The Battle of the Royal Lions (Sri Lanka's Tour of England)

After a rather unconvincing performance against Pakistan at home, Sri Lanka embark on a tough tour to England that might well decide the direction they are taking in international cricket. They were tamed to submission by Pakistan and struggled gradually as the tour progressed. Having played the top teams in a brief period of 6 months, Sri Lanka's report card does not sound encouraging. Losses to India, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh (one match) and now Pakistan in the ODIs was something Tom Moody and Co would prefer forgetting as Sri Lanka aim to undo the mistakes they did in these matches. And to be frank and blunt as a writer, Sri Lanka do not appear a Test side to me. They keep repeating the same mistakes and this has cost them dearly. Playing teams like Bangladesh regularly (2 series in a gap of 8 months) is taking Sri Lankan cricket nowhere, as performances in these matches flatters to only deceive later. In my humble opinion, I would rather see Sri Lanka play teams like Pakistan, India, England regularly than the Bangladeshis and the West Indians. This is a preview in the typically 'Deano' fashion - a SWOT analysis.

Strengths

There are obvious signs of improvements in this Sri Lankan team, but unfortunately they are not long-lasting. I would tend to think that apart from being mighty in the spin department, their batting seems to be a certain strength. Kumar Sangakkara's progress indicates an obvious growth in stature as their best batsman, followed by Mahela Jayawardena and Tillekaratne Dilshan. If they can score massive runs against the bowling attack that England boasts of, they are sure to create positions of strength. The squad seems stacked with batsmen, who are inexperienced and if guys like Tharanga and Vandort can realize their potential, the void created by the retirement of Jayasuriya will somehow be unseen. The relatively inexperienced bowling seems to be maturing with every other outing and if they can capitalize on the conditions they are presented with, bowlers like Vaas, Maharoof, Malinga, Kulasekara, Zoysa and Fernando could prove a handful. Utilizing the conditions will be the key to their success. Besides, the spin attack of Malinga Bandara and Muttiah Muralitharan seems potent enough to create pressure situations, which the team can cash in on. Who can forget Murali spinning the Oval one-off Test of 1998 on its head with a match haul of 16 wickets. So, if they can start the series well, there is no doubt that there is some quality in this Sri Lankan line-up, good enough to disturb the England team.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are in plenty to be honest. The inexperience might just as prove to be a weakness as it is a strength. The openers' spot seems a major concern for me. Tharanga and Vandort might not be technically adaptive to the conditions in England. Kumar Sangakkara might have to play saviour time and again by coming in situations that might probably be avoidable. The openers will be under pressure to bat well everytime they go out to bat and if they succeed in evading this pressure, they would have done their bit to the team's cause. The role of Tillekaratne Dilshan is a question mark. He has a decent technique to go along with his wide range of strokes and if Sri Lanka can push him up in the order, it will do good to their totals. But, from his side, he has to curb his natural instincts of playing one shots too many and put a tag on his wicket, which has been a continual problem with him. The bowling line-up somehow comes up with a tag of 'inexperienced'. Apart from Vaas and Zoysa, the bowlers look naive. There is a uni-dimensional look to this bowling attack. The sameness should ideally be masked by picking a bowling line-up that consists of Vaas (angle), Maharoof (accuracy), Malinga (action and pace), Malinga Bandara (leg-spin) and Murali (off-spin). All in all, there are plenty of loopholes in this Sri Lankan squad, the earlier they are plugged, the better would be the chances of tasting successes in England.

Opportunities

There are plenty of things the Sri Lankans can learn from this tour. Having picked Prasanna Jayawardene as the second wicketkeeper, it will be important for the management to play Sangakkara purely as a batsman, due to the unavailability of Marvan Atapattu. If Sangakkara can purely concentrate on his batting, it would help both his and his team's cause as runs flowing from his bat are invaluable. Mahela Jayawardena gets a golden chance to cement his position as the skipper of the team. One hopes that he can manage to lead by example and with Atapattu's cricketing career in doldrums, cashing in on these limited opportunities would be the key. There is a great scope for improvement in this Sri Lankan team. They need to get their combination correct before every match and march on with a belief that they can be more than competitive against a strong opponent.

