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By Vijay Lokapally
Sachin Tendulkar in his element in the World Cup match against Namibia at the Oval in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. Seen lifting Burton van Rooi, he went on to score a blazing 152 and was adjudged man of the match. India won by 181 runs. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan
Having made England squirm in its last match, Namibia was expected to test India but never rose above mediocrity. Once Sachin Tendulkar vowed to bat himself into form India fount itself in safe hands and the return to form of Ganguly was probably the best news for the Indian camp. His smile and the width of his bat grew broader as Ganguly waded into the Namibian attack to carve his 20th century in one-day internationals, 14 less than Tendulkar who recorded his 34th.
Weird selection policy
More than bask in the merit of the result, the team management need to review it weird ways of selection. The skipper had spoken of finding a place for Anil Kumble in the playing eleven but the idea was discarded for reasons best known to the team management. Once again the leg-spinner was left in the lurch even though it was considered a good idea to enable him maintain his rhythm for the tough matches ahead. The skipper had even hinted at playing Ajit Agarkar who was in the 13 for this match But on the morning of the match the Mumbai cricketer learnt that he had fallen from grace. For some strange reasons, Sanjay Bangar, who was not the only individual to have failed in New Zealand, does not figure in any scheme of things at all. An area of concern for the Indian camp was the swelling on the left ankle of Ashish Nehra after he slipped at the point of delivery. As he nursed the injury with packs of ice, the concern on Nehra's face showed the injury was much serious. The team management would need time to take a decision on Nehra's future in the tournament, obviously tests in Durban would throw light on the actual nature of his injury. Knowing well the strength of the opposition, the Indians ought to have rested Javagal Srinath and given Agarkar a game if he is expected to play a role in the matches against England and Pakistan. The need for batsmen to spend time in the middle was acceptable but not the workload on the bowlers to explore the skills of an opposition which was only treating the stage as a learning process. The inexperience in the Namibian ranks was evident right through even though the African nation had promised to put up a fight. There was reason to believe that Namibia had the heart to fight because it had nothing to lose in this match. With a master like Tendulkar at work, they had plenty of opportunities to watch from close the difference between him and the rest.
Disappointing display
But Namibia disappointed in all areas of the game, including fielding which was considered the strong point of the team's campaign in this tournament. There was nothing competitive about the match. Tendulkar studied the opposition and sensed a chance to score a century. Ganguly did not lag and prospered to cement the number three slot for himself, provided Virender Sehwag is allowed to continue as opener despite his failures. Tendulkar, man of the match, compiled a century but it was not the kind of innings he would like to remember. It had some robust strokes, one which sent umpire Aleem Dar diving for his dear life from a thunderous straight drive, but Tendulkar's timing was awry this day with too many edges flying off his bat. He should have lost his wicket at 32 but Jan Burger put the chance down at short third man off Loius Burger. His wicket would have given the Namibians the desired boost even as Ganguly dug himself in. Ganguly's determination was exemplary. He avoided all temptations to play his shots even when he was settled and was understandably cautious. To watch the left-hander curb himself must have gladdened the team management, especially after the dreadful stroke he had played against Zimbabwe. The India skipper used every opportunity to regain some of his form ahead of two crucial matches in the next seven days. Ganguly's disciplined innings was matched by Tendulkar's brilliant self-control. Keeping himself focused on the task assigned may not be a new phenomenon for Tendulkar but it was not easy to arrest the desire to go over the top against an average attack. The Namibian attack deteriorated once the batsmen adopted aggressive tactics and credit to Tendulkar for having paced his innings so well. The Indian innings followed a simple pattern. The batsmen backed themselves to score on the strong belief that the Namibian attack was inconsistent. Tendulkar played some glorious strokes that spoke of his fine nick. Ganguly among the runs was also a welcome relief for the Indian dressing room. There was little of note in the Namibian innings. The response to the target was meek and the only bright spot was Jan Burger as he gave glimpses of his big hitting capability. Ganguly tried all his bowlers in an attempt to keep them focused.
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