The Hindu : Safety first is the key word

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 22, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Safety first is the key word

By G. Viswanath

India's Sanjay Bangar exults after castling Hampshire's Neil Johnson on the second day of the three-day game in Southampton on Sunday. — Photo: N. Sridharan

Southampton July 21. The contest between India and Hampshire was reduced to the level of a friendly match in the true sense. A rogue pitch that had gone out of control at the Rose Bowl, ruined the three-day match in the presence of a goodly crowd dressed in their Sunday best. Fear of danger to the players well-being probably made the two teams to come to an understanding at the first long interval on the second day that only slow bowling will be put to use in the remaining seven sessions of the match.

The meaning of such an arrangement can be interpreted as to surmise that no real effort will be made to get the batsmen out unless a batsman offered his wicket. There were sufficient indications of the surface misbehaving on the first day itself. It became conspicuous in the first session on Sunday when seamers Sanjay Bangar and Tinu Yohannan were given long spells. The Indians might have even thought of the futility of going through the motions of a first class match before the first Test at Lords coming up in less than a week's time.

Obviously the teams, especially its captains, Sourav Ganguly and Robin Smith, were convinced that the batsmen ran the risk of damaging their limbs or in the worst case their tooth knocked of if the fast bowlers operated from both the ends. "It is a bad pitch" Hampshire captain Robin Smith said to his friends at lunch break. The result of a meeting between Hampshire CCC officials and the rival captains at lunchtime was that the remaining part of the match will be played in a leisurely manner. There are certain things that are kept as top secret from the paying spectators. Not aware of the developments that had taken place, the crowd at the Rose Bowl, majority of whom were members of the Hampshire CCC had no clue to why Smith introduced off-spinner Shaun Udal in the fifth over of the Indian second innings.

The adjustment the Indians had to make because the pitch was playing the role of a villain, must be seen as a big setback to their preparations before the Lords Test. Last summer Allan Mullalay's 5 for 97 helped Hampshire skittle out Australia for 97 in the first innings. But fired by Mathew Hayden's 142, Australia made 389 in the second innings, a significant improvement from the first innings score. Australia lost the match nevertheless.

There was no doubt that the pitch at the Rose Bowl was under-prepared, but not dangerous enough for the teams to walk out of the match. The Indians struggled to make 236 on the first day and on Sunday, Hampshire, caved in from a healthy looking 59 for one to 123 immediately after lunch. Sanjay Bangar who had picked up the only wicket to fall on Saturday, captured three more, including that of Neil Johnson who had put him away for four boundaries in his first spell of three overs. His second spell read 7-0-17-3. Ganguly who replaced him also took three wickets.

The pitch could be blamed for the dismissals of Crawley and Johnson. Crawley, picked in the England 13 for the first Test, struck two lovely fours on the off-side of Yohannan, a front foot drive following the back foot forcing shot. Soon Crawley received a flier from Yohannan, which would have made the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee proud. The next ball kept low and skidded off to hit the stumps.

Johnson executed a smart hook and an elegant cover drive before he was flummoxed by a delivery from Bangar. The pitch was unpredictable to the extent that any ball pitched three quarter of a length had the prospect of rising between ankle and head height which obviously meant that the dangers of harm being done to body was real and could happen at any time.

The Indian fielders also had a good day. Virender Sehwag's excellent catch at square-leg accounted for Adrian Aymes who ventured into an extravagant flick off Ganguly. None of the batsman, apart from Johnson showed the guts and gumption to face the medium-pacers. Even Robin Smith looked vulnerable. Ganguly finally introduced a double spin attack before lunch. The Hampshire first innings came to an end minutes after the break.

In the second innings the Indians had made 81 for the loss of two wickets in 27 overs, 12 of them bowled of off-spinner Shaun Udal. It is only expected that the Indian team management will report the dubious nature of the pitch to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Ganguly's team has been robbed off a chance to put everything in order before the first Test.

The scores:

India - 1st innings: 236

Hampshire - 1st innings: N. Johnson b Bangar 45, W. Kendall c Sehwag b Bangar 0, J. Crawley b Yohannan 15, R. Smith c Ratra b Bangar 6, J. Francis c Tendulkar b Ganguly 10, L. Prittipaul c Dravid b Bangar 0, A. Aymes c Sehwag b Ganguly 2, A. Mascarenhas c Ratra b Kumble 18, S. Udal c Dravid b Ganguly 0, J. Hamblin (run out) 13, J. Tomlinson (not out) 1. Extras (b-8, nb-5) 13. Total (in 37. 3 overs) 123.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-59, 3-63, 4-80, 5-80, 6-89, 7-100, 8-101, 9-120.

India bowling: Bangar 10-0-40-4, Yohannan 10-0-3-30-1, Kumble 8.3-4-20-1, Harbhajan 5-1-13-0, Ganguly 4-1-10-3

India - 2nd innings: W. Jaffer c Aymes b Prittipaul 32, V. Sehwag c Hamblin b Udal 22, S. Bangar (batting) 14, A. Ratra (batting) 9. Extras (b-2, nb-1, w-1) 4. Total (for two wkts. in 27 overs) 81.

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-32

Hampshire bowling: Mascarenhas 2-0-5-0, Hamblin 4-0-22-0, Udal 12-4-25-1, Kendall 5-2-12-0, Prittipaul 4-1-15-1

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