INDIA'S PROSPECTS IN THE VB SERIES 2004
By B.V.Swagath
December
1st week 2003, India touring Down Under for four tests and
every cricket follower , leave alone the optimists, gave India no
chance of dominating the test series. But most people were sure that
the one day squad would be the joint favourites along with the home
side to win the VB Series inspite of the team surrendering to the
Aussies in the World Cup finals at Jo’burg and then the TVS Cup finals
at Eden Gardens. It’s January 8th , 2004 today and we are
just a day away from the VB Series, 20 days of test cricket, watching
the players in whites, the red balls, white sightscreens are all past
now and we are now moving towards the carnival of a one day tournament
– coloured clothing, dazzling floodlights , shiny white ball to start
with all in all it’s sure to be an electrifying atmosphere ahead of us
.
Australia , India
and Zimbabwe the three teams involved in the VB Series 2004, and
already cricket pundits ruling out Zimbabwe out of the equation . With
each team to play the other four times, I am pretty sure that all the
15 players of the squad will play atleast a single match . Sehwag,
Sachin, Saurav, Dravid and Laxman all have been among the runs against
the Aussie bowlers and certainly India has an advantage instilled .
Now Yuvraj Singh, Badani, Sanjay Bangar and Rohan Gavaskar, we have to
wait and watch how they cope up with the Australian wickets , this
will be the first time that these four will be batting on the
Australian wickets in any major international match . But temperament
wise Yuvraj, Badani, Bangar and Rohan Gavaskar certainly have the
steel to perform in trying circumstances . I don’t think India would
be missing Md.Kaif badly as there is an equally good replacement in
the left handed Rohan Gavaskar . Wicket Keeping has always been a
point to ponder for the Indians and it looks like Rahul Dravid is
going to don the gloves in major matches – major matches I mean the
games against Australia . Though Partiv has batted impressively in the
test series, I am sure he wouldn’t be able to pierce the infield for
boundaries with ease as he could in the test matches.
Indian bowling is
capable of winning matches as well as losing matches . A definite need
of consistency, a definite need of discipline has to be shown by our
bowlers if they are going to beat the best side in their own den . The
way the 2 new ball bowlers whether it is going to be Agarkar–Nehra or
Agarkar-Pathan or any other combination for that matter, it is for
them to avoid bowling erratic overs which allow Gilchrist-Hayden to
take the game miles away from the Indians even before the first half
of the innings gets along . Spinners like Kumble, Kartik, Sehwag ,
Sachin and co. could come in handy once the new ball bowlers have done
a decent enough job in stifling the runs in the first 15 overs . For
me the keyword for success for the Indian bowlers would be “dot balls”
.
One disadvantage,
the Indians have is that the Australian grounds being very big, the
weak arms of the Indian fielders barring a couple of players like
Sachin and Agarkar would come into picture and that factor may give
away that extra 20-30 runs .
Now having said all
these, it is more important that all the players remain fit as this is
going to be a long long tournament . One opportunity of winning the
test series may have gone, but give credit for the boys in retaining
the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and drawing a series in Australia is
certainly a great effort !!! Let’s see if the Men In Blue can
transform this confidence in the VB Series as well and make our nation
proud once again . All the best guys !!!!
Just go for it !!!
