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A nicely balanced outfit

Partab Ramchand

May 17, 2002

The Indian selectors, as a rule, receive very few bouquets; it is mostly brickbats for them. They are everyone's whipping boys, but I am going to give them a hearty pat on the back for doing everything right in picking the one-day squad to take on the West Indies in the series of five limited-overs internationals in the Caribbean starting on May 25.

Indeed, with the exception of Javagal Srinath, who has opted out for one of his many rests, and the injured Anil Kumble, the side is probably the strongest that can be fielded at the moment. One also has the feeling that this squad will form the nucleus of the World Cup team about nine months from now.

Of course, it can be said that most of the one-day specialists picked themselves. The inclusion of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Virender Sehwag (following a recovery from his shoulder injury) and Ajit Agarkar was always on the cards. But the selectors have done particularly well in picking Murali Kartik.

Indeed, Kartik should have been in the original team to tour the West Indies. The left-arm spinner from Railways, who can also wield the willow to good effect, is one of those cricketers who can successfully bridge the gap between Test cricket and the shorter version of the game. In the limited opportunities Kartik has had, he has neither failed nor succeeded, but there is always this feeling about him that he is a gusty, competitive cricketer who has what it takes to come good at the international level.

One cannot even fault the selectors on the players they have called back. Certainly few would have backed Shiv Sunder Das, Wasim Jaffer, Deep Dasgupta, Sarandeep Singh and Sanjay Bangar to be retained in the one-day squad. In Bangar's case, though, it must be said that his virtues as a utility cricketer are more suited to the limited-overs game. But he has been short of both runs and wickets of late, and his confidence level cannot be too high. It is hoped that this useful cricketer comes back, for one suspects he still has a lot to contribute to Indian cricket.

Jaffer, for all the form he has displayed of late, seems a good prospect for Test cricket, and he should be persevered with at that level. He and Das - when the latter recovers his touch - could solve the long-standing problem at the top of the Test batting order. A line-up that starts with Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar and continues with Rahul Dravid, Dinesh Mongia, VVS Laxman, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Kaif and Ajay Ratra inspires confidence. By contrast, the bowling, manned by Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Tinu Yohannan, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh and Kartik does not look all that strong, but it should be capable of holding its own against all but the best sides.

Overall it is a nicely balanced outfit. Whether it is good enough to defeat the West Indies remains to be seen. Past record certainly favours the home team. During the last three tours, the teams have played 12 matches and the West Indies have won 10 and lost two.

The Indians must shrug off this psychological disadvantage and have the self-belief that they are capable of winning a one-day series in the West Indies against a not-too-strong home side. This alone ensures that half the battle is won. Only a year ago, with much the same team, the West Indies lost a one-day series to South Africa in the Caribbean by five matches to two, and this should be a source of encouragement for the Indians.