It is anybody's game

By Vijay Lokapally

BANGALORE, MARCH 24. Cricket was the winner, it is being said, during the just-concluded three-match Test series. With huge crowds returning to the Test arena and the teams producing some rich fare in the middle, cricket certainly was the winner. The revival of the team's image, the discovery of a matchwinning bowler and the grand triumph against a most professional outfit made it a memorable phase for Indian cricket. The transformation of the team's fortunes has been rapid indeed.

The Indians are rightly buoyant at their remarkable feats and the critics are raving about the great comeback during the Test series. The Aussies, after all, were not invincible. But this battle will be different. The opponent is wounded, far more determined, and raring to claw its way back. With their pride dented, the Australians will certainly be a tough bunch to take on and the Indians are well aware of it. The euphoria of the Test series may not have died yet but it is time for the Indian team to look ahead.

As far as the visiting team is concerned, the Harbhajan Singh factor will continue to haunt the Australians even as they leave the bitter memories of the Test debacles behind and plunge into the five-match one-day series with a silent prayer of salvaging some of their lost prestige.

The pressure will be on Steve Waugh and his men since they have to prove, regardless of the setback in the last two Test matches, that they are the best combination in any form of cricket.

It is nice to talk about cricket being the winner in the Test series but the fact remains the Australians will not like to forget the defeats at Kolkata and Chennai in a hurry. They may take a while to recover from the experience of tasting two defeats in a row but knowing their resilience and grit, one can expect the Australians to play with the same efficiency and quality to assert their supremacy in a game it has come to dominate for quite some time now.

The demands of the one-day series will be different. So will be the combination of the team. And that gives the contests a fascinating look. No team is the favourite on the eve of the first encounter, a day-night contest, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here. The remaining four fixtures of the series will be day affairs.

Horses for courses

The Indian selectors have picked horses for courses. The return of Robin Singh (Sr) to the one-day squad reflects on the policy of balancing the induction of youth with experience even though this Tamil Nadu cricketer has never been allowed to settle down despite his consistency.

Once again, like always, he will find himself under pressure but knowing the man's grit one can expect Robin to make the most of this opportunity. Just as one would expect Sunil Joshi to once again display his prowess with success for the benefit of people who continue to put this quality cricketer on trial.

The team management will have a tough time finalising the line-up for the match, what with V. V. S. Laxman and Harbhajan staking their claims too. The gifted Hemang Badani too deserves a chance when in form. Well, the Indian skipper has a task at hand which begins with choosing the best combination from a wide range which has no place for the likes of Yuveraj Singh and Venkatesh Prasad.

The absence of Yuveraj is a grim reminder to youngsters like Badani, Harbhajan, Dinesh Mongia to stay focussed with feet firmly on ground, as coach John Wright has been repeatedly reminding the team.

The star left-hander from Punjab, who was hailed by skipper Sourav Ganguly as the finest middle- order batsman he had seen after Mohammad Azharuddin, is paying for complacency. Lack of guidance too has robbed the team of a talented youngster.

If only Yuveraj had the right guru to groom him when success and fame embraced him. Prasad's experience, and craft suited for this brand of cricket, would have come in handy in this series but then the selectors have opted for Javagal Srinath, who has had more battles with his fitness than the opponents of late.

Like the home team, the Australians too have picked horses for courses. By deciding to include Mathew Hayden in its one-day scheme of things, the Australian think tank has indicated there was room for form and not just reputation.

The strongly built left-hander has had a fabulous run in the Tests and will be a crucial figure in the Australian team.

The Australians were the first to encourage separate teams for Tests and one-dayers. Such has been the abundance of talent that Australia can afford to keep a compulsive strokeplayer like Michael Slater away from limited overs cricket.

The team could not accommodate an all-rounder like Shane Lee, who now flies in as a replacement for Jason Gillespie. The Australians have plenty to draw their strength from.

Focus on Bracken

Left-arm Nathan Bracken will obviously be the focus as Glenn McGrath gets a new partner to share the attack. The presence of Andrew Symonds adds to the excitement, not to forget the hard- hitting Darren Lehmann and the evergreen Michael Bevan, the man who never fails to deliver in tight situations.

It would be interesting to follow the performance chart of Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, notable failures of the Test series. For Australia to do well, these two will have to recoup their composure and raise their game. As would Adam Gilchrist, who failed to read the pitches in India after taking off with that sensational assault at Mumbai.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials have decked up the venue in anticipation of a cracker of a match on a pitch which is expected to be a belter.

A last- over finish would thus be in keeping with the nature of recent contests between India and Australia when cricket was the winner.

The teams (from):

India: Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V. V. S. Laxman, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Mongia, Vijay Dahiya, Virender Sehwag, Sunil Joshi, Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.

Australia: Steve Waugh (Captain), Mathew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Darren Lehmann, Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming, Nathan Bracken, Shane Warne, Shane Lee, Damien Martyn and Ian Harvey.

Umpires: Messrs S. K. Sharma and Devendra Sharma; Third umpire : Mr. K. G. Lakshminarayanan; Match Referee: Mr. Cammie Smith. Reserve umpire: Mr. Ravi Subramanyam.

Hours of play: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 6.45 p.m onwards.

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