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 Fighting with their backs to the wall, a desperate Indian team was contemplating on leaving out one of their trusted spinners to accommodate all-rounder Sanjay Bangar in a bid to strengthen their bowling attack for tomorrow’s crucial third one-day international against the West Indies here. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, the most reliable bowlers of the team, have been totally ineffective in the first two matches at Jamshedpur and Nagpur, which India lost to trail 0-2 in the seven-match series.
Though there was no official confirmation as yet, there was a strong possibility of either of the two being dropped and replaced with the hard-working Bangar who was rewarded with a one-day berth after his consistent showing as a Test opener.
Bowling is the main source of worry for the Indians who put up decent totals in both Jamshedpur and Nagpur after batting first but failed to defend. The two spinners went for 116 runs in 16 overs in the first match and 68 from 12 overs in the second. Their lone success came in Jamshedpur when Kumble dismissed Marlon Samuels.
The fact that neither of the two have been given a full spell in either of the two matches is an indication of the problems they are facing. The West Indies, on the other hand, is on an upswing having effected a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes after the humiliating losses in the first two Test matches. ”It’s very nice to be 2-0 up. We would like to continue our winning run,” an upbeat West Indies coach Roger Harper said.
But unseasonal rains have threatened to dampen the spirits of the two teams, neither of which is likely to have nets today due to wet ground conditions. It rained heavily in the morning and though sun had come out brightly later in the day, the pitch and the ground had not dried up sufficiently. "I have told them (the team management) that we are doing everything possible to get the practice pitches ready in time but we do not know whether they would come,” Sourashtra Cricket Association secretary Niranjan Shah said.
"Understandably, they don’t want to have an injury before an important game,” he said. The injury concerns that plagued Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag ahead of the second match seem to be over, a reassurance for the Indian team, which is desperate to bounce back into the series. The batsmen have done reasonably well for the home team but Sehwag, who has not really fired in the first two matches, looks due for a big score tomorrow.
Sehwag will also have a crucial role to play with the ball, chipping in with his gentle off-spin, which has been pretty effective in this series. Bangar would be keen to cement his place in the one-day squad with a good performance tomorrow. He would be under watch for his bowling, as the Indians desperately need support for Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar. The West Indies is unlikely to disturb their winning combination and with Pacemen Pedro Collins and Cameron Cuffy having still not recovered from their respective injuries, they are not left with many options as well.
Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes and Corey Collymore have been doing a pretty reasonable job and, along with spinners Mahendra Nagamootoo and Carl Hooper, have proved to be a better bowling unit than the Indians. However, it is the batsmen who have made all the difference to the team’s fortunes. Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have all scored runs and all of a sudden West Indies are looking to possess a formidable batting line-up.
The only one to have missed out is skipper Hooper who did not do well in the Test series either. Though Hooper has shrugged off his poor form saying till the team was winning he was not concerned about his own scores, he would certainly be trying to come up with a decent score tomorrow. Another man who hasn’t done well with the bat is wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, who is quite a capable batsman.
Like in Jamshedpur, the Indians once again play at a venue where they have a very unfavourable record. The home team has won just two of the four matches they have played at this ground. The West Indies have done better, winning one and losing the other of the two matches that they have played here. |
