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World Cup
An embarrassing victory
By Vijay Lokapally
PRIZE SCALP: Tendulkar departs, caught behind off de Leede, who is ecstatic having got the wicket of the `Little Master.'
Only Holland's inexperience saved the day for Sourav Ganguly and his men as India made a `winning' start to its ICC Cricket World Cup campaign.
The proposed batting order reshuffle did not alter the mindset of the Indians, who read too much into the attack and the pitch. The team had to stretch every muscle to tame an opposition that came here with the sole purpose of learning a few lessons.
Holland not only learnt for itself but ended up teaching India a few in cricketing discipline. The only thing engaging about the match was its surroundings with the hills forming a stunning backdrop to the Boland Park here. The rest was average.
The Indians once again struggled against a mediocre attack and did not appear comfortable until the bowlers ensured there were going to be no further embarrassments in the team's group `A' fixture.
The famed Indian batting line-up came unstuck after electing to bat. If the idea was to utilise the contest to prepare for the stiffer tests ahead the move almost brought the team close to disaster. Even the elevation of Sachin Tendulkar to the opener's slot did not help the cause because Holland dominated the first half of the match.
The growing concern in the Indian camp at not being able to achieve the desired target, a convincing statement of its potential, does not augur well if the team hopes to repeat the 1983 act of Kapil Dev's side. The confusion that gripped the Indian ranks was not a healthy development but there was enough to suggest that the team would have learnt its lessons well.
The batting strength was given a shock when the top half, with the exception of Tendulkar, failed to come to terms with the playing conditions. Ganguly presented a miserable sight and would need immediate `nets' to get his composure back. He was a ghost of his usual self.
Tendulkar crafted a half century in an innings which did not show the master in any great mental shape. Knowing him, Tendulkar would study his effort in the right perspective and decide in the interest of the team if he needs to open the innings.
For, Virender Sehwag looked shockingly out of tune at number three.
The batting failure should evoke a sharp and critical reprimand from coach John Wright, who must wonder what ails this talented bunch.
When batsmen perish to full tosses and repeat mistakes frequently it calls for an instant analysis.
The Indians have come here cherishing dreams of a win on the strength of its batsmen and there was little to justify those claims this day.
Even conceding the pitch was not true, the bounce at times variable, there was no reason for the Indian batsmen to put up such a shoddy display.
The Dutch were content at keeping a stump-to-stump line and backed by some electric fielding put early pressure on the Indians.
The move paid off as India slumped to a poor score and was revived only through a disciplined knock by Dinesh Mongia and his constructive association with Yuvraj Singh.
Tendulkar, who was surprised early by a viciously rising delivery, used the stage to familiarise himself with a position which was once his domain.
He walked like a stranger in a known alley but his plight was not as acute as Ganguly's. The Indians may take some solace from the fact that Tendulkar was among the runs even though far below the standards he has set for himself.
For that matter, the Indian team in the main would need to go back to the basics — fielding, running between the wickets and attitude.
Tendulkar needed time to put the ball where he intended and the first boundary came only in the seventh over. Credit to the Dutch bowlers for denying the dashing Indian opening pair freedom to bat positively.
Holland's H.J.C. Mol is caught by India wicketkeeper Rahul Dravid off Javagal Srinath, whose previous wicket was his 300th in one-day Internationals. — Photos: V.V. Krishnan
The surface also did not encourage strokes on the rise and that was precisely the reason for the Indian slide. The batsmen refused to adapt and succumbed to some atrocious shots.
Barring Tendulkar, who gloved the ball from the most capped Dutch seamer Tim de Leede as it gained extra bounce, the rest had no excuses. Sehwag flicked a full toss and Rahul Dravid played across a ball which stayed a trifle low.
Mohammad Kaif needs to earn his place in the side now, driving a full toss to mid-wicket. Yuvraj batted with a lot of restraint and looked the best of the lot.
He gauged the pace of the pitch and played as the situation demanded. His partnership with Mongia saved India the blushes even though both need to look at their dismissals with concern.
Yuvraj was foxed by the change in pace, a superb catch ending the effort, while Mongia, who did well to graft and thus secure his place in the scheme of things, was run out when he ought to have stayed until the finish.
But the most appalling dismissal was Harbhajan Singh's. With a potential to bat, he heaved wildly, an act which would have incurred the wrath of the entire dressing room. Even if his responsibility is to take wickets, the shot from Harbhajan deserved censure before late.
The Holland response was on expected lines with only Daan van Bunge distinguishing himself with a half century. Holland did not possess the calibre to take on the Indian attack which was inspired.
Srinath crosses 300
It had to be motivated to prevent an upset and Srinath, with his 300th one-day International wicket, showed the way.
As the wickets fell in a heap, with Holland looking so out of depth in the second half of the day, the Indians regained their smiles and there was spring in their steps.
The exaggerated high-fives were enacted at every dismissal with such fervour it conveyed the state of the team.
Even minnows like the Dutch made them sweat every step along the way.
SCOREBOARD
| INDIA | |
| S. Ganguly c Smits
| 8 |
| S. Tendulkar c Smits
| 52 |
| V. Sehwag c Zuiderent
| 6 |
| R. Dravid b de Leede | 17 |
| Yuvraj Singh c & b Raja | 37 |
| M. Kaif c Lefebvre b Raja | 9 |
| D. Mongia (run out) | 42 |
| Harbhajan b de Leede | 13 |
| A. Kumble (run out) | 9 |
| Zaheer lbw b de Leede | 0 |
| J. Srinath (not out) | 0 |
| Extras (b-1, w-6, lb-4) | 11 |
| — — | |
| Total (in 48.5 overs) | 204 |
| — — | |
| NETHERLANDS BOWLING | ||||
| O | M | R | W | |
| Schiferli | 10 | 2 | 49 | 0 |
| Lefebvre | 9 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| de Leede | 9.5 | 0 | 35 | 4 |
| Kloppenburg | 10 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| Raja | 9 | 0 | 47 | 2 |
| Troost | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| NETHERLANDS | |
| J. Kloppenburg c Sehwag
| 0 |
| D. van Bunge b Srinath | 62 |
| Henk Mol c Dravid
| 2 |
| B. Zuiderent c Sehwag
| 0 |
| Tim de Leeds c Dravid
| 0 |
| Luke van Troost c Dravid
| 1 |
| R. Scholte lbw b Kumble | 1 |
| (5b) | |
| R. Lefebvre lbw
| 3 |
| E. Schiferli c Mongia
| 13 |
| (21b, 2x4) | |
| J. Smits c Sehwag
| 26 |
| (67b) | |
| Adeel Raja (not out) | 0 |
| (10b) | |
| Extras (1b-6, nb-2, w-18, b-2) | 20 |
| — — | |
| Total (in 48.1 overs) | |
| 136 | |
| — — | |
| INDIA BOWLING | ||||
| O | M | R | W | |
| Srinath | 9.1 | 1 | 30 | 4 |
| Zaheer | 8 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| Harbhajan | 10 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Kumble | 10 | 1 | 32 | 4 |
| Ganguly | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Tendulkar | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Sehwag | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
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