Dasgupta must be replaced with Ratra
Partab Ramchand - 16 April 2002
Events in the first Test, which the Indians managed to
draw after being in danger of following on, have driven home some
points which the team management would do well to ponder over. One is
that Deep Dasgupta has no place in the side. I have said this before
but the selectors' baffling policy of continuing to pick him forces me
to repeat myself. Dasgupta is lucky to even be in the squad and it is
time he is given the status of a tourist.
|
The first inescapable conclusion to be drawn from the first Test
between India and the West Indies is that the series is a contest
between two mediocre, evenly matched sides, fairly strong in batting
but short in bowling. One serious mistake by either team could well
cost them the series. The first Test at Guyana offered shades of the
last rubber in the Caribbean five years ago and more particularly of
Bridgetown where one shocking batting collapse - three hours of
madness as it was rightly called - cost India the series.
Bourda in Georgetown with its inclement weather and batting friendly
pitches is not exactly representative of cricketing conditions in the
West Indies. And that is one thing the Indians would do well to
remember. The fact that all six matches between the two countries
played at this venue over half a century have ended in draws goes
against the overall record of the Indians in the Caribbean which
boasts of only two victories against 14 losses.
It is the faster and bouncier pitches as Bridgetown, Kingston and
Antigua that have time and again proved to be the bane of Indian teams
in the past and the encounters at these venues are still ahead. The
crumb of comfort for the visitors is that at Port of Spain, the venue
of the second Test, they have given as good as they have got,
registering their only two victories in the West Indies.
Events in the first Test, which the Indians managed to draw after
being in danger of following on, have driven home some points which
the team management would do well to ponder over. One is that Deep
Dasgupta has no place in the side. I have said this before but the
selectors' baffling policy of continuing to pick him forces me to
repeat myself. Dasgupta is lucky to even be in the squad and it is
time he is given the status of a tourist.
Ajay Ratra has waited long enough for his Test cap and he should not
be asked to wait any longer. Sanjay Bangar, an opening bat for Ranji
Trophy champions Railways, should be asked to go in first with Shiv
Sundar Das, who proved that while he is not a commanding type of
batsman, he still remains one whose wicket has to be prised out.
The mindless shuffling of Rahul Dravid in the batting order should
stop forthwith. The gallant warrior has been treated like a yo-yo for
too long and the No 3 slot should be his by right from now on. With
Sachin Tendulkar and Venkatsai Laxman to follow, Sourav Ganguly should
be demoted to No 6, at least till he gains in confidence and till his
batting average starts climbing up to the mid-forties again.
Ratra should come in at No 7 and this brings us nicely to the bowling
that posed the bigger problem at Georgetown. Queries are bound to be
raised when the opposition is allowed to recover from 44 for three to
a total of 501. Javagal Srinath was a shade fortunate in getting those
three wickets in his opening spell but there is no doubt that he is a
skilled bowler who makes the most of his vast experience. On the
evidence of the first Test, is Zaheer Khan though the right partner
for him? The answer must be in the negative and fortunately there is a
ready replacement in Ashish Nehra.
The spin bowling, traditionally Indian cricket's strength, was the
cause of a bigger worry. That there is a day-and-night difference
between the home and away record of Anil Kumble is painfully well-
known. But even going by this record, that has him averaging a little
over 21 at home and around 40 away, the bowling of this experienced
campaigner was a major disappointment. It is amazing how the country's
No 1 strike bowler in the last decade with over 300 wickets in the bag
is not able to improve on his record abroad. But he keeps his place on
reputation if not on form and it can only he hoped that the return of
Harbhjan Singh will inspire Kumble to bowl better.
The off-spinner will have, no doubt, recovered from the injury that
kept him out of the first Test and he should take the place of
Sarandeep Singh, who seemed quite overawed at being thrust all too
suddenly into the thick of the action, though it must be said that his
batting came as an unexpected bonus. Unfortunately, Sarandeep's
primary role is that of a bowler and not that of a batsman.
The home team too could not have been totally satisfied with the
showing at Bourda. The batting obviously hinges too much on Brian
Lara, Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with Ramnaresh Sarwan
displaying the promise of a couple of valuable knocks. For them too,
the main worry is the bowling, but then it was always on the cards
that their current pace trio would find it tough to bowl out the
formidable Indian batting line up even once, let alone twice.
There were spells when Adam Sanford, Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy
were hostile or when Nagamatoo needed watching. But this is not a
quartet that the Indian batsmen would worry too much about. That said,
of course, the bowlers were not helped by Hooper's overcautious
approach that was quite puzzling given the fact that he had a total of
501 behind him.
Speaking of defensive tactics, Ganguly too was guilty of this. The
captains adopting a 7-2 or 8-1 off side field ruined the game as a
spectacle. If there was need for legislation to curb such restrictive
or negative fields on the leg side, should there not be similar action
taken to come down on such obnoxious tactics in the ostensible name
of strategy - on the other side of the field?
© CricInfo
Teams
|
India.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Deep Dasgupta,
Ajay Ratra,
Sanjay Bangar,
Shiv Sunder Das,
Rahul Dravid,
VVS Laxman,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Sourav Ganguly,
Zaheer Khan,
Ashish Nehra,
Sarandeep Singh,
Carl Hooper,
Brian Lara,
Mahendra Nagamootoo.
|
Tours
|
India in West Indies
|