Inspired Indians aiming to chart new course

By Vijay Lokapally

BULAWAYO, JUNE 6. He is the lifeline of the team. Can he deliver the elixir of a Test win overseas? Greatness is what every individual strives to achieve in his profession and the term would acquire greater value if Sachin Tendulkar can inspire a bunch of motivated youngsters into winning a series abroad with some personal deeds.

Knowing his stature, it should not be a new experience for the master and it matters a lot to Tendulkar, at this stage of his career, to play a few grand, match-winning knocks this season.

The caravan is presently stationed in Zimbabwe and will roll on to Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and England as the season progresses. The expectations are high and so is the level of motivation in this Indian team, riding high on the success at home against the Australians.

Of course it would not be fair to expect everything from an individual in a team sport. But then Tendulkar is no ordinary individual. The team looks up to him, the nation looks up to him, and he too sets some very exacting standards for himself. It is these high peaks in international cricket that one expects him to scale.

On the eve of the first Test against Zimbabwe, starting at the picturesque Queen's Club here on Thursday, the average fan of Indian cricket would remember those heartbreaking moments when his team lost when it ought to have won.

Bridgetown, in 1997, still haunts; Harare, in 1998, still hurts; Chennai, in 1999 against Pakistan, is still vivid. On all the three occasions, one expected Tendulkar to produce the innings that counted, the innings that mattered. But he failed to finish the job.

Of course, an incredible catch to dismiss him, and given out off a no-ball, is what he remembers of Bridgetown. Two great deliveries from Neil Johnson left him numb at Harare. And a back- breaking pain left him shattered at Chennai. ``I couldn't even lift my handbag in the evening,'' recalled Tendulkar.

As he assumes the role of a senior statesman in the team, Tendulkar knows he has to set an example. ``I should've finished that match,'' he said of Chennai. He had connected every shot until that fatal moment. But he would not like to talk about the other defeats overseas. ``It's in the past,'' he murmurs.

Indian cricket always has to be viewed in a different perspective when it goes on tour. The extra bounce, the extra speed is what rattles the batsmen. ``It matters a lot. The ball comes up. At times it holds a little. You have to try and change your game,'' said Tendulkar.

Rahul Dravid, with a fantastic record overseas, agrees: ``You have to adapt quickly. The conditions obviously are different than India and as a batsman you have to be careful in your shot selection. The bowlers too have to adjust their length,'' he noted.

So, Tendulkar and Dravid to a large extent will have to show the way. In the past, at different points, Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly, as captains, had pointed a finger at the bowlers, when Anil Kumble was seen as the only match- winner.

There is a marked change in the attitude on this trip. The seniors in the team, Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly, firmly believe that this Indian attack is quite capable. ``In a long time, we haven't had such a good bunch of seamers,'' gushed Ganguly. Approval from Tendulkar also means that Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra have the calibre to be a match- winning trio, with Harbhajan Singh a splendid support on any surface.

Batting has been the team's strength for years, but there is plenty of hope from this attack. Ajit Agarkar, short of confidence and nursing a calf injury, has been ruled for the match, leaving the fight between Nehra and Sairaj Bahutule.

The balanced attack gives lot of hope for Ganguly to look at the possibility of beginning a new era where India emerges as a force, not just at home. ``We have the bowlers who can adapt and can deliver. I don't want to predict but the effort will be more than hundred per cent,'' said the Indian skipper.

The Indians will not wait for things to happen and not leave the job for the other to finish. There is a commitment to win Test matches and look a complete team. The hard work at the camp in Bangalore is the base for Ganguly to place faith in his team and the emphasis this time is not to speak but to perform and then speak.

The Indians have identified the areas where each individual has to perform. Harbhajan's role is precise - bowl with the same confidence and guile that saw him send the Australians packing. ``I'm really enjoying my bowling. I've worked hard on every aspect,'' said Harbhajan, who has made quite an impression in the two matches on the tour thus far. The bounce that he extracts makes him a difficult bowler to handle and he has developed a very effective drifter which should keep the Zimbabweans on their toes.

The 2-0 Test win against Bangladesh has pepped up Zimbabwe, which will be a tough team in its backyard. The form of Andy Flower, Grant Flower and Alistair Campbell will count a lot even though skipper Heath Streak feels his bowlers have an equally significant role to play, especially the seamers. The inclusion of the youngsters - Brighton Watamba and Dion Ibrahim is a sign of progress for Zimbabwe cricket.

The pitch, shorn of grass, has expectedly evoked a debate. Navjot Singh Sidhu, quite adept in reading the pitch, reckons it would ease into a batting track after the initial movement for the bowlers. Harbhajan, however, should thrive even here.

A Test victory is a very treasured moment. Indian cricket now looks up to this team to give it the flavour of a triumph overseas.

* The teams (from):

India: Sourav Ganguly (Captain), S. Ramesh, S.S. Das, V.V.S. Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sameer Dighe, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, J. Srinath, Ashish Nehra, Hemang Badani, Ajit Agarkar, Debasis Mohanty and Sairaj Bahutule.

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (Captain), Guy Whittal, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Alistair Campbell, Andy Blignaut, Stuart Carlisle, Dion Ibrahim, Brian Murphy, Brighton Watamba, Travis Friend and Gavin Rennie.

Umpires: Messrs Daryl Harper and Russel Tiffin; Third umpire: Mr. J. Fenwick; Reserve umpire: Mr. N. Singo; Match Referee: Mr. Denis Lindsay.

Hours of play (IST): 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; 3.40 p.m. to 5.40 p.m.; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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