Mohali Test, Day 2, Close
Tuesday, December 4, 2001

England added to their woes with some poor catching. Their normally-safe slips were a letdown today with Deep Dasgupta being the principal beneficiary. I suspect the lapses were because the ball comes fairly low and rather quickly on Indian tracks as it skids off the pitch, unlike in England where the ball holds and comes at a comfortable height and pace. I think the Englishmen were caught slightly unawares by the changes.

Dasgupta reaped a rich reward for all the hard work he did in South Africa. Though he is still young and inexperienced, he has learnt the art of playing according to the demands of the situation. He has been tested in different conditions and positions but he has delivered the goods with lot of pluck and finesse. The first opportunity he got to bat in a Test in Indian conditions he showed that he has got something special under the helmet.

But I would not call Dasgupta an allrounder until such time as his keeping shows marked improvement. For the moment, he looks a player who can be a useful No 7. If he needs to be counted as a genuine wicketkeeper-cum-batsman he has to really work on his glove work.

Rahul Dravid's unbeaten innings was typically workmanlike – something that has become second nature to him. One disturbing thing about him at times is that after grinding his way through he will reveal a flaw that will get him lbw or bowled. But today he was totally assured and looked extremely solid.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is not used to too many failures on Indian wickets, went in at a difficult period of the day but played with his normal assurance and authority to reach stumps without any alarms.

Ideally, on the placid Indian pitches a strokemaker like VVS Laxman should come in at No 3, but again we should be more flexible with our Nos 3, 5 and 6 – Tendulkar being the constant factor at No 4. If the ball is seaming around, as it was here, then Dravid should come in at No 3.

England would have been in a greater mess but for the presence of Andrew Flintoff, who worked up good pace and got some swing, too, with the old ball. Bowlers who can bowl quick for long period can keep the Indian batsmen quiet and Flintoff's arrival in India was a huge blessing for England.

Minus Darren Gough and Andy Caddick, the English attack looks far too inexperienced. The English bowlers put the Indian batsmen under pressure, but it was all too brief. It was not sufficiently sustained to have a bearing on the innings.

The track has undergone a distinct change since the opening day. I was talking to Anil Kumble today and even he was surprised that it has become dry and almost dusty.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to H Natarajan.

More from Manjrekar
Slow? So what
India lay the foundation

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd