The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A cracker of a contest on the cards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

A cracker of a contest on the cards

By Vijay Lokapally

BIRMINGHAM, SEPT. 17. The tension in the Indian and Pakistan camps is palpable despite the fact that frostiness among the cricketers has been replaced by genuine warmth and respect for each other.

Like in the past, nothing other than a victory shall satisfy a nation when India and Pakistan clash in a sporting arena but mercifully cricket, and only cricket, will be in the forefront when they meet at Edgbaston here on Sunday. There is no place for jingoistic frenzy anymore.

If Sourav Ganguly and Inzamam-ul-Haq have spent time in trying to arrest the rising anxiety among their ranks, it is understandable. Only the winner progresses and this will weigh heavily on the minds of the players when they prepare for this match.

In terms of cricketing expectations, there can be no doubt that fireworks will fly on Sunday. After a series of mediocre matches in the ongoing Champions Trophy one can look forward to an intense meeting between two teams that have the capacity to produce explosive stuff.

Experts here feel that weather permitting, this should be the match of the tournament. An important factor that holds the key to a cracker of a contest will be the pitch.

Different conditions

Both teams have been afflicted by inconsistency. Pakistan may have won the last two matches between the two but that will have no bearing on the upcoming clash, as the conditions here are different.

The damp conditions will influence the batting approach of the teams and in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, India will be under considerable duress, especially because of the rotten form of Virender Sehwag. This would be the best platform for him to blaze away but it is not easy because he does miss Tendulkar, who is battling a tennis elbow.

Like the back injury of the past, the tennis elbow of Tendulkar has become a national debate. Ideally, Tendulkar should be left alone to judge the extent of his injury and his likely return to the playing eleven.

The Pakistan camp believes it has a strong psychological edge purely because its speedsters will have an uncertain opening pair to attack. "No team can afford to lose a batsman like Tendulkar,'' Inzamam said. But the Indians are keen to prove that the master's absence is just a minor handicap in the current set up where replacements are raring to have a go.

It is the composition of the playing eleven that has engaged the attention of the team management. The majority wants Rahul Dravid to return to his wicketkeeping duties so that Ganguly can explore more options.

It is not that Dinesh Kaarthick has been found wanting but then he has also not earned the confidence of the team management to any great extent. The team management feels the young wicketkeeper is far too flashy and needs to keep his feet on earth. He is just beginning to understand the nuances of international cricket and should be backed for some time.

No place for Kumble?

Ganguly felt it was too early to make a commitment on the playing eleven. "Will have to study the conditions and the pitch before we decide on our line of attack," he said. But there was no guarantee there would be room for Anil Kumble, who has been kept out after a poor match at Trent Bridge. But the veteran leg-spinner has the ability to swing the game for India and continues to command respect among the opposition.

But it is the batting that has given Ganguly nightmares. The poor form of Sehwag has upset the balance completely but Ganguly has unflinching faith in the opener. "He's a match-winner and should strike form any time," he said of Sehwag. However, support for Sehwag has come from every member in the team and the message has been to stick to his natural game. "I'm not trying to alter my game," he confirmed.

Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh have struggled on this tour but compensation has come in the shape of Mohammad Kaif, who has managed to make the most of the opportunities. He does not fall in the category of match-winners but plays within limitations. Kaif has justified the promotion in the batting order and obviously would be keen to make a mark on Sunday.

Without wanting to sound overconfident, the Indians have put their plans in place for a clinical execution. They will have to contend with an exciting opening pair of Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed, with the dangerous Inzamam waiting to settle a score. He has not yet overcome the defeats at home last April. Pakistan has acquired a resurgent Shahid Afridi, who is once again enjoying his game. And that can be an ominous sign for India, not to ignore Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami lurking in the shadows to strike at the right time.

The teams (from):

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

Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Shahid Afridi, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Akhtar, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Naved-ul-Hasan, Younis Khan, Moin Khan, Yasir Hameed, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami and Azhar Mahmood.

Umpires: Messrs Rudi Koertzen and Simon Taufel. Third Umpire: Steve Bucknor. Match referee: Clive Lloyd.

Hours of play (IST): 2.45 p.m. to 6.15 p.m.; 7 p.m. onwards.

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