Threats

There are plenty of threats looming around Sri Lanka and the most important one would be their opponents. Having won the third test convincingly against India at Mumbai, England will surely be drenched in confidence and besides, the return of their regulars like Vaughan, Trescothick, Simon Jones and Stephen Harmision does not send encouraging signals to the Sri Lankan camp. Another problem that they could face would be adaptability. The earlier they get going in England, the better it could be for the Sri Lankans, which possibly means winning all their tour games and being match fit as they go into the Tests.

There was a time when the English board refused to acknowledge Sri Lanka's credentials as a Test side, and just as the Royalties had their way, the 1998 win changed their vision towards the Island nation. Since then, Sri Lanka have been playing one test extra each time they visited England (2 in 2002 and currently 3) and more importantly in quality venues like Lord's, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. Sri Lanka can surely look to impress their case further by putting up performances that can stand out and get noticed by not only England, but the rest of the world, if they have any intentions of transforming themselves into a force to reckon with for the near future. As a fan of Sri Lankan cricket, I am sure that the boys will come up with the goods and push England to the limits if not shock them as they did in 1998.

Squaring-up in Style

After all the extravaganza associated with the first ODI, it was business time in the DFL Cup. The first match appeared to be more of a contest between a jaded Indian team and their relatively fresh counterparts. India went into this ODI with a plenty to do and importantly, maintain that unbeaten series run they have been on since the Sri Lankan series at home.

Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that more or less was the same from the previous game, except for the unevenness in the bounce. Batting first on this wicket is always an advantage as runs on the board and the pressure of chasing can get to the best of teams in the 4th Innings, considering the earlier match. India made one change to their line-up, bringing in Sehwag for the inexperienced Uthappa, while Pakistan chose to remain unchanged.

Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid opened the innings for India on expected lines. The initial overs were played with a great degree of circumspect and following that dry spell where no runs came off the bat, a spite of indifferent bowling from the Pakistani bowlers, some overpitched and short and wide deliveries allowed the Indians to set the tone for the score they were aiming at. Sehwag particularly took toll of anything pitched up to him and bowled on the stumps and as he grew in confidence, he started freeing his arms and left the Pakistani bowlers clueless at times. Having finished the powerplays on top of the situation at 100/0, Dravid and Sehwag laid a perfect platform for what looked like a score in excess of 270. Pakistan did manage to eventually break the partnership, when Afridi bamboozled Sehwag with a peach of a delivery at 138, with Sehwag having made 73. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was sent to up the ante at the fall of Sehwag, but with two spinners bowling from either end, taking the pace off it was always going to be a tough task in hand. Dhoni's innings got underway thanks to some unorthodox strokeplay, the finest paddle sweep one can ever imagine (a shot hard to describe) and in an almost nonchalant manner, he reached his fifty. Dravid looked solid as ever and adding some crucial runs with Dhoni. However, India did miss a trick by not timing their final charge to perfection. With wickets in hand, there was scope to start the acceleration at around 36 overs, but it did come a bit late. Dravid, in his bid to accelerate, played on one from Rana Naved as he left for a gutsy effort of 92. Dhoni followed him to the pavilion after scoring 59. Pakistan seemed to get back in contention having picked two good wickets quickly. Yuvraj then showed the way by belting Mohammad Asif for 20 runs in an over that included 3 fours and a majestic six. However, his brief cameo was ended by Rana Naved in the very next over, and India's hopes of reaching a total of 280 began seeming a distance away. Through some hare-paced running and last-overs frills, Suresh Raina and Irfan Pathan managed to guide India to 269 runs, a total one felt comfortable with considering the nature of the wicket and the weather conditions to follow.

