The Hindu : Sport : Chance for hopefuls to catch the eye

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Sunday, Oct 01, 2006
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Sport

Chance for hopefuls to catch the eye

S. Dinakar

TIME TO FIRE: Sourav Ganguly will be eager to push his case during the Challenger Trophy. — Photo: V. Ganesan

Chennai: Sourav Ganguly alighted from the lift and strode down to the hotel lobby. He soon flashed a friendly smile while his eyes picked out the tastefully arranged kolu dolls. "Is the Durga Puja happening here too?" he asked.

The former India captain is in good spirits. He believes he can make a comeback into the National side and wants his bat to do the talking. Given his credentials, much of the focus will be on him in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy beginning here from Sunday.

It has been raining hard in Kolkata and Ganguly was pleased to see sunshine here. And he expects his career to enter a brighter phase too. The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium was well lit when he practiced in the afternoon.

The day-night one-day matches between the India Blue, Red and Green teams should be intensely fought. There are reputations to be protected, salvaged, and made.

Engrossing mix

The competition, with an engrossing mix of stars, emerging cricketers and seniors focussed on reviving their careers, is among the most popular events in the domestic calendar.

The timing of the tournament adds to its significance. In a season leading to the Champions Trophy and the World Cup, one-day cricket gains in prominence.

Given that Team India stumbled in the DLF Cup tri-series in Malaysia, the hopefuls will be eyeing an opening. The new National selection panel chairman Dilip Vengsarkar and his colleagues will be watching the proceedings.

The surface should encourage strokeplay. Traditionally, the pitch here has offered an element of bounce to the pacemen. The evening dew should encourage seam movement, but life could be hard for the spinners in the latter stages.

The pressure will be on India Blue, led by Rahul Dravid. This is virtually the first Indian side, although a place has been created for young left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Mohammed Kaif has been drafted into the India Green side, as skipper. Venugopala Rao will captain the India Red side.

The Indian batting disappointed in Kuala Lumpur. Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and M.S. Dhoni need to find their rhythm. Sachin Tendulkar, rested for Sunday's tournament opener between Blue and Red, could light up the competition in the climactic stages.

The selection of Wasim Jaffer in the Blue side is an interesting one. Considering that the Indian team is yet to settle down with a stable opening combination this season, the selectors probably want to have a look at Jaffer, a technically correct batsman whose shot-making ability is often under-rated.

Alarming slump

Irfan Pathan, who has suffered an alarming slump in form with the ball, faces a crucial test. The left-arm paceman's ability has never been in doubt, but he needs to work on his technique and regain self-belief.

Senior left-armer Zaheer Khan will be keen to prove a point. Pacemen L. Balaji and Ashish Nehra, and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik would want to impress the selectors.

Harbhajan Singh returns to a venue close to his heart, along with spin partner Ramesh Powar. Anil Kumble, however, has been given more time to overcome his fitness worries.

For those like Gautam Gambhir, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, S. Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and all-rounder C. Raghu, the competition will be a platform to push for an India place. And old hand V.V.S Laxman could stake his claims forcefully too.

Intensive session

India Red had an intensive session under lights. Coach Lalchand Rajput said the tournament would provide a wonderful opportunity for the youngsters. He added that the experienced cricketers too could find their way back.

"I spoke to Ganguly and he was looking forward to the matches which is a good sign. And I could see the fire in Zaheer during training today."

Only Sehwag and Yuvraj practiced from the India Blue side. Skipper Dravid and maestro Sachin Tendulkar arrived here on Saturday night.

The umpires: S. Bandekar, Jasbir Singh, Ravi Subramanium and S.K. Tarapore; Match Referee: V.K. Ramasamy. Timings: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 6.45 p.m. till end of the match.

The schedule: Oct. 1: India Blue vs. India Red; Oct. 2: India Blue vs. India Green; Oct. 3: India Red vs. India Green; Oct. 4: Final.