Azhar, Robin may get the axe

The young skipper, desperate for an overseas Test win to establish his side’s credibility and his own credentials as a leader, has been totally aghast after the slog over capitulation in the third one-day tie.

A win there would have put India in a perfect position to wrap up at least the one-dayers before returning home after this final fixture in the Caribbeans.

Tendulkar will in all likelihood convey a few home truths to his batsmen and there is a possibility that Robin Singh or even former captain Mohammed Azharuddin is omitted. Neither could keep their cool despite experience and see through India to expected win under mounting pressure at St. Vincent.

Tendulkar, who minced no words after the batsmen had thrown away their wickets to go down by 18 runs on Wednesday will be without the services of veteran opener Navjot Singh Sidhu again.

Sidhu who missed the previous tie has suffered a ligament tear behind his right knee and the area is discoloured. Sidhu is likely to be out of action for at least a fortnight.

Doddanarasiah Ganesh is likely to return as the third seamer given the face of the Kensington Oval wicket. Novel David despite his success in two one dayers, may not have much role to play on this lively track.

The West Indies in contrast see no reason to change their line up and in all likelihood will play the same eleven. Opener Stuart Williams, who anchored the batting at St. Vincent is certain to be persisted with.

Indians are looking for a win to round-off the tour but understand it could well be the only a consolation win. The hurt of Barbados and St. Vincent has overshadowed everything else on this tour.

The final one-dayer though still affords the Indians a chance to reshuffle their pack a bit and try out a few options before the Independence Cup begins, back home.

New fences are being put up at Kensington Oval to keep out the spectators from the playing area. During Test match in March, there was a crowd invasion once Shivnarine Chanderpaul had achieved his hundred and it lasted lasted for a good ten minutes. Later, on the West Indian win, a similar scene was re-enacted.

Though no formal announcement has been made so far, it may well turn out to be the last game that Courtney Walsh has as captain of the West Indian team. Brian Lara, vice-captain of the team for a few series now, is expected to lead the West Indies once Sri Lankans arrive in the Caribbeans to play two Tests and three One-Day Internationals.

The traumas of St. Vincent did not affect the visitors alone. The touring journalists found it impossible to send their stories across and Brian Lara had a providential escape when he did not board the chartered flight of his friends from Trinidad after the match.

The plane crashed into the sea five minutes after the take-off and six men on the flight were killed.

Curtly Ambrose meanwhile needs just three wickets to complete his 200-wicket haul in one-day internationals.

TEAMS

India: Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Azharuddin, Robin Singh, Ajay Jadeja, V V S Laxman, Dodda Ganesh, Noel David, Anil Kumble, Syed Saba Karim, Nayan Mongia, Venkatesh Prasad and Abey Kuruvilla.

West Indies: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Stuart Williams, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Roland Holder, Jimmy Adams, Courtney Browne, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Mervyn Dillon, Ottis Gibson and Franklyn Rose.