RAPT ATTENTION: R.P. Singh and Irfan Pathan are all ears as Greg Chappell explains some finer points.

Colombo: While the future of the Unitech tri-series remains uncertain at this point, Greg Chappell is pretty much certain about carrying forward the process of finding the right men for the World Cup.

The opening slots are high on the priority list of the India coach. For most part of the period Sachin Tendulkar was away because of his shoulder injury, skipper Rahul Dravid opened the innings and performed a creditable job.

But then, such is his value to the Indian batting line-up, particularly on pitches that provide assistance to the bowlers, that India could suffer a huge psychological blow if Dravid is dismissed early. India could require his stability later in the innings.

In case, Dravid walks out with Sachin Tendulkar, India would have two its two most technically accomplished batsmen right at the top of the order. And then, are not Tendulkar and Sehwag a tried and tested combination?

Despite voices of disapproval, Chappell considers the idea of Dravid opening the innings as a viable option. "He has done a fine job as an opener in the ODIs. The more overs that he gets to bat, the better it is for the team," he told The Hindu.

Other alternatives

Chappell was willing to try out the other alternatives. `We would like to keep it flexible and act according to the conditions and the situations. Sehwag could come later in the order. Or it could be Sachin or Dravid batting lower," he said.

The message here from the coach is that Dravid, despite Tendulkar's return, was still a part of the side's plans at the top of the order.

Shifting his attention to spin bowling, an area where India is rather short of bench strength, he said, "Despite all the talk, I think four specialist spinners among 30 probables (for the ICC Champions Trophy) is a fair number. You are not going to pick more than two spinners in a squad of 15."

There have been suggestions that India could field more than two specialist spinners in the squad for the Champions Trophy and the World Cup campaigns, but the coach is satisfied with two. "Why do you need more than two," he asks. This also indicates that the five-man pace formula (in the squad) could stay.

Probed about Irfan Pathan's bowling form, Chappell said, "He needs to go out there and prove himself. That is the only way to do it."

On Kumble

On the specific question of champion leg-spinner Anil Kumble's inclusion in the side, he replied, "Look, his bowling ability has never been in question. Nor is his form, he bowled beautifully in the Test matches in West Indies. But we will have to balance any senior cricketer's inclusion with the need to maintain the fielding standards. The quality of fielding should not come down."

About batting on the Sri Lankan pitches, that tend to slow down as the match wore on, he said, "You should not panic and resort to desperate means. And you need to be patient without being negative. As a batsman you have to use the crease well, either come fully forward or get totally back. You have to be decisive. It is absolutely crucial that you run your singles and twos well, and place the ball in the gaps. You need to rotate the strike and use your wrists in these conditions."

Despite India's frequent heart-breaks in Sri Lanka, Chappell remains optimistic. "We have come with a different strategy this time. We are ready."

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