The Hindu : Sport : Best chance for India to clinch series

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Friday, Nov 30, 2007
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Best chance for India to clinch series

S. Dinakar

Umar Gul journeying back to treat his back injury

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

OPENING OPTION: If India goes in with an extra spinner for the second Test, local hero Sourav Ganguly (seen at the nets on Thursday) may well share the new ball with Zaheer Khan.

Kolkata: Not surprisingly, attention has shifted from a winning side to one fighting for survival. Devastated by injuries, Shoaib Malik’s side is under sharp focus. So is the skipper.

Anil Kumble meanwhile was confidence personified. The host will not receive a better chance to close out the IndianOil series.

If Malik, nursing a sore ankle, fails the fitness test Younis Khan will step in. Pakistan, in fact, could benefit from having an experienced man at the helm in a crunch match. Malik’s place could be filled by the wristy Faisal Iqbal.

The pace attack is the biggest area of concern for Pakistan. Umar Gul generated pace at the nets on Wednesday, but subsequently felt excruciating pain. The influential paceman is journeying back to Pakistan for further treatment to his back injury.

With Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami still recovering from chest infection, Gul’s speed and skill could have provided the cutting edge that a side 1-0 down in a three-Test series so desperately needs.

Pakistan has sent an SOS for replacements. Can the freshly selected pacemen reach Kolkata on time?

Arafat to replace Gul

All-rounder Yasir Arafat will replace Gul in the squad for the second Test. Arafat is expected to arrive on Friday morning.

Then there is the Akhtar question.

The Rawalpindi Express did not train with the side on Thursday. Though out of hospital, Akhtar reportedly is feeling weak.

Sami’s plight is similar and young left-armer Sohail Tanvir has more responsibility on his inexperienced shoulders than he would have anticipated.

Pakistan has the option of playing a second spinner in left-armer Abdur Rehman on a pitch that is likely to encourage spin.

Kaneria’s role

Under the circumstances, much hinges on Danish Kaneria. The leg-spinner disappointed in the Indian second innings at the Kotla, tending to push the ball rather than flight it.

On surfaces where the ball grips, a spinner should ideally give the ball more air.

It can also be argued that Kaneria did not have enough runs to bowl with.

It is here that Younis and Mohammad Yousuf need to pull their weight. Pakistan is missing the stature and quality of Inzamam-ul-Haq.

There is bound to be assistance for the pacemen in the first hour due to the morning moisture in the winter. The crosswind in the evening should encourage swing too, although this factor has diminished in recent times due to the concrete structures that have sprung up.

There, however, should not be too much help for the pacemen here in terms of bounce. This Eden Gardens surface is unlikely to break up but there will be definite purchase for the spinners as the match progresses. Batting first should be the ideal option for both sides.

Third spinner

India will be tempted to include a third spinner in left-armer Murali Kartik. But then, dropping a specialist paceman in Munaf Patel will see Sourav Ganguly sharing the new ball with Zaheer Khan.

Ganguly bowled creditably in the first Test but such a move could send the wrong signals. Disturbing the opening combination to accommodate an extra bowler would be a folly.

The teams (from): India: A. Kumble (captain), W. Jaffer, D. Karthik, R. Dravid, S. Tendulkar, S. Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, M.S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Z. Khan, M. Patel, M. Kartik, Yuvraj Singh, I. Sharma.

Pakistan: S. Malik (captain), S. Butt, Y. Hameed, Y. Khan, M. Yousuf, Misbah, K. Akmal, S. Tanvir, S. Akhtar, A. Rehman, D. Kaneria, M. Sami, F. Iqbal, S. Ahmad.

Umpires: R. Koertzen & B. Doctrove. Third umpire: A. Sahiba. Match referee. R. Madugalle.

Play begins at 9 a.m.

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