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Cricket
By Vijay Lokapally
India's Dinesh Mongia lifts West Indian pace bowler Corey Collymore to the fence, watched by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, during the third one-day international cricket match in Bridgetown on Wednesday. -- Photo: V.V. Krishnan
The seven-wicket victory for India was such a let down for the home supporters but then it was also a true reflection of the difference between the teams this day at the Kensington Oval here. India deservingly took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Wednesday. The Indians treated the occasion as a testing ground for a few experiments to last them until the World Cup. India could afford to indulge in this luxury because it had the West Indies on the mat after a rousing performance by the bowlers, led by Tinu Yohannan and Ajit Agarkar, who grabbed three wickets each. Electing to field, the Indians did well to raise their game and never eased the pressure on the opposition, which prospered through a gritty knock by Carl Hooper in adversity and some enterprising batting by Ramnaresh Sarwan. It was India's game all the way. There was a marked improvement in the fielding with Mohammad Kaif simply outstanding. His catch to get rid of Brian Lara reflected the young man's agility as he picked the ball low in front. Overall it was a tidy show by India which had left many disappointed with its loss in the Test series. Coach John Wright summed it up aptly "the team is getting fitter as a group. It's good to have a unit where everyone is fielding to a standard. Yuveraj and Kaif were outstanding. Agarkar and Mongia were exceptional. I think this was the best fielding side out in the middle since I joined the team". And Wright it was who took the lead in talking to Tendulkar and convincing him to bat in the middle order. But he made it clear that this arrangement was flexible. "He could open if we bat first", said Wright. There was a lot of purpose in the move to return Tendulkar to the spot where he belonged originally. The idea was not to protect Tendulkar but to essentially keep the morale of the dressing room high. It has been seen often that Tendulkar's cheap dismissal leaves the rest of the team shaky apart from boosting the confidence of the opposition. As the best batsman of the team, he ought to finish the matches and not just show the way at the start. So, the move to compel Tendulkar to relinquish the opener's slot carried a lot of merit. That Virender Sehwag failed to capitalise on his elavation here should not worry the team much because it was just his first match on landing in the Caribbean. Sehwag was in discomfort all through and his timing was simply an embarrassment for the Delhi strokeplayer who likes to play only in a positive manner. The modest target meant that there was no need for the Indian batsmen to whip the ball around. Once Sehwag succumbed to his desire to hit, there was a sedate approach from Ganguly and Mongia, who appeared very keen to grab the chance. Not that Mongia was under any pressure to perform but he batted in a manner best known to him, to play his natural game. Mongia was refreshing in his attitude. He did not curb his instinct to attack when he executed a short-arm pull as he arrived and later put the off-spin of Hooper in its place, sweeping him and then lofting him straight. Mongia presented a picture of a man brimming with confidence and it was quite pleasing to watch this Punjab left-hander establish himself in only his third innings overseas. Knocks of 37 and 8 in Harare during the tri-series were most forgettable but Mongia, adjudged `Man of the Match', grabbed the opportunity here with an innings which should go a long way in boosting his place in the side. ``I was confident. It's just a game and it all depends on your approach. I would love to win more matches for India and I would have been happier had I finished the match", said Mongia. For Sourav Ganguly it was a well-earned win. "I thought we played pretty well. We fielded well and also bowled well. It was good cricket all the way. Overall it was a good performance by the team", he said. Hooper admitted, "we didn't bat well on a good pitch. We lacked patience and didn't get a partnership. We'll look at the batting order in the coming matches". The teams now fly to Trinidad for the last two one-dayers scheduled for June 1 and 2. With news of rain in Trinidad, the win here could well be the deciding factor for the Indians.
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