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The stage is set for an intriguing contest

S. Dinakar

Irrespective of the weather on Thursday the side winning the toss is expected to bat

— Photos: K.R. Deepak

TIME FOR CRICKET NOW: England’s Andrew Flintoff and teammates indulge in a game of rugby before the serious stuff starts on Thursday, while Sachin Tendulkar (below) knocks the ball around to get into the groove.

Chennai: Cricket will assume centre-stage at Chepauk from Thursday. On view will be a Test match that signifies the triumph of the spirit.

England has displayed character in returning to India. Can the side stretch the host on the field of play?

The teams are led by men with a distinct sense of adventure in their cricket. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kevin Pietersen are also blithe spirits and inspirational match-winners. The two can light up arenas.

The skippers were in control as the cricketers practised under bright sunshine on Wednesday. The weather could change shades during the Test; how quickly the cricketers adapt might determine the course of the match.

Mantra for success

Irrespective of the weather on Thursday, the side winning the toss is expected to bat. The mantra for success in the sub-continent often is this; bat first, bat big and then apply pressure on the opposition on a surface increasingly favouring spin.

The first session will be crucial; more so in a two-Test series where comebacks can be hard. India’s aggressive opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir seized the initiative in the first two hours against Australia. Mentally, the visitor was pegged back. India then made inroads.

If England takes first strike, the onus will be on Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss to provide a solid platform. The top-order — the combative Ian Bell will be one-drop — faces off against one of India’s finest pace pairs.

Ishant Sharma’s line, pace, and sharp inward movement should probe the Englishmen. The crafty Zaheer Khan’s left-arm variation, swing and cut can be incisive.

Reverse swing is bound to be a factor. Against Australia, the Indian pacemen cleverly used cross seam to roughen up the ball early and then got the sphere to reverse.

However, the English pacemen could be better off in this department than their Australian counterparts. The Duke ball used in England is similar to SG, the official ball for the series.

These balls have a pronounced seam that encourages reverse swing. The Aussies, familiar with the Kookaburra ball, struggled here.

As the contest wears on, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and leggie Amit Mishra will have a bigger say. Harbhajan could exploit the footmarks created by left-arm paceman Zaheer.

Considering that India outplayed world champion Australia only recently, the host is the favourite. A series triumph will enable India regain the No. 2 spot in Tests.

The pitch here is unlikely to be a belter; Sehwag raced to a triple hundred against South Africa earlier this year on a flat deck at Chepauk.

Rahul Dravid, likely to bat at No. 3, will search for form. Yuvraj Singh will seek to seal his spot in the middle-order. Maestro Sachin Tendulkar returns to a favourite hunting ground. The wristy V.V.S. Laxman is not short of runs or confidence.

Brave selection

England has been brave in the selection of its eleven for the Test. Graeme Swann, an off-spinner, has been chosen over an in-form batsman in Owais Shah.

The move sends several signals. Firstly, playing five bowlers in the eleven is a declaration of intent — England is here to win. The ploy is also an indirect way to instil greater responsibility in the five specialist batsmen.

The specialists will be followed by influential all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and batsman-keeper Matt Prior.

Importantly, Pietersen will not be short of options with the ball. Steve Harmison and James Anderson form a new-ball pair of contrasts.

Harmison gets the ball to climb from just short of a good length. Anderson bowls fuller and essentially swings the ball away. They will be followed by Flintoff’s pace, lift, swing and aggression.

Monty Panesar’s rip and revolution will bring him into play in the second half of the Test. Swann can get the odd ball to straighten; the success of Jason Krejza in the Nagpur Test has encouraged the Englishmen to field an off-spinner.

Of course, much of England’s chances hinge on Pietersen’s strokeplay and Paul Collingwood’s resolve in the middle-order.

The stage is set for an intriguing duel.

Meanwhile, the two teams will hold a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai before the start of play on Thursday. The players will also wear black arm-bands during the Test.

The teams:

India (likely): M.S. Dhoni (captain), V. Sehwag (vice-captain), G. Gambhir, R. Dravid, S. Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, A. Mishra, Ishant Sharma.

England: K. Pietersen (captain), A. Cook, A. Strauss, I. Bell, P. Collingwood, A. Flintoff, M. Prior, G. Swann, S. Harmison, J. Anderson, M. Panesar.

Umpires: B. Bowden, D. Harper; S. Shastri (third umpire). Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.

Match begins at 9.30 a.m.

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