A LOT AT STAKE

It is the time that the Indian team stood up to the challenge of playing real fast bowlers on wickets that have pace and bounce.

South Africa has never been a delightful experience for the Indians with the exception of the T20 World Cup, the 2003 World Cup and sterling individual performances.

With the tag of No.1 the Indian cricket team has a lot to prove.The lacklustre showing against the New Zealand at home in the test series should be a cruel pointer.I do not want to sound like a pessimist or a Jaywant Lele, but something tells me that this series could be a make or break for the team and a lot of players.

The news of Zaheer Khan and Shreesanth being doubtful for the first test could not have come at a more inopportune time.The spinners, the less said the better for they could not answer the questions posed by the batsmen from New Zealand.Surely, the likes of Kallis and Co. are much more accomplished and have the entries in the record books to justify this.

In the batting department, everything comes down to the seniors led by the gentleman named Sachin Tendulkar. It would be a photographer’s delight to watch Raina face the fast bowlers.

Historically, India have not done well in the opening test of a series at home as well as on foreign soil.So a wrong foot in the first test could make things extremely complicated in the series.The sad losses in the first two test matches in the last tour of Australia could not prevent India from saving the series even with that famous win in Perth.

The captaincy of Dhoni and his famed ‘midas touch’-largely a myth will be put under tremendous pressure.

SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

When Ian Chappell expressed his doubts over the standing of India as the best test playing nation in the long run, there was widespread disbelief. Motives were attributed to Chappelli and the familiar white vs. black debate got started all over again especially among the followers of the game in India who are more addicted to the chaddi cricket(T20).

In his analysis, Chappell talks about the bowling and the batting talents that are required to sustain the No.1 ranking over a period of time.

The first test between India and South Africa exposed brutally the chinks that were visible to most real followers of Indian cricket.In the absence of Dravid and Laxman, the batting resembled a bunch of weekend cricketers against a professional outfit, barring the knocks of Sachin and Sehwag.Forget what Dhoni might had to say after the trashing on swing bowling-conventional or otherwise, the fact remains that the batsmen were just not equipped to deal with the likes of Steyn. It is true that most teams now look very ordinary when facing good bowling, particularly of the faster variety.The most successful batsmen of his generation, Ricky Ponting made to look ragged by Kiemar Roach.

Laxman talked about the lack of bench strength in the spin department.The Nagpur loss showed how true the concerns of Laxman were. The premier spinner in the team Harbhajan Singh just did not have a clue on spin while Amit Mishra spun a few balls in his first spell on the first day. That the Indian batsmen struggled to find their feet against Paul Harris is another story.

THe selection of the team made one pull out hair in dismay. Why was Saha in the team as a batsman when Manish Pandey and Virat Kohli had better credentials to offer?

It is often said that one needs to run faster to stay at the present position. The INdian team just could barely walk and going by the happenings in the second test, it is very difficult for the team to stay at the top.

AN UNFAIR COMPARISON

M S Dhoni scored a brilliant 100 to take India to a victory in second match of the ongoing series versus Australia. The media and the commentators went over the board to heap their praises on this knock. I have no complaint on this.

But I am feeling outraged at the opinion of a commentator who compared this knock of Dhoni to the 175 not out of Kapil Dev in the Prudential World Cup of 1983.Just look at the scenario. Kapil came to the wicket when the top 5 of the batsmen were back in the pavilion unable to cope with the bowling from the likes of Kevin Curran.Dhoni received great support from Gambhir and later from Suresh Raina. On the other hand, Kapil had the company of far less accomplished batsmen in the form of Kirmani, Madan Lal, Roger Binny and Balwinder Sandhu.This knock came against Zimbabwe but it paved the way for the ulimate win in the World Cup.

I do not for a moment wish to denigrate the knock of Dhoni but it is shameful to compare it with the great knock of victory.But the likes of Dhoni have a very long way to be put into the 'true' pantheon of greatness.

