All credit to the bowlers

All credit to the Indian bowlers for it is never easy to dismiss any opposition below a total of hundred. The annihilation of Kenya at Bloemfontein also reflected the increasing confidence level in Sourav Ganguly's team following the morale-boosting victory over South Africa.

It is important for India to keep the momentum going, and though the team is virtually assured of a place in the final, with the demoralised Kenya unlikely to mount a serious challenge in the coming days, the team should not relax mentally.

Cricket at any level is all about making winning a habit, and the more you win, the more you gain in confidence, against any opponent. It is this streak of ruthlessness that makes a team formidable.

Coming to the ridiculously one-sided encounter, Ajit Agarkar was the pick in the Indian attack, rocking the Kenyans early on with some well-directed pace bowling.

He is operating to a nice rhythm these days, and his late selection, is actually proving to a blessing in disguise. Indeed, it is a rejuvenated Agarkar we are seeing in this triangular competition.

Having watched the Mumbai paceman during his formative years as the India `A' coach on the tour of Pakistan four years ago, one always knew he had the ability to achieve movement off the pitch at a fairly sharp pace.

And it is this quality that makes him such a useful bowler on wickets with some pace and bounce. Agarkar was the best Indian paceman on the tour of Australia a couple of years ago, a fact that was submerged due his failures with the bat.

The point is Agarkar has to be seen as someone who is principally a bowler. He can bat usefully on occasions, although he has done no justice to his ability with the willow.

Anil Kumble too is rediscovering his rhythm fast, and this is a good sign for it is seldom easy for a bowler to return after a major injury. The coming back of Kumble has certainly added teeth to the Indian attack, providing Ganguly with that many more options.

And the idea of sending the strokeful Virendra Sehwag right at the top of the order made sense; the Delhi lad did produce some sparkling strokes. Yet, one hopes the media is patient with this cricketer. Do not praise him to the skies when he performs and drop him like a hot potato when he stumbles.

In the same breath it must be mentioned that the lack of fighting spirit in Kenyan team was appalling. When the African nation stunned the West Indies during the '96 World Cup, there were expectations that the side could develop into a potent combination in the coming years.

That has certainly not come true. The Kenyans have found it difficult to unearth new talent, and star players like the talented Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe are not getting any young either.

This also brings us to the bigger question. Is there any point in having a struggling side like Kenya in a three- nation tournament when the other two sides are South Africa and India, both established cricketing nations?

The answer is simple. It does not serve much purpose and dilutes the competition, taking away the element of suspense about the qualifiers in the climactic stages of the league.

The answer could lie in having a separate series for the likes of Kenya and Bangladesh, with the slightly stronger Zimbabwe being the third side. Otherwise teams like Kenya would continue to cut a sorry picture in the bigger league.

www.krishsrikkanth.com

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