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Heartening display by India

The Indian cricketers have responded wonderfully well to a mentally demanding situation at Leeds. They have stayed focussed despite all the pressures off the field, concentrated on levelling the series, and have certainly managed to turn the tide.

It has been a fine team effort by the Indians with the bowlers complementing the batsmen. Our cricketers have also proved beyond any doubt that they want to play and win for India.

Firstly, to score in excess of 600 at Leeds, where run making can be pretty hazardous, was a phenomenal achievement in itself by the Indians. For the second time in two Tests, after the match-saving second innings response at Nottingham, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly have delivered together.

It is an extremely healthy sign for our cricket and if this happens more often, the bowlers of the world would dread bowling to India. And do not forget V.V.S. Laxman's ability with the willow.

My congratulations to Sachin Tendulkar for crossing Sir Donald Bradman's tally of 29 Test centuries. The batting genius is bound to ease past several more records in the days to come, given his appetite for runs.

Ganguly's hundred too was a strokeful one, and he and Tendulkar ensured that the fine platform laid by Dravid would be consolidated upon.

Ganguly then led the Indians with purpose, and the bowlers, with a huge score to back them, appeared keyed up for the occasion. India attacked, and seemed a far cry from the side that lost the first Test so comprehensively.

The Indian bowlers had let the side down quite badly in the first two Tests, operating without discipline and giving away far too many free hits to the Englishmen. It was different in the England first essay at Leeds where there was pressure on England from both the ends.

The pacemen were impressive and Ajit Agarkar, whose place was under some threat, did get the ball to move around at a sharp speed and bowled to a more consistent off-stump line. It is always good to see cricketers come back fighting when they are pushed to a corner.

The spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh proved that the team-management had got it right this time. It is not very often that a side fields two spinners for a Test at Leeds, where the conditions are decidedly in favour of the pacemen.

However, there is more than a hint of uneven bounce in the surface and Kumble and Harbhajan have exploited it well. Harbhajan got his off-spinners to turn quite a lot, while Kumble, who has had a difficult last few months, troubled the batsmen with his bite off the pitch.

It has been a heartening display by India in the third Test, emphasising the fact once again that cricket is a team game, where all the departments work as one.

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