Combination block

With the series tied 1-1, India drove back to Colombo on Thursday with a clean slate, but several questions...

With the series tied 1-1, India drove back to Colombo on Thursday with a clean slate, but several questions in their head. With Gautam Gambhir fit again, the team management can’t exactly stick to the old cricketing adage of ‘not tampering with the winning combination’. And that situation means the three days in hand will not be spent just acclimatising to the lights at R Premadasa Stadium, but also taking some tough decisions as far as team selection goes.

Maybe there was a clue for the decision-makers from the nets at Dambulla, where UP players Praveen Kumar and RP Singh were involved in light banter. Praveen pointed his bat towards RP and said, “1300 gram ka hai, aur bada mota blade hai isska. Maarne mein mazaa aata hai.” (It’s 1,300 grams with a broad blade. It’s a great feeling to hit with it).

The man with the heaviest bat in the team followed that up with a few shots that would’ve done a professional golfer proud.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s lack of confidence in Praveen’s batting has meant the all-rounder hasn’t got enough opportunities to hit those strokes on the field. And it has also meant that Irfan Pathan has no challenger for his place in the XI. Strangely, Praveen batted at No.10 in the last game, slotted just above Munaf Patel, with both Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan pushed up the order.

Gambhir dilemma

Skipper Dhoni’s big problem will now be to adjust Gambhir in the line-up without disturbing Pathan. In the second one-dayer, the team opted to play safe and went with seven batsmen. And, since India needed their entire batting resources to chase the modest target of 143, any downsizing in that department might not be a good idea.

If the team management insists on sticking with Pathan, the axe is likely to fall on someone from the pace department. But it’s still complicated because Irfan’s bowling has been much inferior to Zaheer Khan, Munaf and Praveen’s. So, do they play an out-of-form bowler for his batting skills? Or do they go for a genuine paceman who may not bat so well? That’s never an easy decision.

With the selection such a complex problem, taking stock of the conditions will become important. The R Premadasa Stadium pitch, built on swampy land, has a reputation for being slow and arduous for batsmen.

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Records show that chasing runs isn’t easy here, especially when slower bowlers are in operation. So, having a spinner at hand wouldn’t be a bad idea — which complicates matters further because it brings Pragyan Ojha into the equation. After his inspired selection in the second match of the five-game series, it remains to be seen if Dhoni’s instincts serve him well in the third one-dayer too.

Viru to prepare with Delhi

Meanwhile Virender Sehwag, who returned home on Wednesday after injuring his left ankle, is expected to return to full fitness in less than a fortnight and will be part of Delhi’s pre-season training to prepare for the Champions Trophy. According to reports, Sehwag has been given a rehabilitation programme by team physio Nitin Patel, who will be in touch with Delhi team’s physiotherapist.

The physio’s programme for Sehwag states that he is supposed to perform stretches for the hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus, hip flexors, lower back to ensure that they remain flexible and also maintain cardiovascular fitness by cycling. Interestingly, the team management’s demand for Yusuf Pathan as Sehwag’s replacement was shot down by the BCCI.