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Loss of toss, a blow to Indian hopes

By K. Srikkanth

England's brilliant start in the final Test at the Oval once again underlined the importance of the toss. This was a match where it was crucial to call right considering the pitch was at its best on the first day, and could well help the bowlers as the match progresses.

It is also vital for a captain to take the right decision, and Nasser Hussain certainly did not get it wrong when he opted to bat. The Indian bowlers were sent on a leather hunt, however, the point is, our batsmen could have accomplished just the same had they batted first.

And Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, who might be a different proposition, altogether in the latter stages of the match, could have applied pressure on the English batsmen. This happened in Leeds. The loss of toss is a blow to the Indian hopes.

Even if the Oval pitch favoured the batsmen, application was still called for to make the most of the opportunity, and opener Michael Vaughan did not miss out on it, batting quite brilliantly.

Vaughan is a correct player, with a compact technique, yet he is not averse to taking the occasional risk to keep the scoreboard moving. He does gamble in a calculated fashion and is not one of those dull, boring English batsmen.

The fact that Vaughan, both, stayed at the wicket and kept the scoreboard moving at a healthy clip greatly helped England's cause. He does appear to have a bright future as England opener.

The return of Marcus Trescothick was a psychological boost to the English camp, and the manner in which he waded into the Indian attack, did not suggest that he was returning from an injury.

In fact, Trescothick appeared extremely fluent, was dismissive of the Indian new ball attack, and his influence on the English innings was more than the number of runs he made. The left-hander is crucial in the English scheme of things.

The Indian bowlers were defeated by the conditions and there was not much they could have done, however, skipper Sourav Ganguly could have helped the team's cause had he set more defensive fields, and kept the flow of runs under check. The Englishmen could have been forced into committing mistakes due to frustration.

I also feel that when things are not going too well, Ganguly should make more use of himself and Tendulkar, rather than the occasional two or three overs. Ganguly is an intelligent customer as a seamer, while Tendulkar, who can bowl just about anything, is a known partnership breaker.

In conditions such as what prevailed at the Oval, the Indians do miss a genuine quick bowler, who can beat the batsmen in the air. The side needs extra firepower when the going gets rough.

www.krishsrikkanth.com

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