Bowlers have their work cut out
Say what you want about pitches, conditions, opposition batsmen and Duckworth-Lewis technicalities but India's inability to defend a target of 329 at Peshawar was still baffling
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Rawalpindi
10-Feb-2006
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Four relaxed days in the middle of a hectic tour would have come as a welcome relief for India but it may well be the calm before the final storm. The next four matches span just nine days and unless India sort out their bowling worries and level the series at Rawalpindi, the series may slip away in a trice.
Say what you want about pitches, conditions, opposition batsmen and Duckworth-Lewis technicalities but India's inability to defend a target of 329 at Peshawar was baffling. Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar have a combined aggregate of 304 ODIs between them (249 more than Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul) and talk of "inexperience" and "learning time" can only hold so much water.
India bowled on similar pitches on their previous visit to Pakistan but posed a formidable threat because of Pathan's superb swing, Lakshmipathy Balaji's canny seam and Ashish Nehra's nippy cut. They played on similar smaller grounds and were confronted with outfields just as fast. Most importantly they made an impact with the new ball, like Asif did at Peshawar, and pegged Pakistan back from the outset. The Rawalpindi pitch, according to Inzamam-ul-Haq, will probably be a sluggish one and India will have their work cut out in their bid to square the series.
Mix and match
With Harbhajan Singh all but ruled out and Sreesanth just recovering from a bout of illness, India might well decide to play two spinners in the crucial tie. Ramesh Powar, who made his debut on this very ground two years ago, could find a place and his hitting ability could come in use late in the piece. "It looks a good batting wicket," said Chappell, "and it looks drier than what the Peshawar pitch looked before the game. It may not spin that much and there may not be as much early help for the faster bowlers."
With Harbhajan Singh all but ruled out and Sreesanth just recovering from a bout of illness, India might well decide to play two spinners in the crucial tie. Ramesh Powar, who made his debut on this very ground two years ago, could find a place and his hitting ability could come in use late in the piece. "It looks a good batting wicket," said Chappell, "and it looks drier than what the Peshawar pitch looked before the game. It may not spin that much and there may not be as much early help for the faster bowlers."
The Pathan factor
That Pathan's bowling form has gradually dipped is there for all to see, but his value as a batsman cannot be underestimated. An average of 36.22 in his last 15 games, with some vital knocks at the top of the order, have played a big part in India's recent successes and he's shown an increased assurance while handling the new ball.
That Pathan's bowling form has gradually dipped is there for all to see, but his value as a batsman cannot be underestimated. An average of 36.22 in his last 15 games, with some vital knocks at the top of the order, have played a big part in India's recent successes and he's shown an increased assurance while handling the new ball.
"I see Pathan as an allrounder in the future," said Greg Chappell at the pre-match press conference. "He's batted at the top of the order and has been a good finisher as well. I wouldn't say he will be a regular No.3 but we'll use him there from time to time. He's an impact player and we'll decide where to use him with the balance of the team in mind."
The Sehwag conundrum
Two fifties in the last 19 ODIs at an average of 31.77 is totally untypical of Virender Sehwag. Like a switch that has turned on and off, Sehwag has slumped in one-dayers while scaling dizzying heights in Tests. Interestingly, in 13 off those 19 innings he has reached at least 20 and it may not be as big a problem as statistics suggest after all. Pushing him down the order is probably an option but India's lack of options may require him to continue at the top and rediscover the old touch.
Two fifties in the last 19 ODIs at an average of 31.77 is totally untypical of Virender Sehwag. Like a switch that has turned on and off, Sehwag has slumped in one-dayers while scaling dizzying heights in Tests. Interestingly, in 13 off those 19 innings he has reached at least 20 and it may not be as big a problem as statistics suggest after all. Pushing him down the order is probably an option but India's lack of options may require him to continue at the top and rediscover the old touch.
The journey continues
Greg Chappell confirmed that the rotation policy would continue in India's attempt to "manage their resources". Playing Pakistan, according to him, provided India with a good opportunity to test themselves against a top side, probably the second or third best side in the world. "We think we compare favourably to Pakistan," he said. "They're a good batting side and have some exciting young fast bowlers. We're looking at it as a journey and we get an opportunity to play some good sides throughout this year. We'll get an idea of where we stand by the end of the year."
Greg Chappell confirmed that the rotation policy would continue in India's attempt to "manage their resources". Playing Pakistan, according to him, provided India with a good opportunity to test themselves against a top side, probably the second or third best side in the world. "We think we compare favourably to Pakistan," he said. "They're a good batting side and have some exciting young fast bowlers. We're looking at it as a journey and we get an opportunity to play some good sides throughout this year. We'll get an idea of where we stand by the end of the year."
Team (likely) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mohammad Kaif, 6 Irfan Pathan, 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 8 Ramesh Powar, 9 Murali Kartik, 10 Ajit Agarkar, 11 RP Singh.
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is staff writer of Cricinfo