Friday, May 03, 2002
Friday, May 03, 2002 |
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Cricket
By Vijay Lokapally
The West Indian bowlers did well to strike a rhythm and caused immediate unrest in the Indian camp with their accuracy. Even Sachin Tendulkar became a victim of uncertainty as the West Indians exploited the lack of confidence in the Indian ranks on such a pitch — bouncy but not hostile. At tea on the opening day, India was 97 for eight with play being interrupted twice on account of rain, of course much to the relief of the visiting side. The skipper, Sourav Ganguly (batting 44), was the lone exception to the collapse as he played some brave shots to gather useful runs amidst the mayhem caused by their fear of bounce. The Test match buzz was missing but the start was electric when Mervyn Dillon made a first-ball impact. Shiv Sundar Das stood static as the ball crashed into the stumps and India found itself in a position of despair right at the start. It was nothing but a telling commentary on the state of affairs where no solution appears in sight as far as the opening pair is concerned. In their obsession with making compromises, the Indian team management faced the situation where Rahul Dravid walked into the middle in the first over. Das' misery at the crease was the shortest of the series thus far. But the Indian innings was rocked repeatedly by the West Indian pace battery where Dillon led the charge with a splendid line and then Pedro Collins, in his own backyard, recorded a grand comeback to Test cricket with a priceless catch in his first over. Second ball to be precise, as he snared Sachin Tendulkar with one which seamed late. The ball seamed even as it climbed and Tendulkar just reached for it. Never seen Tendulkar so tentative. It was Tendulkar's second successive zero, having failed in the second innings of the last Test at Port of Spain. When a sudden shower drove the players indoors to force an early lunch, the Indians must have felt relieved. Only 59 minutes play had been possible before lunch on the opening day of the third Test. Das' dismissal was a setback no doubt, but then Wasim Jaffer did not allow the situation to influence his approach. In his third Test, and obviously under pressure, he chose the best way possible to deal with the attack. He too attacked and it looked a fine strategy as long as Jaffer managed to connect his shots. Known to be strong off his legs, the Mumbai opener played two exquisite square drives and a partnership appeared to be taking shape in the company of Dravid, who also opted to play his strokes. A straight drive from Dravid was an appropriate response to the West Indian aggression. Jaffer was willing to take his chances and he timed the ball well for those square-driven 4s but then Dillon left him stranded with a ball which moved late. At 27 for three the Indians, put in, were grappling to arrest the slide when Ganguly took over the responsibility. The West Indians surprisingly did not test the India skipper with the short ball and he survived. Dravid, meanwhile, shaped well, showing the right technique and the temperament to deal with the rising ball but a terrible mix-up cost him and the team a valuable wicket. It was clearly poor thinking by Ganguly as he responded and then stopped suddenly leaving Dravid with a hard task of getting back. A swift pick up and throw by Shivnarine Chanderpaul ended Dravid's promising knock and left Ganguly with a big responsibility. The India captain struggled but hung on and was devastated when V.V.S. Laxman played a loose stroke. It had come too early in the innings and Laxman looked in a clumsy heap when the ball slid past his bat and hit the stumps. It was a stroke not in keeping with the situation at all. Ajay Ratra looked out of place as a batsman at this level even as Ganguly battled on, playing some robust shots, the best being a six when he stepped out to Dillon. But support was lacking and the Indian innings was in a shambles against the sustained West Indian strategy of aggressive bowling. Harbhajan Singh tried to take on the bowlers but his unwise attempt ended from an ugly pull, most uncalled for in the given circumstances. This morning, the Indian team management continued to play with Anil Kumble's confidence and continued to humiliate the leg-spinner by first informing him that he was on and then not even conveying that he was not playing the match. The India skipper had informed one of the television channels that Kumble had been recalled since Harbhajan had complained of pain in the shoulder.
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