India needs to get its act together

By S. Dinakar

COLOMBO, JULY 21. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is another day. For the Indians, the outing against New Zealand ended in a nightmare, yet the side has the opportunity to wipe away the bad memories when it takes on Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium, here, on Sunday.

It's a `big game' and it's not going to be easy. The onus is on the Indian batsmen to get their act together before it becomes too late.

The Lankans present a formidable challenge, there is depth in batting and plenty of options in bowling, where feared off- spinner Muttiah Muralitharan becomes doubly dangerous on these slow two-paced pitches.

The pitch held the key in the first two games, the chasing team finding it more difficult with the ball coming through at differing pace.

The India-Sri Lanka duel will be played on a different strip, but the chances are that it might not be too different from the earlier one. Winning the toss will again prove crucial.

The Indians did not really have the luck of the draw on Friday, still there can be no excuse for what was an inept batting performance, completely devoid of character and courage. Too many wickets were given away too easily, with shot selection leaving much to be desired.

When it was important to play straight on the track to counter the uneven bounce - the required run-rate at the start was not too high any way - the Indians indulged in fancy strokeplay that ultimately led to their doom. V.V.S. Laxman, striving hard to make amends for his lacklustre performance in Zimbabwe, being the lone exception.

For youngsters like Yuveraj Singh, Hemang Badani and Virender Sehwag, consistency has to be of primary importance. That's just not happening.

Coach John Wright was forthright when he said, ``We didn't bat as well as we could.'' Yet, he also stressed on the nature of the wicket. ``If the other pitch is of a similar type, we would have to win the toss. It's a bit frustrating when in the second 50 overs of the game, the surface starts playing differently. It makes batting first a lot more important than it should otherwise be.''

Wright also admitted that the opposition in Lanka was far more demanding than what India encountered in Zimbabwe. ``It is going to be a tough tournament. Both Sri Lanka and New Zealand are playing at a level higher than West Indies or Zimbabwe. We first have to secure two points, get on the board.''

Change in batting order likely

And the question of the opening slots in the Indian side is getting more and more curious. Now, according to the coach, the team management is keen on achieving more flexibility in the batting line-up to handle these conditions better.

``We are considering the option of bringing Ganguly to the middle-order, when the best spinners are on. We have to look at the stability factor, especially in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar,'' said Wright.

If Ganguly drops himself down the order, then opener Khurasiya will get a look-in. ``Yuveraj, Sehwag, Badani and Khurasiya will fight for three places,'' said Wright.

The coach also personally favoured the idea of opening the bowling with Zaheer Khan and Reetinder Singh Sodhi, and bringing in an additional spinner, if the pitch behaved in the same manner. In that scenario, left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi would be the logical choice, ahead of paceman Ashish Nehra, who did not bowl his full quota against New Zealand.

It must be said though that these are only some of the options the Indian think-tank is looking at, and the team could very well retain the same eleven.

In any case, India has announced the same 13 with pacemen Debasis Mohanty and Ajit Agarkar still out of the reckoning. Agarkar, who suffered a sunstroke in the practice game against Sri Lanka `A', is also grappling with a viral fever.

Changes alone are not going to make a difference. The Indians have to be positive in their attitude. The moment negative thoughts creep in, half the battle is lost.

And as one batsman followed another against the jubilant Kiwis, Sourav Ganguly's side seemed lacking in self- belief, the all- important quality when things go wrong.

The bowling and the fielding was not lacking in character though. The `non-specialists' Yuveraj, Sehwag, and Badani chipped in with their bit and the stopping, throwing and catching was quite brilliant. A pity, the batsmen came up short to succumb without the semblance of a fight.

Jayasuriya sees room for improvement

In contrast, the Lankan confidence and self-belief must be soaring. However, skipper Sanath Jayasuriya believes there is scope for improvement in batting. ``I was not very happy with our performance against New Zealand. Everybody has to contribute.'' The skipper though was pleased with his own form, not surprising for his 80 was a match-winning knock.

And despite India's comprehensive defeat at the hands of New Zealand, he is not willing to write the side off. ``They are capable of coming back. We are not going to underestimate them. In today's international cricket all the sides are tough.''

Jayasuriya also says young players like his opening partner, Aviskha Gunawardene, who had a wonderful series against Pakistan `A', will have to take their chances.

If Gunawardene fails to get going, then there is the probability of Romesh Kaluwitharana regaining his opening slot, creating a place in the middle-order for the talented Kumara Sangakkara, highly rated despite his recent failures.

The Lankans had a lengthy practice session in the afternoon, under the eagle eyes of Jayasuriya and coach Dav Whatmore, and there was none more enthusiastic than magical off- spinner Muralitharan.

Jayasuriya had glowing things to say about Murali, and he also had words of praise for Harbhajan Singh. ``We all watched him bowl against Australia with interest. I think he can be a great bowler. He has improved a lot.''

Yes, the match would witness the `new' Harbhajan Singh duelling it out with Muralitharan, a battle within a battle. It should be exhilarating.

lThe teams: India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid (vice-captain), Amay Khurasiya, Yuveraj Singh, V.V.S. Laxman, Hemang Badani, Virender Sehwag, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Sameer Dighe, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Rahul Sanghvi. Coach: John Wright.

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Avishka Gunawardene, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Kumara Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Suresh Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dulip Liyanage, Dinusha Fernando, Kumara Sangakkara and Chamara Silva. Coach: Dav Whatmore.

Umpires: Mr. P. Manuel & Mr. T.H. Wijewardene. Third umpire: Mr. G. Silva.

Hours of play (IST): 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.; 6.15 p.m. till the end of play.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Prasad completes second GM norm
Next     : Poor planning let India down