The onus is on Harbhajan and Zaheer

By S. Dinakar

KANDY, AUG. 19. The road leading to the picturesque Kandy, located on the hills of Sri Lanka's Central Province, is serpentine and it's a pretty steep, climb.

The journey to this lovely town went fine for the Indians, however, Sourav Ganguly's men, after the shattering defeat in Galle, have another mountain to conquer - the Test series. It's going to be a hard, uphill ride.

If the `Mission Impossible' is to be achieved, two men have a key role to perform. One a spinner with an exotic bag of tricks, another, a paceman with a definite future. The comrades in arms during an hour of crisis for India.

The big truth in cricket is that it is the bowlers who win matches, and Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan have to strike for India when the Kandy Test gets underway at the Asgiriya Stadium, here, on August 22.

These are difficult times for the team. Ace leg- spinner Anil Kumble is not yet available after a shoulder surgery, and pace spear-head Javagal Srinath broke a finger in Galle. To make matters worse, Aashish Nehra, the promising left- arm seamer left for home following the triangular one-day competition with a strained groin.

Let's now take a look at the Indian attack in Lanka. Venkatesh Prasad, who had a disappointing time with the ball in Galle, can still be useful if he strikes a rhythm, but it's unlikely that we'll see him in the role of a match-winner. Harvinder Singh is a genuine trier, yet has a tendency to get into serious problems with his length.

In the spin department, leggie Sairaj Bahutule and left-armer Rahul Sanghvi, have just one Test each behind them, and in any case, they are, at best, support spinners.

Cricket is a game that can leave us all with egg on our faces when it comes to predictions, however, logically speaking, Harbhajan and Zaheer, will have to make the inroads.

Harbhajan has captured the imagination of the cricket fans in Lanka with his wonderful repertoire. There is a special liking for off-spin in this part of the world following the exploits of Muttiah Muralitharan and the young sardar has made a distinct impression here.

He realises the responsibility on his young but strong fingers if India is to bounce back in the series. ``I am bowling well. They have a plan to counter me and are playing me with a lot of respect. Even Jayasuriya was not striking me in front of the wicket, he was just blocking them. I could have got him and Sangakkara early too. But then, this is how the game goes. You cannot get five wickets in every innings,'' said Harbhajan to The Hindu after the Indians finished their practice session at the Asgiriya Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Punjab off-spinner notes since the pitch was green in Galle, he tried bowling slower through the air to counter the conditions. ``We had three pacemen in the first Test and my role was more of a support bowler, being the lone spinner. But I will go for wickets in Kandy.''

Harbhajan was the principal player with a mind- boggling 32 wickets in India's sensational come-from-behind triumph against Australia this year and believes the side can do it again. ``Australia is a strong side and we achieved that. This time also it will be a test of our character and, god willing, we should come through this,'' says the spinner who never says die.

Zaheer Khan too doesn't give up easily, clawing his way into the Indian team after being discarded by Mumbai in his early days. A product of the MRF Pace Foundation, Zaheer is someone who can be genuinely quick and that in itself should make him special in the Indian pace scene.

The left-arm seamer hits the deck hard, he says that's his principal strength, and possesses a pretty mean yorker too. He's also been rather shabbily treated - his omission from the eleven for the Harare Test against Zimbabwe being the case in point - but has shown the resolve to hang in there and fight back.

Zaheer has already endured a trying period concerning his fitness in Lanka. A persistent pain in his shin meant that he had to fly back to Chennai after the conclusion of the one-day tournament for a precautionary x-ray. What went through his mind at that juncture? ``I was confident that it was only a strain and that I would be back for the Tests. I had no doubts.''

He was back in time for the first Test, but performed well only in parts. ``I thought I gave too much width to the batsmen. I will have to work on that. Stick to a nice line, length, and hopefully the rest of the things would fall in place,'' he admits.

Yet, Zaheer was the one to deliver the `right' ball to Jayasuriya, climbing into the Lankan skipper sharply, cramping him for room, and taking the outside edge. The southpaw was already past his hundred, yet this was the right ploy against this explosive customer.

The Baroda paceman realises that there is that much more pressure on him to deliver in the absence of Srinath. ``He was a great help to all of us, and we will miss him.''

The situation is challenging but can also throw up heroes. It was Harbhajan against Australia, can Zaheer rock the Lankans. Or will it be a double `pace & spin' attack?

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