India looks to deliver the knockout punch

By S. Dinakar

CHENNAI, MARCH 17. Dennis Lillee was asked the question, ``Name the cricketer who could bat for your life?'' Without batting an eyelid, the Aussie pace great replied, ``Steve Waugh is the man.''

Indeed, Steve's in-the-trenches resolve, his legendary ability to buck the odds, that burning desire to deliver when the chips are down, have come to the fore in the heat of battle time and again. The `ultimate fighter' in contemporary cricket. And, deep down, beneath all those layers, the tough-as-nails Steve might actually relish the rather unfamiliar situation his team finds itself in following the disaster in the Kolkata Test. At 1-1, the series is on a razor's edge and Steve has five hard days ahead of him.

But then, does he not love a challenge? Does he not need adversity to stoke his combative instincts? Yet, with an upbeat India moving in for the kill, it's not going to be easy. The morale must surely be on the lower side after V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid subjected the Australians to a leather hunt, and then Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar blew them away on a wearing wicket.

Worse, the astonishing `run' of 16 successive Test victories had been halted by a shattering defeat. India had risen from the ashes, the Aussies, for once, had been grounded.

Physically too, the visitors must be exhausted after being on the field for more than 15 hours at the Eden Gardens. To top it all, the famous Aussie pride has been dented.

Overcoming India in India is the `Great Australian Dream.' ``If we don't win in India, all our earlier victories don't count for anything,'' Steve had remarked before the series and the Aussie captain, who possesses a fine sense of history, must surely know.

With the bat he puts his best foot forward during crisis. It's now time for Steve, the leader, to exorcise the ghosts of the Eden Gardens as the third and final India-Australia Test commences at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.

Scoring `away' Test series victories in England, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand and Zimbabwe at varying times during the last nine years, Australia is certainly the `Test Team of the decade'. Yet, the Indian puzzle has to be solved, with the solutions not being easy.

This is exactly why the Chennai match is a TEST among Tests. From a purely cricketing perspective, one of the most important contests in a long time. If Australia triumphs, it will make history, for no nation has scored `away' Test series triumphs in seven countries over a nine-year period.

However, the `Final Frontier' remains to be conquered. Yes, India is the last `major' hurdle.

A rejuvenated side

Importantly, Sourav Ganguly and his men are a rejuvenated lot following the amazing turnaround at the Eden Gardens. Psychologically they hold the edge.

And India is likely to opt for three spinners, Sarandeep Singh and Nilesh Kulkarni expected to take the places of Venkatesh Prasad and Venkatapathy Raju; Sourav should share the new ball with left-armer Zaheer, on a dry wicket, expected to help the spinners as the game progresses.

Pace spearhead Javagal Srinath has been ruled out of the Test. ``He can bowl, but will find it difficult to catch and throw,'' said Ganguly at the pre-match press conference.

Leggie Sairaj Bahutule is the other spinner in the fray, but Sarandeep may win the nod for two reasons - the old Aussie weakness against off-spin and Tendulkar's fine display of leg- spin in the climactic stages of the Mumbai Test.

With his flight, turn, and bounce, Harbhajan Singh will seek to repeat the Eden Gardens heroics. The Sardar has bowled to a wonderful off-stump line in the series, turned the odd delivery away from the right-hander, and shouldered the responsibility of being India's strike bowler superbly in the absence of Anil Kumble. He is the key man.

Coming to batting, Sadagopan Ramesh and S.S. Das will continue at the top of the order, the team management displaying faith in the opening duo, that has been through some testing times recently. Under fire from certain quarters, the Chennai Test presents a fine opportunity for Ramesh, the local lad, to silence his critics.

V.V.S. Laxman has already done that in a big way, following his epic essay at the Eden Gardens, grabbing the No. 3 slot in the process. Considering the range of strokes, the situation, and the quality of bowling, Laxman's was one of the greatest knocks ever by an Indian.

Sachin Tendulkar missed out in the second Test, and, given his urge to dazzle on the big stage, the Mumbai maestro could well explode in Chennai.

He does have a special relationship with the M.A. Chidamabaram Stadium, producing remarkable hundreds against Pakistan, '99, and Australia, '98. Tendulkar's duel with Shane Warne was particularly exhilarating, and, come Sunday, the two would resume their battle.

Ganguly will be in the pursuit of a `huge one', something that has eluded him for quite a while in Test cricket now, while Dravid's confidence will be on a `high' after the big hundred at the Eden Gardens, where it was a triumph of the spirit for him really.

With a broken nose, wicket-keeper-batsman Nayan Mongia is a doubtful starter, and Sameer Dighe, for whom fortunes have changed rather dramatically, may make his Test debut.

Miller gets a chance

Off-spinner Colin Miller's return to the Aussie squad should strengthen the attack significantly. The under-rated Miller does have the habit of picking up key wickets during crunch times.

This also means Australia will field two specialist spinners in the Test match, not originally a part of its game- plan for the series; Steve dismissed talks of ace leggie Warne being omitted.

With Michael Kasprowicz likely to be dropped, pacemen Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie have their task cut out on an unfriendly wicket, under hot conditions. Yet, McGrath has risen to the occasion time and again, and when a series had to be levelled in the Caribbean in '99, he was the one to send down over after over of probing line to snare the batsmen, bowling Australia to victory.

The man has character and Australia would be looking for a similar effort from him.

Matthew Hayden, the big left-handed opener, is the batsman in form, Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh have made vital hundreds, however, the rest of the Aussie batting has been a huge let-down.

Still, Steve ruled out changes in the line-up since the new man would find it difficult to handle the spinners straightaway. ``I will back the batsmen to come good,'' said Steve.

The Aussie batting crumbled under pressure at the Eden Gardens, too many batsmen looking to counter the spin with horizontal bat shots when playing straight might have been the answer, especially during the phase when a draw was very much on the cards.

The Test will be telecast live on DD Sports on all the five days.

The likely teams:

India: S.S. Das, S. Ramesh, V.V.S. Laxman, S. Tendulkar, S. Ganguly (captain), R. Dravid, Nayan Mongia (w.k) or Sameer Dighe, Sarandeep Singh or Sairaj Bahutule, Nilesh Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.

Australia: M. Hayden, M. Slater, J. Langer, M. Waugh, R. Ponting, S. Waugh (captain), Colin Miller, S. Warne, J. Gillespie, G. McGrath and M. Kasprowicz.

Umpires: A.V. Jayaprakash (India) and Rudy Kuertzen (South Africa). Third umpire: C.R. Vijayaraghavan. Match Referee: Cammie Smith.

Hours of play: 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., 12.10 p.m. to 2.10 p.m., 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

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