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A nicely balanced outfit
Partab Ramchand - 17 May 2002
The Indian selectors, as a rule, receive very few bouquets; it is
mostly brickbats for them. They are everyone's whipping boys, but I am
going to give them a hearty pat on the back for doing everything right
in picking the one-day squad to take on the West Indies in the series
of five limited-overs internationals in the Caribbean starting on May
25.
Indeed, with the exception of Javagal Srinath, who has opted out for
one of his many rests, and the injured Anil Kumble, the side is
probably the strongest that can be fielded at the moment. One also has
the feeling that this squad will form the nucleus of the World Cup
team about nine months from now.
© CricInfo |
Of course, it can be said that most of the one-day specialists picked
themselves. The inclusion of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Virender
Sehwag (following a recovery from his shoulder injury) and Ajit
Agarkar was always on the cards. But the selectors have done
particularly well in picking Murali Kartik.
Indeed, Kartik should have been in the original team to tour the West
Indies. The left-arm spinner from Railways, who can also wield the
willow to good effect, is one of those cricketers who can successfully
bridge the gap between Test cricket and the shorter version of the
game. In the limited opportunities Kartik has had, he has neither
failed nor succeeded, but there is always this feeling about him that
he is a gusty, competitive cricketer who has what it takes to come
good at the international level.
One cannot even fault the selectors on the players they have called
back. Certainly few would have backed Shiv Sunder Das, Wasim Jaffer,
Deep Dasgupta, Sarandeep Singh and Sanjay Bangar to be retained in the
one-day squad. In Bangar's case, though, it must be said that his
virtues as a utility cricketer are more suited to the limited-overs
game. But he has been short of both runs and wickets of late, and his
confidence level cannot be too high. It is hoped that this useful
cricketer comes back, for one suspects he still has a lot to
contribute to Indian cricket.
© CricInfo |
Jaffer, for all the form he has displayed of late, seems a good
prospect for Test cricket, and he should be persevered with at that
level. He and Das - when the latter recovers his touch - could solve
the long-standing problem at the top of the Test batting order. A
line-up that starts with Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar and
continues with Rahul Dravid, Dinesh Mongia, VVS Laxman, Sehwag,
Yuvraj, Kaif and Ajay Ratra inspires confidence. By contrast, the
bowling, manned by Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Tinu Yohannan, Ashish Nehra,
Harbhajan Singh and Kartik does not look all that strong, but it
should be capable of holding its own against all but the best sides.
Overall it is a nicely balanced outfit. Whether it is good enough to
defeat the West Indies remains to be seen. Past record certainly
favours the home team. During the last three tours, the teams have
played 12 matches and the West Indies have won 10 and lost two.
The Indians must shrug off this psychological disadvantage and have
the self-belief that they are capable of winning a one-day series in
the West Indies against a not-too-strong home side. This alone ensures
that half the battle is won. Only a year ago, with much the same team,
the West Indies lost a one-day series to South Africa in the Caribbean
by five matches to two, and this should be a source of encouragement
for the Indians.
© CricInfo
Teams
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India,
West Indies.
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Players/Umpires
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Javagal Srinath,
Anil Kumble,
Youraj Singh,
Mohammad Kaif,
Virender Sehwag,
Ajit Agarkar,
Murali Kartik,
Shiv Sunder Das,
Wasim Jaffer,
Deep Dasgupta,
Sarandeep Singh,
Sourav Ganguly,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Ashish Nehra.
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Tours
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India in West Indies
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