I sometimes feel that even the gods did not want the knock of Kapil to be recorded for posterity taking it into the realm of a legend.But we the ordinary mortals don't realise this and go on making highly odious comparisons.

DHONI HAS EXCELLENT TIMING

When M.S.Dhoni decided to skip the test series ostensibly to take rest, he received a lot of support. The media and the ex-players hailed the 'courageous' decision. Even the great Sachin Tendulkar did not enjoy the luxury of picking matches in his pomp. Would the cricket authorities in Australia allow a top player like Ponting to miss a whole test series?

Dhoni by all accounts is extremely street smart. He has not done well in the test matches. The way he batted in Australia was not expected of a future captain. He was not able to string a decent score. The spinners of Sri Lanka would have made a mockery of the batting ability of Dhoni. Excellent players of spin like Sachin, Laxman and Dravid were made to look like novices on the tour.

So Dhoni decided to give the test matches a miss and play the one day series instead. I wonder whether Dhoni would have missed the series if he were the captain?

TOSS WAS IMPORTANT

In my humble opinion, much has been made out of the captaincy skills of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The win the T20 World Cup and the victories in Australia and Sri Lanka have been cited as instances of the acumen of Dhoni. But we should not forget the losses in Sri Lanka.

When the home team won the toss the Indian team floundered. Dhoni and his men appeared clueless and when Dhoni called correctly at the toss, the team won. So the toss became the crucial factor in deciding the final outcome of the one day series. The supporters of Dhoni have argued that the players were not motivated for the last game after having won the series in the fourth match.

DON'T CROSS THE LAXMAN REKHA

The BCCI censured the coach of the Indian cricket team.The reason-poor Kirsten opined that Dhoni would be the right person to lead the team for the test matches.The BCCI argues that the decision is to be left to the selection panel. The coach should not interfere with the working of the selectors.

The message of the BCCI is loud and clear-Kirsten should not cross the 'laxman rekha'. It is a different matter that the officials of the BCCI can vent their views all across the media.

I think there is a mountain made of the captaincy issue. Sometime ago a player was asked of his desire to lead the team and the player replied in the affirmative. This led the media to make the public smell a coup.

Similarly, Gary Kirsten also made his views known on the captaincy after the departure of Kumble.

WHO WILL PLAY AND WHO SHALL TAKE THE REST?

It is going to be a difficult choice as far as the playing eleven for the first test is concerned.

It is certain that three spinners will be fielded with the hope that the result goes India’s way. It is also not misplaced considering Pakistan batsmen could not handle the spin of the South African. If the think-tank decides to have two faster bowlers in the eleven, problems would arise.

Wasim Jaffer is a certainty since he is the only specialist opener in the side. Dinesh Karthik performed admirably in England at the top of the order and so he might get another opportunity. The problem is with the fact that the team has another keeper in Dhoni. Even as the test credentials of Dhoni are not proven, the selectors would not like to invite hostile public reaction. Let us not forget that Dhoni is the current favourite of the nation, even without the long hair.

It is a no-brainer as far as Sachin and Rahul Dravid are concerned. These two are a must for the playing eleven. That leaves only one more slot to be filled and there are three contenders in the form of Saurav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Yuvraj Singh. Of these three the claims of Ganguly are the weakest. I am a great supporter of the left-hander from Kolkata, but he does not inspire much confidence. Laxman is too good a batsman to be left out while Yuvraj is in the form of his life brimming with confidence. It would be unjust not to give him an opportunity.

I have a solution. Since Dinesh Karthik is a wicketkeeper who also opens the innings, it would not be unwise to drop Dhoni. That would give the selectors the choice to pick Yuvraj and Laxman. If dropping Dhoni is not an option, as it seems, then a rethink should be made about the idea of playing three spinners.

Of course, the selectors can always spring a choice like asking Dravid or Laxman or Ganguly or even Yuvraj to open the innings partnering Jaffer.

It is a million bucks question as to who is going to be ‘rested’?

A COUP?

