Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It is at best a makeshift plan, but either Yuvraj Singh or Saurav Ganguly could decide to take up the challenge and open the innings against Bangladesh on Wednesday as one way if solving the top-order problems affecting India’s chances.
During the disaster against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on Sunday, the favourites were sadly out of sorts. Nothing went right and the experiment of opening with Parthiv Patel went seriously wrong. With VVS Laxman injured and Patel brought into the team as a stop-gap replacement to fill the role of wicketkeeper, somehow India just did not look likely to win.
Ganguly did express concern after the facile win over the United Arab Emirates in the opening game that there were several areas that needed improvement. The game against Bangladesh provides India, second in Group B, with an opportunity to experiment.
Just what type of batting experiments are envisaged will only be revealed at the SSC.
Laxman could be rested until Friday’s day/night match at the Premadasa to allow time for more recovery and allow either Yuvraj or Ganguly to open the batting with Virender Sehwag and move Rahul Dravid to three and drop Sachin Tendulkar to four as a stabilising factor.
The most serious problem on Sunday was where to bat Patel in the limited overs scenario. He looked seriously out of sorts as an opener and uncertain of what role he had to play. Tendulkar, meanwhile, tried his best to play the guiding role, only to fall short with his early dismissal. Had Tendulkar been able to negotiate the first 15 overs, Patel would have gained confidence.
Patel is untried at seven or eight when the pressure is on and the idea to open was designed to give him a chance to show what he could do. Now the drawing-board has been wiped clean and a new plan put together to turn the batting depth back into the impressive force that comes with its reputation. India know they have the players that can go on to win matches and make a statement. But history is for the record books, it is what is taking place now that matters.
There has been a suggestion that Yuvraj is ready to open and is looking for a chance to show that he has the technique. But yet again, his value as a lower middle order batsman was all too obvious on Sunday in Dambulla when he helped take India so close to victory with Dravid.
Team India have a chance to rebuild against Bangladesh tomorrow for on Friday comes the game against Pakistan and that is the first genuine test of mental and physical strength in this tournament.