History does not back Pakistan when it comes to chasing totals. But having been there and done that in the last game, Pakistan would have approached this total in the orthodox way of chasing, i.e. keep wickets in hand and make the last 10 overs count. Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik started off the innings for Pakistan. They came down heavy especially on Irfan Pathan and got off to what can be considered a reasonable start. However, the batsmen looked edgy at times and that is exactly what led to the first wicket - Imran Farhat adjudged leg-before to Pathan for 8. Imran Farhat would consider himself unlucky, as the ball from Irfan seemed to head down the leg-side. Pakistan decided to put their chase at stake by promoting Shahid Afridi up the order. He barely managed to survive in the middle as Irfan Pathan managed to get through his defences with a perfect in-dipper. Having lost two wickets in quick succession, the need of the hour for Pakistan was to rebuild and then consolidate. In the meanwhile, Sreesanth from the other end was bowling impeccably constantly hitting the corridors of uncertainty and keeping the batsman on his toes. Ajit Agarkar's introduction gave India their third wicket. It was one of those rare occasions where Ajit was getting his shape and swing to go beautifully. Younis Khan edged one to Dhoni for 5 and Pakistan in dire straits. The skipper walked in and along with the set batsman, Malik, had to take charge in the middle. As their individual innings progressed, there was a certain calmness to this batting. They looked at ease on the wicket and it would only be a spell of brilliance from the bowler or the fielder that would dislodge them. That is exactly what happened as Shoaib Malik holed out to a spectacular catch by Yuvraj off Powar's bowling for a well-made 45 and this wicket seemed to have drained the gas off the Pakistani batting. The wicket of Malik triggered a collapse with Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq going down cheaply. The skipper, in the meanwhile chugged on and brought up his 83rd fifty and 12th against India. He seemed to find an able ally in Naved ul-Hasan Rana, who struck meaty blows to help raise the dampened spirits. This late order charge by Rana yielded a 50 run partnership with Inzamam and for once in the game, India were made to think. Irfan Pathan virtually sealed the fate of the match, when Rana skied one to Venugopal Rao, who took the catch just centimetres from the boundary line. The writing gradually seemed to appear on the wall. Inzamam was finally run out for 72 and what followed was a celebration beyond description, Rahul Dravid running for a 100 m Olympic gold was a sight worth seeing. The coffin was sealed when Sreesanth picked up Rao Ifthikar Anjum at 218, with India emerging worthy victors by 51 runs.

It was a tournament for the skippers. Rahul Dravid was named the man of the match for this game, while Inzamam bagged the honours for the man of the series. All in all, an excellent effort by both teams to take time off their busy schedule and play two matches for a noble cause. Both teams will be embarking on overseas tours next, with India leaving for the Caribbean and Pakistan heading off to England.

PS : It was a new experience at writing a fully authentic match-report. It was purely done on an experimental basis. I do not know if I have justified the way it needs to be written.

The Purple Patch

If ever India needed to reinforce some faith onto their fans' minds, it was done with a great degree of arrogance. I know some people who constantly sulk about the Ganguly episode, but the rapid strides that Indian cricket has taken after the phased ouster of the former skipper is absolutely commendable. Greg Chappell may be seen a villain in Kolkata but overall he has all but sealed his stature as the 'Guru' in the rest of the country. His record as Indian coach speaks volumes for the transformation this team has gone through since he took over in May 2005. India were among the bottom few of the ICC ODI Rankings when the Aussie took over and after some initial hiccups in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, he and the boys seemed to get their acts together. Since then, India have been unbeaten in four bilateral ODI series so far. Its a new page in Indian cricket that was waiting to be written since a long time. A page that has writings of ruthlessness, dominance and enthusiasm, words missing in the context of Indian cricket in the recent past.

There were two important things to come out of the series. Firstly, a large percentage of this squad have surely confirmed their way to the 2007 Caribbean World Cup and secondly, the seeds of youth sown in the Sri Lanka home series in October is finally reaping great rewards. Yuvraj Singh has peaked at the right time, nearly rounding off a season of glory, one in which he has played a larger role in India's successes as an ODI team. MS Dhoni has gone through a 360 degrees turnaround since that hundred he got at Jaipur against the Lankans. He has gradually perfected the art of finishing (Chappell has earmarked him for the Micheal Bevan role). Raina seems to be maturing and plugging the hole that once eluded India of many games, the crucial no. 5/6 spot, which inevitably went to VVS Laxman. His contributions as a fielder have also been worth noting. The only area of concern that Greg and Rahul will look to sort out by the earliest would be Sehwag and Kaif. Both of them should ideally be rested and brought back for the West Indies tour. Having said that, yesterday's win highlighted that this team has moved beyond individuals. I would tend to agree with Deano, who claimed that "Even Australia would find it tough to beat India at home".

