Getting the team balance right for Adelaide

The Indian win against New South Wales has thrown up a few dilemmas for the team before the first Test. The win is just the kind of tonic the team needed and more so as it was achieved without the services of Tendulkar; never mind if it was against the bottom side in the Pura Milk Cup and without four of its Test stars. The Indians have been accorded the rare luxury of two four day games before the first Test (which the Pakistanis were denied of) and can hardly have any grouse on the grounds that they were not acclimatised enough.

The much maligned Indian bowling was impressive on the last day with Kumble spearheading the victory charge. Having bowled a poor length at the Gabba and received the requisite punishment, Kumble's bagful of wickets will have assuaged the team's worries. The three seamers all complemented Kumble with timely breakthroughs and that is the source of India's selectoral dilemmas. With Kumaran having laid strong claim at Brisbane to a Test spot and Agarkar taking it upon himself at Sydney to answer the inadequacies of the middle order, where does that leave Venkatesh Prasad? He was the preferred opening partner to Srinath at the start of the tour and although he did some damage to his prospects at the Gabba, he seemed a much improved bowler against NSW. The team management should consider the bold step of going into the Test at Adelaide with five bowlers (including Agarkar as a bowling all rounder).

Apropos the batting, Laxman, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Ramesh have all had at least one good innings and along with Dravid they form the nucleus of the top order. Laxman's place in the order will probably be at six if India chooses a safety first attitude and plays six batsmen. In that event Gandhi and Ramesh will continue their association up front, fresh from a stand of 89 in the second innings against NSW.

The Case of the Injured Keeper is a curious development. MSK Prasad's injury was manifestly 'discovered' after he sat out the tour match at Sydney. To quote Kapil Dev before the match: "We are just giving MSK a break because he will have three matches in a row after this." Realisation seems to have dawned that MSK was not the optimum choice for such a demanding tour. All indications are that Mongia will don the keepers gloves at Adelaide.

The Indians may not have been fazed by the warning issued for showing dissent during their match with NSW but they would do well to realise that constant appealing or explicit gestures of frustration can be self-defeating by hardening the umpires attitude towards them. The Sydney win has helped the tourists put a less than agreeable start to the tour behind them and confirmed that the SCG probably provides India with the best chance to score over the hosts. The Lele remarks may be just the kick in the backside that goads the team to greater levels of performance.