Issue 6 | 23 Dec. 2006

Plotting A Series Win

For the Indian cricket team, winning a test match overseas is the real test of its skills, and so one can forgive all the beer-and-champagne bath that followed the sensational victory in its first test against South Africa, leaving a bemused Greg Chappell to say he had to teach his boys to drink beer and not waste it! For a beleaguered team in the doldrums, a whiff of victory is more, much more than the best magical restorative known to man.

Another victory in the second test would be a perfect way to kickstart a new year - and a fitting penance for the one-day losses by a test series triumph. Do Dravid's boys have it in them? Or more precisely, would South Africa hit back like a tormented lion in its own den? We should not forget that we will be facing them in the bounciest pitch in their backyard - which is sure to add more yards and more bite to their pace attack. But at the same time, it will also do some of the same to our pacers who have shown a remarkable ability to give them as good as they get. Assuming that we can match their firepower appropriately enough, the tipping point would then be who outbats the other.

The good news is, our batsmen are slowly, but steadily finding their feet, with the only problem being sorting out the opening combination. After Irfan Pathan scored the only century in the tour up to now, the think tank would definitely be tempted to ask him to pad up with Veerendra Sehwag. On the other hand, the selection committee chairman Vengsarkar who's in South Africa on a fire fighting mission following the team's disastrous start to the tour, has thrown enough hints that he would rather prefer a specialist to open the batting. Which leaves the door open for Gautham Gambhir, the other opener in the side, to take the place of the out-of-form Jaffer. Is Vengsarkar "seriously" batting for Gambhir?

Pathan's bowling woes are proving to be his albatross, but it is not at all a bad idea to throw a lifeline by giving him the opener's slot. Granted he is no specialist, but he bats with a straight bat like any other regular batsman, has scored more runs than most in this tour, and on a seaming fast pitch like Durban, who knows he could yet discover his magic arm. At worst, he gives his captain, an extra option as a fifth bowler, and if it is his day, he too can join the party, and the team can only benefit from this.

Dravid has shown that as captain he is capable of taking hard decisions, that he believes in doing his own thing (though some would say it is at the behest of Chappell). When he won the toss in the first test, he bravely chose to bat first. Now, he should bite the bullet once again and gamble on Pathan.