The resignation of Rahul Dravid looks like a coup of some sorts. This conspiracy theory of mine may not stick but Indian cricket has always had the reputation of being in the hands of the worst script writer that Bombay films ever had.

The appointment of Sachin Tendulkar as the Vice-captain before the World Cup in the Caribbean was something that was touted as a masterstroke by the selectors. Sachin, it was argued, would provide valuable inputs to the team think-tank and also would play more ‘responsibly’. We all know what happened in the World Cup. Sachin himself put on highly forgettable displays against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was only against Bermuda that the bat of the great man talked.

In the tour to England, Sachin played with a rare freedom especially in the one-dayers. The test series was won and the one-day series was lost in the last match. But the success of the tour has soured now with the dramatic announcement made by Dravid.

One has to take the appointment of Dhoni as the captain of the team for the T20 World Cup in the right perspective. As is the case now, the likelihood of Dhoni taking the mantle from Dravid appears remote with Sachin being the clear frontrunner. The Mumbai lobby led ably by Sharad Pawar has been very efficient plotting the downfall of Dravid. Various satraps connected to the ruling body of cricket in India have made noises over the strategy of Dravid. The Chairman of the selection committee, Dilip Vengsarkar was, reportedly unhappy over the defensive approach of Dravid.

It is true that in some instances, the strategy of Dravid appeared to be less than sound. The decision of not enforcing the follow on in the third test when England was on the mat baffled everyone. Dravid defended himself on the ground of giving the bowlers time for recuperation. But then every captain has his own way of making decisions.

Now the decks are cleared for the anointment of Sachin to the top job. There is a report in the media about an interview given by Sachin during the tour to England. All these, only add to the rumors and the innuendoes that very much characterize Indian cricket.

I hope to be proved wrong.

TWO MANY WICKETKEEPERS?

The first test was saved thanks to the rain and some gutsy display from two wicket keepers, Karthick and Dhoni. But did the team management err in packing the side with so many batsmen?

Dinesh Karthick has put up a commendable show in the opening slot. Dhoni looked out of place in the first innings when he guided a ball into the hands of a fielder. In the second innings also, Dhoni did not inspire much confidence with the paddle sweeps and streaky shots past the slips. But he did stay at the wicket long enough to help India’s cause.

It can be argued that Dhoni and Karthick were crucial to India’s chances in the test match at Lords’. But one of them needs to be dropped to make way for an additional bowler. It is of course, difficult to dislodge a batsman of the class of Kevin Pietersen when in full flow. It helps to have another option when one bowler is out of depths. In the second innings, Sreesanth did not cover himself in any glory.

I am of the firm belief that Dhoni should be picked only for the one-dayers and for the test matches Karthick is the first choice. If the test matches are played on home wickets with no bounce or seam movement, then it is wise to have Dhoni in the playing eleven.

DEBATABLE DECISIONS

The Indian team management decided to open the innings in the test matches with the help of a makeshift opener, Dinesh Kaartick. This meant no place in the team for both V.V.S.Laxman and Yuvraj Singh.

It is to be remembered that Kaartick is also a wicketkeeper and the team has the regular keeper M.S.Dhoni in the playing eleven. So the decision is strange.

Dhoni does not inspire much confidence with the keeping gloves. He is awkward as far as the collections to the spinners are concerned. Probably, Dhoni took to keeping as an afterthought. He is not a natural when it comes to wicketkeeping. Ugly is the word that comes to mind when describing the wicketkeeping of Dhoni. In this context, it is unwise to have two keepers in the playing eleven when proven batsmen are sitting in the dressing room.

In the past, there were few instances when two wicketkeepers, Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit were in eleven. But then the situation was different with players down with illness and injury. But Laxman and Yuvraj are fit and healthy.

If the management is committed to find an opener, Gambhir might have been a better choice. Kaartick is, at best, an ad-hoc opener.

Is the fact that Bangladesh is the opponent that such decisions are made or are they the indicators of the things to come?