Colombo Test preview
Tuesday, August 28, 2001 India learnt an important lesson from Kandy - the more positive and uncomplicated you keep your cricket, the more likely you are to succeed. Not only did the players do the basics well, the think-tank also reworked the approach that had lost them the Galle Test.

The most significant change was the revamping of the batting order, with Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly moving to Nos. 3 and 4. These are crucial positions in any event, but they become even more so when a side is chasing a substantial target. Because senior players occupied them, much of the pressure was removed in that last innings.

Victory has also made selection less of a headache than before. I think Harvinder Singh's position is worth reconsidering - perhaps he should be swapped for a specialist spinner. But I would only decide after examining the pitch. If the surface is anything like as green as it is rumoured to be, I would retain Harvinder.

What is important is that the management sit him down - they must realise that he is still very inexperienced - and chalk out his role in the attack. Watching him in this Test I got the impression that he is neither an out-and-out quick, nor an accurate run-stifling medium-pacer, nor a genuine swing bowler. And in trying to be all three, he is losing some effectiveness.

I wish I could watch him more in the nets to get a clearer idea of how best to utilise him. From what I have seen in the middle, I get the feeling that he is capable of being fairly nippy if he bowls flat out. Perhaps if he is used in short bursts, he might be at his best. It is important that he is part of an overall plan, and that his role is well defined.

I would not axe Hemang Badani. Victory can do wonders for a player's confidence, even if he has not performed well himself. It must also be remembered that he only had one innings at Kandy.

There is talk that Sri Lanka will include an extra batsman in Michael Vandort. I don't think that is as crucial to their fortunes as Sanath Jayasuriya's performance. His failure in both innings at Kandy was a huge factor in the result. India have to dismiss him early, or pray that Marvan Atapattu's running between the wickets can do the trick again.

It is important that India do not get too carried away with the Kandy win. I trust John Wright will make that his mantra in the lead-up to the decider in Colombo.

Sanjay Manjrekar was a regular in the Indian team of the nineties. He was talking to Rahul Bhattacharya

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