, who will find the conditions best suited to their style considering the possibility of cloud cover over the ground. Ganguly will need to match his aggression with deeds. He has the resources and the next three matches should give an indication on how qualified the team is to claim a spot in the top three bracket of international one-day cricket.

England, in comparison, has improved considerably as a Test team but the challenge over the next week will be of a different kind. Michael Vaughan has a new-look combination with the bowling looking ominously incisive with the presence of Steve Harmison, quite capable of slicing through the opposition. Andrew Flintoff's success as an all-rounder augurs well for Vaughan's men. There is variety in the English attack with Harmison's disconcerting bounce, Darren Gough's experience and Ashley Giles' guiles posing a combined threat to the Indian batsmen. The Englishmen make no tall claims as do their counterparts but effectively they do present a challenge. It should be a compelling series if the teams play to their potential — the weather holding the key.

The teams (from):

India: Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Ajit Agarkar, Rohan Gavaskar, Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Kaartick, Anil Kumble, L. Balaji, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan.

England: Michael Vaughan (Captain), Marcus Trescothick, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Strauss, Andrew Flintoff, Anthony McGrath, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Alex Wharf, Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, Gareth Batty, Geraint Jones and Vikram Solanki.

Umpires: Darrel Hair and David Shepherd. Third umpire: Jeremy Lloyds. Match Referee: Mike Procter.

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