|
|
A familiar Indian tale
Krishnamachari Srikkanth - 08 November 2001
|
© AFP |
India let slip a golden opportunity to write a new chapter in their
cricketing history at Bloemfontein. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender
Sehwag's glorious fight back on the first day saw India recovering to
post 379 on the board in the first innings. But from there we failed
to fire ourselves onwards to the victory podium. What we ended up with
was a sorry capitulation before the end of even the fourth day. Truly,
a ridiculous defeat.
This Test has proved yet again that India cannot to deliver in alien
conditions even against an attack made up of only one excellent
bowler. Shaun Pollock, the South African captain, almost single-
handedly fashioned his side's victory with his first ten-wicket haul
in Tests. All the Indian batsmen cut a sorry figure against him in the
Indian second innings. It was another gutless, spineless show by a
majority of the Indian willow-wielders and once Sachin Tendulkar got
out we knew which flag would be flying at the end of the day.
Sourav Ganguly now will have to do a lot of thinking both as a
batsman and a captain. It is common knowledge in international cricket
that Sourav is a sitting duck to the rising delivery. The South
African bowlers exploited his failing to the hilt and he was out in an
almost identical fashion in both innings. It was Clive Lloyd who
fashioned the use of the short ball as a demon delivery with which to
cow the opposing captain. Sourav's weakness has meant that the short
delivery has once again become a popular option with almost every
captain facing him, even those with attacks which could never be
classed with the fabulous West Indies pace battery of the late
seventies and early eighties. Unless Sourav, the batsman, irons out
this glaring technical deficiency he will have trouble leading from
the front in Tests.
© AFP |
The Indian skipper will also have to tell almost all his batsmen to
pull up their socks and deliver a much better display in the next
Test. In Bloemfontein, only Sachin and Sehwag delivered, and despite
their magnificence, the Indian batting in the two innings put together
could not even last two days. No team can win a Test after such a
pathetic display.
Let me also say that I am no fan of the idea of opening the batting
with Rahul Dravid. Rahul has probably been our best batsman on foreign
soil and it makes no sense to waste him in the opening slot in the
Tests. Sourav might keep saying that Rahul had volunteered to open the
innings but from what I have seen the latter seems most uncomfortable
at the top of the order. In my opinion, Rahul would rather make a
great No 5, a position he adorned so splendidly at Eden Gardens
against Australia. It would, for instance, be a much better idea to
open with an ultra-aggressive Sourav than with Rahul.
© AFP |
As for the bowling, I felt that both the left-arm pacers were below
par. It might have a lot to do with the fact that they lacked any
match-practice. But it was here that the team management should have
applied their collective mind and probably brought in someone like
Venkatesh Prasad, who has toured South Africa previously. I only wish
that the think- tank hopefully plays Prasad in the second Test. Fast
bowlers, as they say, hunt in pairs and the Srinath-Prasad pair has
been one of our finest. Also to be remembered is the fact that Prasad
had done well in the previous tour of South Africa.
I would also like to see Harbhajan Singh recovering and returning for
the next Test. His variety and skill makes him a bowler who can make
things happen. He will definitely be helped by that the fact that the
South Africans have found it almost impossible to read him. This means
that he can always be trusted to flummox the home team batsmen and, if
all goes well, possibly spin them to their doom.
The Indian team, collectively, then will have to put up a much better
display in the next Test due to start at Port Elizabeth on November
16. The pitch there, according to accounts from South Africa, is also
expected to be friendly to batsmen and slower bowlers. The Indians so
will have to use the period leading up to the Test to regroup and
chalk a plan that will help them win the Test and level the series.
For if they don't and South Africa do, it might definitely lead to yet
another forgettable whitewash for the Indians in the series. And that
certainly is something the Indians can do without.
© CricInfo
Other Articles by Krish Srikkanth