India's opening blues continue

Despite a number of trials and experimentation, a specialist opening pair in Tests has eluded India for a long time now and is a major worry in an otherwise formidable batting line-up.

With Shiv Sunder Das performing consistently, half of that problem seems to be over. But the other half remains. And that is the main worry for the Indians ahead of a long season.

The reluctance to continue with Sadagoppan Ramesh, the only specialist opener apart from Das, was evident when his state mate Hemang Badani was tried in the three-day match against CFX Academy.

Badani, who showed promise in that match, had to wait for the second Test when a stiff back and lack of faith by the team management saw Ramesh sitting out. But the experiment with him lasted just one innings and six balls. Badani was out for two in the first innings of the match.

On Sunday, wicket-keeper Samir Dighe was asked to open the second innings and he too failed, prolonging India's agony in this vital department.

With coach John Wright and manager Chetan Chauhan being accomplished openers of their time with a combined experience of 122 Tests, the irony only gets magnified.

Former greats feel the slot needs to be filled by specialists only and makeshift openers are no solution.

"Opening the innings is quite different," says Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest openers of all time. "You never get a night watchman at an opener's slot, do you? Even if it is only 10 minutes of the day's play left and a team is starting its innings, the regular openers are the ones who come out to bat," he said.

With no outstanding talent available on the domestic front, there is a feeling within the management that a partner for Das has to be selected from within the current team.

One of the choices before the management is vice-captain Rahul Dravid who has the right technique and enough experience to face the new ball bowlers on fast and bouncy pitches outside the sub-continent. Dravid has opened the innings on a few occasions with mixed success.

"I will bat at whatever position my team asks me to," Dravid had said after his unbeaten 68 in the second innings of the first Test in Bulawayo. But the stylish right-hander from Karnataka, who by instinct is a number three batsman and has played many a brilliant knock in that position could not give a satisfactory answer on Sunday.

"Sorry, I can't answer this question," Dravid said when asked whether he was ready to come as an opener. "There are quite a few things we discuss in the dressing room and we can't share it all with the media."

With VVS Laxman having virtually sealed the No 3 spot, he too cannot be sent as an opener now.

Wright said the experiments will continue for more time. "The thing about this game is flexibility. We did so in Kolkata (second Test against Australia) when we were following on exchanging the number three and six slots," he said.

For the Indian team it seems it would be a case of experiment, experiment, experiment till an opener is discovered.