GEARING UP: Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble, who return after a break, will be keen to begin on a positive note. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Chennai: With the third of eight international matches on India's path to the 2007 World Cup hours away, captain Rahul Dravid is satisfied the team's fabric, barring a couple of niggling threads, is woven.

"We just need a couple of questions answered," said Dravid, who announced his playing eleven on Friday. "There's one related to fitness and the other relates to probably a batting spot. The more you delay these questions, the less likely you are of finding solutions."

So, Yuvraj Singh, his mended cruciate ligament supported by a knee brace during Friday's session, will play the third ODI of the Pepsi Cup. As will Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, who survived a hairy moment after being struck an immeasurably painful blow on what Ravi Shastri calls the unmentionables, Anil Kumble, and S. Sreesanth.

"Ganguly, Harbhajan, Zaheer and Dhoni will sit out," said Dravid, who was forced to painstakingly clarify that the foursome were being given a break; no one need construe it any differently. "It's been an emotional time for Ganguly, so a break will do him well, Zaheer has had a lot of bowling to do, Dhoni is our number one keeper, and Harbhajan one of our best spinners."

The low-scoring stoush India swung at Cuttack is significant. Despite a streak of recidivism from the top order, save Dravid who seemed to have the wicket sussed, the side found one of the answers it has been long looking for in Dinesh Karthik: a middle-order batsman with creativity and power.

FOCUSSED: Brian Lara does some cricket ball gazing on Friday, the eve of the crucial third ODI between the West Indies and India at Chepauk. ``This tournament is paramount,'' observed the West Indian captain, ``in our preparation for the World Cup at home.'' India leads 2-0 in the four match ODI series. — Photo: V. Ganesan

Karthik — who will keep wickets on Saturday — metered his bat speed with alacrity on a turgid Cuttack track and showed he could throttle runs out of the lower order. His State coach W.V. Raman reckons the 21-year-old is, with Yuvraj, the best equipped to deal with the middle overs on low, slow wickets, the kind India sputtered on in the Caribbean.

Yuvraj's considerable ability in such conditions is the reason the team management is desperate to have him on the flight to the West Indies. His athletic fielding, in the context of India's return to experienced slow movers, is crucial. On Friday, he walked mincingly in between bouts of running down high catches and throwing at a set of plastic stumps. He, however, rolled his left-armers with no noticeable difficulty, and leant into the odd feline drive.

"Yuvraj looked real good," said Dravid. "He is medically fit, and the good thing is he sounds confident. It's just a matter of him getting through 50 overs a couple of times and gaining in confidence from the experience, removing any doubts he may have from his mind."

West Indies captain Brian Lara, nursing a sore knee, said he wasn't "a hundred per cent." He would practise, get treated, and make a call on Saturday. Down 0-2, the West Indies needs to win to keep the series alive; Lara chose to step back and do some larger-picture gazing: "This tournament is paramount in our preparation for the World Cup at home. We've played on two different wickets — it's tough, but it's what we want."

Did Lara see any differences in the Indian side from the one that toured the Caribbean last year? "I wouldn't want to compare. What I can say is they are hungry — they look desperate for a win. Of course, to carry the hopes of a billion people into the World Cup, you need that."

The compacted, sun-bleached track at the refurbished M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is expected to tender runs. Those in the know are unwilling to commit on the dew: Thursday was particularly dewy, reasoned one, but Saturday could turn out different. Every captain who has won the toss in each of the five day-night games here chose to bat.

A precedent perhaps, but India, a bowler short from Cuttack, might prefer chasing. Read that, however, with the warning that second-guessing Dravid is a mug's game.

The teams (from): India: Rahul Dravid (capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, S. Sreesanth and Ramesh Powar.

West Indies: Brian Lara (capt.), Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Devon Smith, Denesh Ramdin, Rayad Emrit, Darren Powell, Ian Bradshaw, Jerome Taylor.

Umpires: Billy Bowden and Suresh Shastri. Third umpire: A.M. Saheba. Match referee: Allan Hurst.

Hours of play: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., 6.45 p.m. till close.

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