The Hindu : Sport : Kiwis plan `subtle changes'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 02, 2005

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Sport

Kiwis plan `subtle changes'

S. Ram Mahesh

THE VITAL COGS: Ganguly, having recovered from a viral infection, will hope to regain form ahead of the final while Rahul Dravid is also due to deliver with the bat. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

HARARE: "It will be interesting to look at the team make-ups before the final," said New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram before the match against India in the Videocon tri-series at the Harare Sports Club on Friday. "Might be a chance to get a sneak preview."

Oram met the media because captain Stephen Fleming was "a bit off colour."

"We don't expect it to affect his (Fleming's) playing tomorrow," said manager Lindsay Crocker. Fleming had hinted after the match against Zimbabwe, that his side would look to exploit certain "technical aspects." The Black Caps' play would have "subtle changes," he said.

The last time these two sides played, the bowlers slugged it out. The top-orders failed. New Zealand's depth got it to a total they could defend, and Shane Bond carried it home. Bond's return from injury has transformed the Kiwis' strategy.

Without the 30-year old paceman, they would use Oram and Nathan Astle to defend, Kyle Mills and Daryl Tuffey to attack and Daniel Vettori to do both. They would field like demons, enlarging any target. While the fielding and the rest of the attack remains untarnished, New Zealand can now blow a hole in any top-order.

India's woes

That's precisely where India's problem lies. It crashed to 44 for eight in its match against the Black Caps, and was spluttering at 121 for four versus Zimbabwe before M.S. Dhoni's pyrotechnics changed things.

"It's not going to be a 300-run game, so we'll play it that way," said Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Virender Sehwag has battled indifferent form and a virus, and Venugopala Rao — with promotions in both games — has copped two beauties. Ganguly, the latest to be bogged by the virus, spent crucial time in the middle against Zimbabwe and would consider himself unlucky not to crack on.

The Indian captain hasn't been the force he once was in one-day cricket. The team will hope his return to the top of the lineup will unlock the runs. Both Sehwag and Ganguly have recovered and will play on Friday.

Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, who seem to have stagnated, managed to find their feet scoring half-centuries against the host. Kaif looked composed and played well off the back-foot. Yuvraj started slowly and seemed happiest when the slog overs started.

But Rahul Dravid — India's best batsman in Sri Lanka — will be pivotal . His technique can counter Bond's pace. After relinquishing the gloves, his role has changed. The Indian vice-captain may just need to do what he does so well in Tests — plug the burst dam.

Dravid played on to Bond in the first match before Prosper Utseya got through his defence in the second. Nineteen runs from two games is abysmal by his high standards and the duration of his innings could split the teams.

The bowlers' success

Curiously, the Indian bowlers seem to need to just turn up to pick wickets. Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra have, so far, bowled the length that best exploits their skill and the condition of the wicket. The change in angle has many batsmen falling over themselves. "The guys have worked hard on their alignment to the left-arm bowlers," said Oram.

Ajit Agarkar at first change has been Ajit Agarkar — inclined to mix the boundary-ball and the wicket-taker in the same over. Harbhajan Singh hasn't been needed yet; J.P. Yadav's medium pace has proved adequate.

Ganguly did not rule out the possibility of playing two spinners considering the Zimbabwe off-spinners' success against New Zealand. "If we look to bat first, Venu will be in the eleven. Otherwise he will be the Super Sub," said the Indian captain.

The Black Caps have expressed the intent to make it three out of three against the Indians. So, will New Zealand play Bond to burn a few more scars? "He does have a psychological edge over the Indians," said Fleming. "But we have to see if we want to use it to keep them down or use it in the final."

The teams (from): India: Sourav Ganguly (capt.), Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Venugopala Rao, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Jai Prakash

Yadav, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Ashish Nehra, Rudra Pratap Singh.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt.), Daniel Vettori, Andre Adams, Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Hamish Marshall, Brendon McCullum (wk), Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Lou Vincent.

Umpires: Kevan Barbour (Zimbabwe) and Ian Howell (South Africa). Third Umpire: Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe). Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Hours of play (IST): 1.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. and 5.15 p.m. till close.

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