The Hindu : India triumphs over Hampshire

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

India triumphs over Hampshire

By G. Viswanath

Hampshire's J.R.C. Hamblin is trapped leg before by Anil Kumble in the three-day match at Southampton on Monday. — Photo: N. Sridharan

Southampton July 22. After the customary cricketing ritual of shaking hands was gone through after India beat Hampshire by 66 runs minutes after lunch on Monday, India's coach John Wright said he and his team felt fine.

Wright was at his diplomatic best when asked to comment on the poor quality of the pitch at the Rose Bowl. "Well, we would have liked to have a better surface. This is new ground where a good cricketing facility is being established, which is good for County and English cricket".

Victory was achieved by the Indians after the Hampshire tail gave a sound lashing to the their spinners. Even as it appeared that the end was insight to a lacklustre match with a clear victory for the Indians well before lunch, Shaun Udal and James Tomlinson showed that on a given day they can be as good as the batsmen who went before them, some of whom surrendered without putting up a semblance of fight on a suspicious pitch.

Udal and Tomlinson managed to take the fourth innings beyond the lunch Interval. Udal remained undefeated on 36 and though India beat Hampshire with almost two sessions remaining on the third day, there was a silver lining in the partnership of Udal, who is enjoying a great benefit year and Tomlinson, who is actually a nippy fast medium bowler.

By making 57 for ninth and last wicket because John Crawley did not bat, Hampshire discovered its depth and potential less than 24 hours before its Norwich Union League match against Lancashire at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

The first over removal of Hampshire captain Robin Smith did not as much suggest that the end would be so near. Sanjay Bangar who assumed the role of the leader of the pace pack in which Tinu Yohannan and Sourav Ganguly were the second and third seamers, could not have expected better returns, even if the pitch was helpful to him.

His 4 for 40 in the first must be regarded as remarkable. Bowling straight from close to the stumps and getting the ball to move of the seam, he was effective on Sunday evening when he dismissed both the Hampshire openers, Neil Johnson and Will Kendall. And when play resumed on Monday, he struck in the very first over trapping Smith leg before.

With John Crawley down, reportedly with a stomach upset, Hampshire was always going to struggle to come to terms with the pitch and the spinners, Kumble and Harbhajan, the latter being disappointing.

But Wright put up a stout defence saying: "They need a lot of bowling. Kumble has had a great one-day series and Harbhajan needs a little more bowling to settling down".

He had his best overseas performance in Jamaica.

Kumble who gave width to be cut for fours made amends taking four wickets.

Wright reasoned that the three seamers, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar, were rested because they have been playing lot of cricket. "Conditions were simulated for them in the last three days for them. I think we are getting closer to finding the balance of the team".

There was no categorical statement from Wright with regard to who will open the innings for India at Lord's. But he said it in as many words that Virendra Sehwag would most likely partner Wasim Jaffer.

"Veeru is a special player. He is a very positive player. He has played well at Lord's. He is among India's top six batsmen. Sanjay Bangar brings in balance to the seam attack".

That Hampshire batted for 84 overs in all in the match was a clear reflection of a declining pitch. There was a time when Sourav Ganguly appeared keen to withdraw Tinu Yohannan midway through an over and after he had rapped the knuckles of wicketkeeper Adrian Aymes.

"I thought he had completed the over", clarified Ganguly after the match.

Bangar has met with success in helpful conditions at home in the Ranji and Duleep Trophy championships. Yohannan may not have, but both managed to get appreciable lift from the pitch and troubled the top order batsmen.

It is understood that one of the Hampshire CCC officials apologised to the Indians on Sunday evening and said that their intention was to make a fast pitch, but it turned out to be the other way.

Making predictions can be a hazardous exercise. Wright was naturally reserved about the Lord's Test. "We have seen them at home. They (England) have fighting qualities. So we have to concentrate on our potential, which we reached in the NatWest Trophy. Our aim will be to be very competitive and entertaining, he said.

To a question on why Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid did not bat in the second innings, Wright said: "These decisions are made by the captain".

The scores:

India - 1st innings 236.

Hampshire - 1st innings 123.

India - 2nd innings 139 for 4 decl.

Hampshire - 2nd innings: N. Johnson c Sehwag b Bangar 0, W. Kendall c Dravid b Bangar 7, R. Smith lbw b Bangar 19, J. Francis c Ratra b Yohannan 19, L. Prittipaul b Kumble 32, A. Aymes b Kumble 18, D. Mascarenhas c Ratra b Harbhajan 5, S. Udal (not out) 36, J. Hamblin lbw Kumble 2, J. Tomlinson lbw b Kumble 23, J. Crawley (absent-ill), Extras (b-14, lb-4, nb-7) 25, Total (in 46.2 overs) 186.

Fall of wkts: 1-2, 20-2, 3-43, 4-80, 5-104, 6-109, 7-127, 8-129, 9-186.

India bowling: Bangar 10-1-27-3, Yohannan 7-1-28-1, Harbhajan 12-3-55-1, Kumble 17.2-1-58-4.

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