India v England, Match 3
Friday, January 25, 2002

It was almost a dream start for Anil Kumble in his first match as captain of India. Though the occasion was spoilt a little by the way India made such heavy weather of the run chase, he would have been more than happy with the script for his first match in charge - especially after he lost the toss.

It was a ridiculously easy decision for Nasser Hussain to make once he called correctly on a Chepauk pitch that offered some pace and bounce and where the ball came on to the bat. In those conditions, England would have been bitterly disappointed with their batting effort, with Michael Vaughan's 43 the highest score. Once again, Hussain's dismissal was crucial. Maybe I'm over-reacting but I do feel he messes things up for his team. His approach is far too aggressive. Someone like Tendulkar - with bags of ability - can afford to take on the bowlers and try to upset their rhythm. For Hussain to do the same is asking for trouble.

Kumble took charge after that. His captaincy showed a refreshingly positive approach. Even though it was a limited-overs game, he kept attacking the batsmen. He and Harbhajan bowled quite beautifully and kept things so tight that England couldn't even relieve the pressure with singles. Had the field been more defensive, as we have seen in the past, England might have posted a more competitive score. As it was, they found the situation too hot to handle with the spinners attacking all the time and the singles drying up.

The crucial phase of the game - between overs 20 and 35 - saw the fielders on their toes. The spinners had a challenge on their hands, with fielders around the bat and the captain encouraging them to attack. It was great to see a team exerting pressure throughout the innings.

It was also wonderful to see Ajit Agarkar do so well. For a long time, he has paid the price for others mistakenly classifying him as an allrounder. His bowling has almost always been good and he has the knack of picking up important wickets when the captain tosses the ball his way. In my view, he was the man of the match.

India's batting was a disappointment, especially after Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar got them off to a blazing start. There were a couple of poor shots from Sehwag and VVS Laxman. I think Laxman knew that he needed a big score with his position in the team threatened. For a while, it brought back memories of previous Indian displays when they did all the hard work only to throw it away at the death.

The manner in which India wilted also encouraged the English bowlers. England have stayed competitive not because they are India's equals when it comes to skill or ability but only because of the spirit and zest with which they have approached the games. That has been the biggest revelation of this series.

The England team that toured here in 1993 pales in comparison to this one, mainly because they approached that trip as a formality. This team, of which little was expected when they got here, has competed with a superior Indian side and given the Indian public plenty to savour. India may be the stronger side but the spirit that England have shown means that they can't be written off just yet.

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

More from Manjrekar
Slow pitch no excuse
India won in spite of themselves

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