The youngsters will have to deliver in crunch situations
Woorkheri Raman - 15 October 2001
Sometimes a break does wonders for a player under pressure to deliver.
That's exactly what has happened to Saurav Ganguly, the Indian captain.
After the Sri Lankan tour, he suddenly found time to think about his
game and also decide on his game plan.
He started off his preparations by travelling to the bat manufacturers
belt and getting his specifications followed to the T. As he went to
South Africa he was then aware of the need to prove himself and get the
team to give its best. Of course, the most encouraging fact was the
return of Kumble and Tendulkar. Yet there was great pressure on the
captain and it had to be tackled and subdued.
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Ganguly chose to do it most elegantly by letting his bat do the talking.
The manner in which he silenced his detractors was something to be
admired. No doubt he touched a few players on the raw but that is the
way he has been right from the day he was made captain.
'Attack is the best form of defence' seems to be the motto of the Indian
captain and it has paid off handsomely. More than his contribution with
a century, he has played a vital role in showing the positive path to
his team.
It is of paramount importance that a captain thrusts positive attitude
on his team and he has done just that with his attacking knocks. It was
a pleasant surprise to see Tendulkar play the role of an anchor with
Ganguly leading the charge at the Wanderers.
The Indian captain did stir up his bowlers after the defeat in the first
encounter against the South Africans, but he rung the changes well
enough in the second game at the Centurion. If Ganguly felt the bowlers
let him down in the opening game, they quickly made him eat his words
with superb spells in the second one to notch up a victory for the
Indians. The spin twins - Kumble and Harbhajan - called the tune ably
supported by Sehwag, which proved too much for the South Africans. It
has to be mentioned here that Agarkar is looking the best among the
seamers.
Ganguly has shown a lot of faith in the younger lot and they are
delivering the goods, though in a patchy manner. Sehwag and Yuvraj can
be very dangerous customers in the shorter version but they must try and
aim for consistency. Sehwag has shown that he has the ability to bowl a
few useful overs too which is a real bonus for the side.
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Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, has come back well with a very good outing
at the Centurion. He will have a major role to play because he is an
unknown commodity unlike Kumble, in so far as the South Africans are
concerned.
The Indians are aware that they will qualify for the finals but it would
be worthwhile to think about how they are going to beat the South
Africans repeatedly. Going by what has happened so far in the series,
Agarkar along with Kumble and Harbhajan have to be at their best.
The batting will obviously depend on the in-form Tendulkar and Ganguly
with the others like Sehwag and Yuvraj chipping in without messing up
the final overs. Mind you, the ever reliable Dravid has been
overshadowed until now which is all the more comforting for the team
management.
What remains to be done is to keep the intensity levels of the
inexperienced lot going at an even keel for them to ensure that they
perform at their best. As far as India is concerned their winning the
tournament will depend on the way the youngsters acquit themselves when
it matters the most.
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