The Hindu : Sport : Do-or-die battle for the Indians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 02, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Do-or-die battle for the Indians

S. Dinakar

Andrew Flintoff complains of pain in his left ankle

Leeds: One side seeks the killer punch, the other fights for survival. It should be an intriguing tussle at the Headingley on Sunday.

The Indians have to seek inspiration from within. The Englishmen, leading 3-1 in the seven-match NatWest series, have not been short of men willing to put their hands up in moments of crisis. The situations have thrown up heroes.

The Indians, still striving for momentum and consistency, have a few fitness problems as well.

Fitness problems

There are definite concerns about Zaheer Khan’s ankle. The left-arm paceman is receiving treatment and did not bowl during Saturday’s practice session at Headingley. Dravid said the team had to wait and watch.

Zaheer brings much to the attack with his experience and skill. For a side requiring to win all three games from here, his absence could hurt.

If Zaheer misses out, Munaf Patel, struggling for rhythm, could receive another look-in. There are worries over his fitness levels too, although Dravid stated the paceman was ready to play if picked in the eleven.

Sourav Ganguly, suffering from a slight fever, was not present at the ground. The left-hander, however, is expected to figure in Sunday’s contest at this serene, elegant venue.

There is bound to be assistance for the swing bowler at Leeds. Since this is a day game, India would be better off fielding first, especially if there is a cloud cover. The side did just that at Edgbaston and the pacemen disappointed in the initial phase. An opportunity was frittered away. Spells of cloud cover and sunshine and strong winds have been forecast for Sunday. The direction of the breeze, generally, assists out-swing bowling here; the challenge before the pacemen would be to control their movement under windy conditions.

Well-rolled pitch

The well-rolled pitch sported brown grass — not the live, green one — seemed a tad moist. A paradise for the swing and seam bowlers in Test cricket, Headingley has produced more runs in the abbreviated form of the game.

Back to the spin of the coin. How a toss is made use of eventually boils down to the cricketers. A captain can only decide; his players have to perform.

It’s the same with the bowlers. The fielders need to hold catches. Mercifully, the Indian catching took a turn for the better at Old Trafford, but the outfielding was disappointing. Pressure is often created by fielding; for the Indians it has been the other way around.

Dravid said the Indian fielding had shown some improvement at Old Trafford, but added there was quite some distance to travel yet.

The Indians were spot on when they opened with a left-right new ball pair of Zaheer and Ajit Agarkar at Old Trafford. Agarkar, as enigmatic as they come, was on song under lights in the fourth ODI.

The Indians need to sort out their batting line-up. Dinesh Karthik has the ability to bat at No. 3 in the ODIs, but a tendency to attempt strokes square off the wicket early in his innings has not helped the team’s cause.

Considering that the Indian tail is longish one, the side needs a touch of solidity at No. 3. , and skipper Rahul Dravid, who said he would consider the option, might have to promote himself.

In the day game at Edgbaston, Dravid, who has rediscovered his touch and timing, did pierce the circle in the Power Play overs. The skipper’s elevation would also mean M.S. Dhoni can be pushed up to No. 5.

India sorely misses an all-rounder.

England, in contrast, has depth and multi-dimensional cricketers in its line-up with Stuart Broad coming in at No. 9. And the side has clinched three games without Kevin Pietersen scoring a big one. It says much about the rest of the young pack.

Meanwhile, star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s ankle injury appears to be returning to haunt him. The cricketer — who has undergone three operations on his left ankle — batted at the nets, but did not bowl. Collingwood confirmed that Flintoff complained of pain on his ankle and was under the physio’s care. If Flintoff does not play, Chris Tremlett is likely to replace the all-rounder.

The teams:

India (from): Rahul Dravid (capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni, D. Karthik, A. Agarkar, R. Powar, P. Chawla, Z. Khan, R.P. Singh, M. Patel, R. Uthappa, R. Sharma, Gautam Gambhir.

England (from): P. Collingwood (capt.), A. Cook, M. Prior, I. Bell, K. Pietersen, A. Flintoff, D. Mascarenhas, R. Bopara, S. Broad, J. Anderson, M. Panesar, C. Tremlett, O. Shah, J. Lewis.

Umpires: Aleem Dar & Nigel Llong, Third umpire: Ian Gould.

Match starts at 2.45 pm. IST.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport
News: ePaper | Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Jobs | Updates: Breaking News |