Can India rise like the Phoenix?

By G. Viswanath

ADELAIDE, JAN. 24. The Indian cricketers must accept their fate in this tri-series. They looked in a less cheerful mood at the South Australia Cricket Association's indoor facility, except captain Sachin Tendulkar, who put up a brave face in spite of his erratic form in the Test series and the Carlton & United Series. On Monday, he did not say whether it was the end of the road for his team or it can escape from the morass it is in with nothing gained from four matches.

The Indians have gone through such a luckless phase in the tri- series that it has put a specific demand on Tendulkar's team. They must win their matches against Pakistan here at the Oval on Tuesday in the day/night match and also at Perth. They must also put it across Australia in the back-to-back matches here and also at Perth. The fact that they have not been crushed was a point Tendulkar made, suggesting that his team still has the wherewithal to make this week's contests meaningful. ``What was Allan Border's team in 1987. They still won the World Cup.. Is it not,'' said Tendulkar.

Tendulkar is not a man one can fault on the count of commitment. So are the others. They have not shirked away from sweating it out at the nets. Ajit Agarkar, who is recovering from a hamstring strain and will not play the two matches, too went through a fielding routine like flicking the ball underarm on to the stumps. ``This is what is keeping the team's morale high. We are enjoying the fielding sessions,'' said Tendulkar.

Last Friday the Bellerive Oval had a first glimpse of the genius of Tendulkar. For the first time in four matches the Indian captain decided to open the innings. He had deliberated upon it at the team's practice session at the Tasmanian Cricket Association outer nets. The Indian team was under pressure. Tendulkar, an important cog in the wheel of Indian batting line- up, was anxious to see the team's fortunes end on a brighter note. He played some wonderful strokes against Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar.

Tendulkar striking form was the happiest news for the Indians. But at the end of the day it was Pakistan which won the match against its arch rival. Tendulkar's dismissal - like Sourav Ganguly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia when he ran himself out after scoring a century - at his highest score in four matches was a such a big blow that his wicket-taker, Abdur Razzaq, made the match his own, thereafter.

Incidents like these have happened often for the Indians in this championship. If Ganguly and Tendulkar's dismissals, when they were in top form, could be the very reason that choked the Indians, there were quite a few lapses at the `Gabba' against Pakistan, which turned out to be a last ball finish. Paying attention to details and showing common sense has never been the hallmark of this Indian team which had to battle hard for the 3-2 win against New Zealand.

The seamers were responsible for making a mess of the last overs when they conceded too many runs to the Pakistan tailenders - Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis. Javagal Srinath might have bowled a great spell against Australia at Sydney when he took four wickets, but the pitch was seamer friendly. Had Srinath and Glenn McGrath been in one team, the rival might have been shot out for less than 75 runs. Tendulkar himself was deceived by the cracks on the pitch, which stopped him from picking a third seamer. He admitted later that he had made a mistake.

Between December 1998 and now the Indians have not won a major limited overs series, which is actually a total reversal of trend from the extraordinary run of victories in 1998. Ganguly led an assorted Indian team to win the DCM Trophy in Toronto last September, but the National team of today is neither as professional as Australia and South Africa nor can match the individual allround ability of some of the Pakistan players.

The Indians must avoid the mishaps that took place in the last fortnight which really calls for each and every player's role to be defined, which is what the Australians have been doing on the field. Their fielders know exactly what they have to do. Rarely have edges missed the hands of Mark Waugh at second slip, though he put down a couple of catches. Andrew Symonds has been another proof of Steve Waugh placing the right man square of the wicket on the off side. The same applies to Michael Bevan, Damien Martyn and Ricky Ponting. They have saved at least 20 plus runs diving and pulling the ball back from hitting the boards.

In contrast, the Indian fielding was quite pathetic, especially by the players who were positioned at fine leg and third man. The Pakistan batsmen converted ones into twos soon after they played their shots to Venkatesh Prasad and Debasis Mohanty. ``The grounds are big and the fielders should know that they should not be standing five yards inside the line, but 10 to 15 yards. I think Indian teams must get more opportunities to play here,'' said Tendulkar.

When asked if the Indian team here for the C & U series was the best combination, Tendulkar said, ``It is a decent one. We are missing a couple of players. I don't want to name any one.'' Tendulkar obliquely referred to the utility of Ajay Jadeja at No. 5 or 6. When the team was picked for the tri-series, Jadeja was not fully fit and the BCCI President took the correct decision then.

Shane Warne is in a similar plight now. Australia's linchpin in the bowling, Warne, who is recovering from a side strain, is keen play the match against India on Wednesday. But physio Errol Alcott had a final word saying Warne will not play because it is not worth taking the risk when Australia had already qualified for the final. Steve Waugh has a minor hamstring strain, but according to team sources he will play against India on Wednesday.

There are two possibilities of India making the final. The most sure way is to beat Pakistan and Australia in the remaining four matches, which will give it eight points. The second is it can lose to Australia once, but only by a smaller margin. The team knows that it cannot suffer another defeat against Pakistan, which is what it will strive to prevent on Tuesday. Pakistan took an off day, but the Indians visited the Adelaide Oval only to see the pitch covered.

The first rains in two months here, when the forecast was for a sunny and warm day, and a dim setting did not deter the captain's spirits. ``There will be sweating and we will pick the team only tomorrow,'' said Tendulkar.

lThe teams (from):

India: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Jacob Martin, Robin Singh, Sameer Dighe, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad, Nikhil Chopra, Sunil Joshi, Debasis Mohanty, Devang Gandhi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Ajit Agarkar.

Pakistan: Wasim Akram (captain), Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Wasim, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Wajahatullah Wasti and Waqar Younis.

Umpires: Messrs Darrel Hair & Stephen Davis; Match referee: Mr. Cammie Smith.

Points position (read as played, won, lost, points and NRR): Australia 6-5-1-10-0.669; Pakistan 6-3-3- 6-(-) 0.100; India: 4-0-4-0-0.840.

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