The Hindu : Sport : A blessing in disguise

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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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A blessing in disguise

India needs to adopt a positive approach, writes W.V. Raman

The packed itinerary in international cricket can sometimes be an advantage as there is not enough time for brooding over a loss as teams have to prepare for the next Test. Team India will consider it a blessing that there was just a short break between the first and second Tests as it is important that they looked ahead after the drubbing at the SSC.

Confidence building

Going by the reports the team management has indicated that it will not resort to knee jerk reactions and stick to the same combination in the second Test as well.

Their decision not to make changes will no doubt provide a lot of confidence but Kumble needs to rethink about whether four bowlers are enough to bowl a side out twice to garner a victory.

The Sri Lankan top order batsmen are in form and in the event they get lucky with the toss at Galle and the openers get off to a start, it will be a catch-up game for the Indians.

Moreover the success of the Sri Lankan spin twins will probably lend strength to the argument that four bowlers are enough if they do their job adequately.

There was a certain amount of anxiety evident when the batsmen were up against Mendis and Muralitharan at the SSC. The gameplan appeared to be one of passive dominance, in that the batsmen were looking to play in a subdued manner till they were absolutely confident that they had spotted all the variations.

The Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene was sharp enough to pile on the pressure once he got a whiff of the hesitancy.

No doubt he had the luxury of a huge score to attack the Indians but it was extraordinary to see the Indians play Muralitharan as though they were up against him for the first time.

Happy hunting ground

The Indians have come out on top after being in this situation several times in the recent past but the Sri Lankans will be raring to play at Galle which has been a happy hunting ground for them.

Another cause for concern for the Indians will be the weather as matches have been affected by rains at Galle more often than not.

The Indians cannot afford loss of playing time in what is a crucial Test. Team India will be under pressure, the batsmen in particular, as they not only have to conquer the M-factor (Mendis & Muralitharan) but also score quickly to give the bowlers enough time.

It remains to be seen whether the Indian batsmen will adopt a more positive approach against the Sri Lankan spinners.

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