The Hindu : Dull and drab to watch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 24, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Dull and drab to watch
By K. Srikkanth

The Indian batsmen have put their team in a sound position, yet the rate of scoring left one disappointed. Especially against Zimbabwe's toothless attack.

The bounce in the pitch may have been a shade inconsistent, however, that is no excuse for India's ponderous ways. The point is, if India cannot dominate Zimbabwe at home, then not everything is right.

Watching the proceedings, this columnist couldn't help but feel that the standard of Test cricket has declined quite sharply. Cricket was dull and it was clear that the paying public was not receiving its due.

The primary aim of cricket - be it Tests or one-dayers - is to entertain, and once that is forgotten, then the game will gradually lose its popularity.

The Indians can take a leaf out of the Aussie way. The Australians consistently score around 325 runs a day, and it is their positive approach that has enabled them to win Tests matches, both home and away. In contrast, the Indians made heavy weather of Price's pedestrian left-arm spin.

Talking about individual performances, Sourav Ganguly missed out on a fine opportunity to compile a big Test innings; he needs it quite desperately. Even more disappointing was the Indian captain's silly stroke that led to his dismissal.

And V.V.S. Laxman, fighting for his place, appeared to be batting under pressure. He has to strike a balance between caution and aggression. A century from Sachin Tendulkar, in any form of the game, is least surprising given the sheer genius of the man. The crucial difference between him and someone like Ganguly is, he makes every innings count, irrespective of the opposition.

He tries equally hard against lesser sides like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh as against stronger outfits like Australia and South Africa. He is indeed a remarkable man.

Shiv Sundar Das' attitude is pleasing too. He possesses the right temperament and is a fine strokemaker. The young opener does seem to have a bright future.

It is important for Das to be in the right frame of mind ahead of the West Indian tour, and he is sending the right signals. The West Indies pace attack might be diminished these days - compared to the great line-ups of the past - yet is a much bigger threat than Zimbabwe.

Some of the senior Indian batsmen can learn much from Das' commitment. He is hungry for success.

www.krishsrikkanth.com

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