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Ball Sense
Good toss to lose
 During the
time the spin quartet dominated Indian cricket, any good
performance that offered a semblance of competition for one
of the slow bowling slots in the Test side was in itself
considered a great achievement. Similarly a fighting display
against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies was regarded as a moral
victory over the unofficial world champions. India’s
recent Adelaide victory is a stupendous achievement of a
higher class than any of those performances. What it has
done is to shake up the edifice of Australian cricket in a
way no recent cricket feat has.
Australia
and India go into the Melbourne Test even-steven, though, in
my opinion, India have a slight edge. Sourav Ganguly is not
under the same kind of pressure as Steve Waugh to win this
particular Test match. He doesn’t have a reputation to
protect, having just exceeded the expectations of a
realistic public which knows how strong Australia is and how
well it is capable of fighting back.
 Waugh in contrast would
like to bow out fof Test cricket in style in a blaze of
glory. He wouldn’t like to end a glorious career with a
whimper. And, with his bowling firepower severely reduced,
despite Brett Lee’s comeback, he knows he has his best
chance at Melbourne, with its fast wicket, and not at
Sydney, traditionally known to aid spin. If his team goes
down at the MCG, the pressure will be well nigh unbearable,
as they go into the final Test.
For India,
the best news, besides Dravid’s and Laxman’s ominous
form, is that Tendulkar’s best is yet to come. On a fast
wicket, he will be able to time his shots much better than
he has so far succeeded in doing this Australian summer.
India will be at a great advantage if he chooses this moment
to run into midseason form.
 Zaheer Khan’s
return will bolster India’s attack, with Irfan Pathan
perhaps making way for him. No other change is anticipated.
Poor Sadagopan Ramesh should count himself singularly
unlucky to miss out once again.
Both
captains will prefer to lose the toss at Melbourne, though
my gut feel says Waugh will choose to bat, and Ganguly will
field on winning it. May the better team win!
V
Ramnarayan
email: wordcraft@vsnl.com
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