Nagpur Test, Day 4, Tea
Sunday, February 24, 2002

Sourav Ganguly made the predictable changes and it was no surprise to watch the spinners come on very quickly. Javagal Srinath was given a slighter longer spell that Zaheer Khan in the hope that it might turn out to be his day, but there was absolutely nothing in the pitch for the seamers. Zaheer didn't help his cause by getting that first warning and after that, it was all spin.

I still think Ganguly relies too heavily on Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. Like I said earlier, India shouldn't just be concerned about winning this game. They should be aiming to finish it off as quickly as possible and I think he would be better served by using all his bowlers in shorter, more intense spells. Though the pitch is loaded in favour of the spinners, Ganguly shouldn't forget that the SG ball reverse swings to great effect. The seamers will still have a role to play in this match, especially when you keep in mind how Andy Flower was dismissed in the first innings.

Stuart Carlisle did the right thing as a batsman. He knew that runs would be easier to come by against the new ball. He attacked well and picked up runs at a fast clip before getting a very rough decision. Usually, when the ball pitches outside the leg stump, it's the easiest decision for an umpire to make. I think umpire Venkataraghavan might feel more than a little embarrassed about the verdict he gave. Carlisle was the best Zimbabwe batsman in the first innings and was looking good second time round. A lot of work to do now for Zimbabwe if they're to save this game.

Sanjay Manjrekar, stalwart of the Indian batting in the early `90s, was talking to Dileep Premachandran.

More Sanjay Manjrekar
Day 4 , Lunch: 'Preparation pays off for Bangar'

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