‘‘When the chips are down’’, Javagal Srinath said today, ‘‘everybody has to chip in.’’ The Indian team practiced what its seniormost member preached, as seniors and juniors — and coach John Wright — both pitched in to try and sort out the biggest problem facing the team: the rank bad batting. Aware of the need to win at least two of the remaining three pool matches, and of the fact that Namibia wouldn’t be pushovers, the Indian batsmen had an extended workout at the nets today. Except skipper Saurav Ganguly, who moved to the road outside the stadium and had himself peppered with wet tennis balls in a bid to replicate the kind of delivery that has haunted him for so long. After negotiating a few head-high snorters, though, he returned to the familiarity of the spinners at the nets. Mohammad Kaif and Virender Sehwag were already there at adjoining strips. One short ball to Kaif was met with an attempted pull but, as in the game against Australia, he mistimed the shot. Sehwag saw that from the corner of his eye and, after the session, as Kaif called the enthusiastic local boys for another round of short balls, the man from Najafgarh moved in. ‘‘Shot ko pura khel, don’t play half-heartedly. If the ball is at eye level don’t just blast it over the fence’’, Sehwag said in his direct manner. Sachin Tendulkar, nursing an old wrist injury, had a shortened stint at the nets and spent much of the time with Mongia and Yuvraj, two youngsters who haven’t really shown their true potential at the Cup. India’s problem against Zimbabwe was the middle order failing to capitalise on the opening stand and Tendulkar took it upon himself to sort it out. Benchwarmer Ajit Agarkar was drafted into bowl a spell of yorkers, which the middle-order is likely to face against Namibia. And, when the session was over, Wright got together with Ganguly and Dravid, two men on the road to recovery. In an animated conversation that lasted for more than 15 minutes, Wright drew a line outside an imaginary off-stump and showed the correct stance to negotiate the incoming ball.
