The correct configuration in place for India at last

With India’s much-needed win over Zimbabwe, many of the team’s demons have been put to sleep, if not completely laid to rest. Both...

With India’s much-needed win over Zimbabwe, many of the team’s demons have been put to sleep, if not completely laid to rest. Both coach John Wright and captain Saurav Ganguly will have slept a little better on the back of solid evidence of some fighting spirit from their charges.

While the cricket world awaits the outcome of Shane Warne’s hearing in Australia, the whole of India would have heaved a collective sigh of relief with the comfortable 83-run victory on February 19. The relief among the team-members and management would have been even more palpable with the knowledge that things have stabilised back home also. It can’t be any fun knowing your family and property are under threat.

Commonsense prevailed when India batted with Tendulkar and Sehwag opening the innings. They have been the two best openers in recent times and Indian spirits would have risen seeing the master batting with his apprentice. The 99-run opening partnership was just what an ailing team needed and Tendulkar’s poise would have done more for the Indian population than his appeal for calm from the team supporters back home a few days before.

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Tendulkar is a class act and few can have experienced the pressure of expectation that he is subjected to each time he bats. No doubt Sehwag takes a lot of confidence from batting with the great man.

Streak gave them a stern test as he used all his guile and experience on a wicket with spongy and variable bounce, and things could have gone horribly wrong had early wickets been lost. Mongia looked out of sorts in his brief stay but while Tendulkar was at the crease a formidable score was always possible. It took the ball of the tournament so far to bring his innings to an abrupt and, seemingly, premature halt.

While Dravid and Ganguly were not quite back to their brilliant best, the time they spent together in the middle will have soothed a few jangled nerves. The batting line up had a more settled look with these two in the middle order and this should be the configuration for India for the rest of the tournament.

Both Dravid and Ganguly can prosper in these middle overs and their experience can be put to good use if they can be spared until overs 20 through 40. The score of 255 was not daunting, but Srinath showed all who were interested that batting was not as easy as the Indian opening stand may have suggested. He put the Zimbabwe top order through a thoroughly searching test and came out on top to put India into a strong position.

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The loss of early wickets made the Indian total look more formidable and once Andy Flower was firstly wrapped up, then dispatched, the score quickly slumped to 83 for 5 and the death knell was nigh for Zimbabwe.

The spirit of the Indian teamed seemed high, as if the catastrophe of the Australian loss had galvanised them into a tighter knit unit. No doubt they were anxious to support each other in the face of very little support from home. (PTI)