Like their away record in most countries, India's past
performances in England make for poor reading. They have won only
two of the 13 series played in England and lost the remaining,
including the sole Test of 1932. Broken down into Tests, India
have won just three and lost 22 out of 41 matches.
On past record, then, England would seem to have everything in
their favour as the 2002 series gets underway at Lord's on
Thursday. At the game's headquarters, India has a particularly
unenviable record, having lost nine and winning only one of 13
Tests. In the vastly different wicket and weather conditions of
England, Indian teams have generally come a cropper. This has
been the case even though the record has improved marginally
since Ajit Wadekar's team in 1971 proved that England could be
beaten.
Why then is the mood generally upbeat in the Indian camp, despite
this woeful record? For starters, the near-miraculous triumph in
the NatWest final 10 days ago has raised the visitors' confidence
more than a notch. Sure, that was one-day cricket and this is a
Test series, but a victory boosts a side's confidence, and the
manner in which that triumph was achieved showed that this is not
a side waiting for the opposition to run over them.
Indeed, the players seem hungry and impatient for success. Led by
a man who has proved time and again that he is a tough, nononsense captain, the side is an ideal blend of youth and
experience, with a formidable array of stroke-playing batsmen who
can put to the sword any attack. The bowling, by comparison, has
some holes, but these can be covered up by the strong batting and
by outstanding fielding a department in which India now posses
some notable exponents.
Also, on close scrutiny, it can be observed that despite the home
advantage, England are a pretty modest side, and being beset with
injury problems has not helped their cause. The non-availability
of Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, Alex Tudor and Marcus
Trescothick has meant that both the batting and bowling have been
considerably weakened. It is still not a poor side and is rather
well served in both batting and bowling, and Nasser Hussain has
proved to be a worthy leader in the past. However this does seem
to be the right time for a full-strength, confident Indian side
to strike. Certainly, it constitutes their best chance to win a
series outside the subcontinent for the first time since they
defeated England in 1986.
But to be candid, India have problems of their own as well,
despite the rosy-looking scenario. The thin bowling line-up is
one such obvious deficiency. Playing in the second half of the
summer, India will have to go in with both Anil Kumble and
Harbhajan Singh, which means there is place for only two of Ajit
Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. Sourav Ganguly can be
expected to fill in the fifth bowler's role more than adequately
as he has already shown.
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As far as the batting goes, there is no problem with the middle
order. On the contrary, it is a case of an embarrassment of
riches, what with Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman,
Ganguly and Virender Sehwag around, and the problem will be one
of whom to leave out. But there have been questions raised over
the top of the order. The first choice should be the conventional
one - Shiv Sunder Das and Wasim Jaffer. But given the former's
lack of form both in the West Indies and on the tour thus far,
there has been talk of opening with Sanjay Bangar, Sehwag or even
Dravid.
In my view, the tried and tested pair of Das and Jaffer should be
entrusted with the job at Lord's. Das has to be treated with
patience and understanding. He is technically sound and is only
lacking in confidence. He needs only one good score to boost his
morale. Bangar, for all his recent all-round form, is clearly not
a Test-class opening bat. Sehwag's aggression would be better
served in the middle order, and blustering methods at the top are
not likely to succeed in English conditions. If anything, the
example of K Srikkanth in 1986 could be offered as a deterrent to
any such move. The swashbuckling batsman could muster only 105
runs from six innings at an average of 17.50 in the Tests, and
even on the tour he had a rather unhappy time, scoring just 344
runs from 14 innings at an average of 24.57.
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However, indications are that Sehwag will open with Jaffer in the
first Test. Of course, the silver lining in playing Sehwag at the
top instead of Das would mean that Laxman, who otherwise might be
the one left out, will get a look-in. India can only hope that
the gamble of playing Sehwag as an opener and that is what it
is, a gamble pays off. However, as far as sending Dravid once
again to open the innings, there should never even be any
discussion on the subject. He has been made a sacrificial lamb of
sorts in the limited-overs game, and this kind of treatment
should not be meted out to the vice-captain and the side's sheetanchor in Tests. It is also to be hoped that he is not entrusted
with the wicket-keeper's job and that Ajay Ratra will take his
rightful place behind the stumps.