The Hindu : Sachin and Sehwag should open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003

Sport

Sport - World Cup

Sachin and Sehwag should open

All is not lost for the Indians, and they can still come back in the World Cup. For this to happen, they will have to believe in themselves, put more fight into their cricket.

What was so depressing about the crushing Indian defeat at the hands of Australia was that the side gave up so easily, hardly putting up any resistance. There is no disgrace in losing to a top-notch outfit like Australia, but if you bat first and make just 125 in 41.4 overs, then there is something seriously wrong.

I heard there is considerable anger back home about India's capitulation at Centurion, and there is bound to be plenty of pressure on the side as it takes the field against the Zimbabweans in Harare, in what could be a do-or-die game.

This is clearly a time, when the Indians will have to display character, and that will to win. They have often defeated Zimbabwe in the past, and can do the same again, if they get on the right track mentally.

The Indians should do a serious re-think on their strategy though. To start with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have to open the innings, with skipper Sourav Ganguly dropping himself to the middle-order, where he might find life more comfortable against the spinners.

Mohammed Kaif has not been among the runs for a considerable period of time, and his place is under threat. However, he is a committed performer and, if you leave it to me, I would be inclined to give him one final chance. Morever, he is one of the two best fielders in the side.

The other brilliant fielder, Yuvraj, at the receiving end of a rough decision against Australia, can be promoted up the order. Apart from Sehwag, he was the only Indian batsman to impress in that disastrous one-day series in New Zealand, and the feeling was that, despite appearing confident at the crease, this Punjab batsman was not getting enough overs to face.

However, whatever be the changes in the line-up, they are unlikely to bear result, if the Indians do not bat positively. Even during periods when the ball is holding sway, the batsmen will have to pick up the ones and the twos, and keep the scoreboard moving.

Sides like Australia hardly get bogged down which gives them a better chance of recovering from precarious positions. When the Aussies lost all those early wickets against Pakistan, they could still bounce back since they were going along at a good clip, even when Wasim Akram & Co. struck telling blows.

Zimbabwe has been known to be a tough side at home, but man-to-man India is much stronger. This in itself will not mean much unless the Indian batsmen apply themselves. As captain, Ganguly will have to inspire his men.

www.kris-srikkanth.com

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