India’s problems lie in filling the number six batting slot

The poor starts put pressure on Laxman and Rahul Dravid, whose slump in form has a lot to do with India’s poor showing. Laxman, a prototype of Mohammed Azharuddin in style, has played with refreshing approach in the tour games and looked composed and elegant in the first innings. He now has to shoulder a very big responsibility. If he comes good, India could still produce a surprise.

India’s main problem will be filling up the Number 6 slot, a position for which Azhar has been ignored. But Azhar, in the best of times, never came to terms with quick bowlers in helpful conditions.

Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar’s faith in Bharadwaj’s abilites have been belied so far,despite the player having got a fair number of opportunites. Kanitkar too has got his share of opportunites, but that has been in the limited-over games. How good he is at Test level is to be seen.

How one wishes that the selectors had picked another youngster in place of one of the two, though Kapil may have a point when he says,“name any youngster whom we should have picked and haven’t.” This once again reflects poorly on our domestic standards.

Unlike the Indians, Australia seem to possess an embarassment of riches. Otherwise how does one explain the fact that a batsman of Andrew Symonds’ class and form — he smashed the Indian bowling in the two games he has played against them — is not in the reckoning for Tests.

Bret Lee, the fastest bowler in Australia whose bowling action is under a cloud, is likely to be play at Melbourne where the wicket is going to be the fastest the Indians have encountered so far on the tour.

The Indians, who feel cheated at the way Tendulkar was given out twice inthe first Test, should remember that the Adelaide Test was won by a team which was far superior to them.

There is no point in brooding over something which has is not going to solve any problems. If anything, harping too much over it would create more doubts than remove those which already exist.