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June 26, 2007

The first ODI of the Future Cup between India and South Africa is just a few hours away. But the Indian team management is struggling to find a playing XI with half of the squad clean bowled by a viral fever. The list of players suffering from the bout is such a long one that is better to name the players who seem to be fit. The list of players who seem to be alright include Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir and may be a couple of more players. The reason for this illness looks straightforward, just a few days the players were under temperatures of over 40 degrees centigrade during the Bangladesh Series and the Afro-Asia Cup. Now they have been living in a place where the maximum temperature is as low as 13 degrees centigrade, now that's quite a contrast.

Former Indian wicket keeper Nayan Mongia in the prematch show on Doordarshan was debating why a speedster from Baroda by the name Rakesh Patel hasn't been selected in the Indian team despite taking a bagful of wickets in the Ranji Trophy. Now someone has overheard Nayan from the Indian team management as Rakesh Patel is indeed joining the Indian team for the 1st ODI. Rakesh Patel who is currently playing league cricket in Liverpool has got an emergency call from the Indian team management to join them in time for Tuesday's match. Rakesh Patel was once selected in the Indian team for a Zimbabwe tour but couldn't get his opportunities at all. The Team Management also tried to push the match to tomorrow but was defeated because of the presence of strong TV broadcasting commitments. May be the trio of Robin Singh (fielding coach), Venkatesh Prasad (bowling coach) and Chandu Borde (Manager) will come out of their retirement to play this game. This is the advantage of having a person as a fielding coach and another as a bowling coach, comes handy, isn't it?

On a serious note, the Indian Board has asked pacers Ranadeb Bose and Ishant Sharma to leave India today and these two will be ready for the next ODI. It is such a tough situation for the Indian team that they have even asked Arjun Yadav, a relatively unknown Ranji player to join them for the first ODI. One big qualification for Arjun Yadav is that he is presently in Ireland playing leagues and now that means staying at the right place at the right time. Arjun Yadav is more known for being the son of Shivlal Yadav, former Indian off spinner and a big player in the administration of Hyderabad Cricket. Arjun Yadav is one lucky bloke although he has had just around 20.00 batting averages in over nine years, he has not only been the Captain of the Hyderabad but has also played Duleep Trophy, Challenger Trophies. For the matter, he is a right handed middle order bat who bowls decent off breaks. Now will the Indian management gift the Indian Cap to this man is to be seen!

While India is having a problem that the West Indies had while going into a warm-up match against England Lions, South Africa is sitting pretty. The Proteas led by all rounder Jacques Kallis has the perfect bowlers to exploit the seaming conditions at Belfast. They have also unearthed a new pacer in Vernon Philander, one of the stars of the Only ODI against Ireland. There looks to be no respite for the Indians against the seaming ball and also the extra bounce. The Indians would need the trio of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid to battle them out of this whirlpool. Ganguly may be even asked to open the bowling with Zaheer, Sreesanth, RP Singh and Ajit Agarkar, all of them unwell. The middle order might mostly miss the two match winners - Dhoni and Yuvraj. The team is also without its regular physio John Gloster who is out with a shoulder fracture. The BCCI has named Nitni Patel, a London based Physio.

Whatever be the situation, playing and winning against South Africa will never be easy which is Rahul Dravid's own thinking. And that is true despite the absence of Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock when India is playing under seamer friendly conditions.

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