India v West Indies, 2nd Test, Chennai, Day 4
Sunday, October 20, 2002

Any hope West Indies had of making a match of it this morning rested on the shoulders of Ramnaresh Sarwan. He started well, but once he was dismissed, it was almost a procession.

With growing maturity, we are seeing different facets of Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. He is not obsessed with any one particular idea. After bowling Anil Kumble for seven overs at a stretch, he tossed the ball to Zaheer Khan with almost immediate results. It showed that he is keeping all his options in mind and that is a recent, and very positive, development.

Once Zaheer got Sarwan, it was only a matter of time. Sarwan knew how to bat on this wicket and as long as he was there, Ryan Hinds – who played one false stroke after another – was kept in check. But Sarwan's departure brought about the collapse that we have come to expect from this West Indies side, with Harbhajan Singh once again showcasing his ability to run through a side in a short spell.

The Indian selectors should take some bold decisions ahead of the next Test match at the Eden Gardens. Ideally, they should be looking to blood at least three new faces and develop a competitive second string. You only get the luxury of experimenting when you're winning easily against the lesser sides. It's not something you can do when you're locked in a tight series or, worse still, losing. They should be looking to play a new fast bowler and also Amit Mishra, since they rate him so highly. There's no harm in seeing what the boy can do.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul's dismissal – outfoxed by Anil Kumble – in the first innings was probably the turning point in this game. West Indies had gained a massive advantage by batting first on this pitch and Chanderpaul was the key man to build on that. Carl Hooper being given out in the second innings was another hinge on which the game turned and after that, it was India all the way.

The crowds seem to have a new idol in Virender Sehwag. When Sachin Tendulkar was young, he had an enormous fan following but down the years, much of that adulation has turned to the deepest respect. Instead of cheering and yelling when he walks to the crease, many doff their caps to him. Sehwag is young and fearless and the manner in which he bats sends the pulse into overdrive. It's a happy situation for Indian cricket to have two such players around, almost similar to the scenario when Kapil Dev came on to take his place alongside Sunil Gavaskar.

More Expert View
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Sanjay Manjrekar, the mainstay of India's batting in the late 1980s and early '90s, will be providing the Expert View on every day of this Test series. He was speaking to Dileep Premachandran.

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