The area of real improvement has been the fast-bowling unit. Still at its growing stages, the identification of potential strike bowlers was essential as the tried and tested like the Nehras and the Zaheers would usually get injured and inexplicably, the bench strength would be close to null. A conscious move was taken by Chappell to blood young pacemen into the team and the returns are here to see. Sreesanth's bucketful of wickets at Indore exemplifies the very fact that opportunities as much as hardwork are the key to success. Munaf Patel has been bowling exceedingly well in the Tests along with Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan but the larger picture suggests that the team management is looking ahead to breed a cocoon of fast bowlers. Irfan's growth as a batsman has surely helped his make-up as a bowler. Having been through a consistent success pattern as a batsman, he now thinks like one and his bowling seems to go through periods of troughs and crests, but contributes largely to the team's success. The spinners have come off according to expectations as well. Harbhajan fought through a rough patch and pulled it off with a fiver at Delhi, while Powar may soon prove to be a handy utility player India has always been searching for. Yes, after four series at home and in Pakistan, one might quite conclude that the inexperienced bowling has exceeded certain expectations, but seems to be heading in the right direction as far as the larger future of India is concerned.

For now its a big leap forward as far as Indian cricket is concerned. India are now ranked #3 in the ICC ODI Championships, at a sniffing distance behind South Africa. India is certainly on a roll, as they were back in 2002. It will be imperative for the Indians to leave complacency at their backyards and move forward with a larger goal in mind. It surely is great to see success finally making their way to Indian shores, after a quiet and inconsistent 2004-05. One surely hopes that these smaller tournaments (in importance) can be the perfect entourage to attain the biggest one !

From 'Chokers' to Chasers : A meteoric transition

Not so long ago, the term 'choking' was as synonymous with the Indian team as Sachin Tendulkar. If I remember right, it came to serious light when India last toured Zimbabwe for the triangular series, and it was a case of 'yet-another-final, yet-another-failure'. One did not have to be a nuclear scientist to theorize India's inverse relation to pressure. It seemed as though a phobia was wading through the minds of the eleven men in blue. The rot had to be stemmed to pursue greater success in the ODIs. India's inability to cope with the larger demands of chasing targets surely made its way onto Greg Chappell's priority list. For once, there was a transparent acknowledgement of the problem by the coach and to change this perception was going to be a daunting task.

Chasing, to say was never India's forte. They had showed spells of brilliance off and on, but consistency, while reacting to the scores set was never there. There was a Natwest Series final, where India did more than enough to chase down 324, but in dark contrast there was the Asia Cup, where India stooped their way in pursuit of 230. Such was the inconsistency and a larger vulnerability of Team India to targets. The only problem that seemed to have engulfed the Indians in the past was their inability to finish matches. There were times when India would put themselves in positions of superiority during a chase, and due to reasons they best know, lose the entire plot. If anything, finishing games was one area where India have been found wanting. It needed serious redressal, simply because in situations like a World Cup semi-final, they may have to chase, purely out of compulsion.

Here we are, 20 games on and India seemed to have got the better of their mindset by successfully and consecutively chasing down 15 out of these games, thereby setting a new record. For starters, India has never been a part of a streak or a spree, so to say but with this sudden paradigm shift in thought and mindset has surely made a strong statement in Indian cricket. When Greg Chappell started off his reign as India coach, he was hounded by media and public pressure of India not being good chasers. And to his credit, he acknowledged the existence of this very problem and sought immediate remedial measures to correct it. He used the Sri Lankan home series to bring about, what now seems like a transformed thought and as a spectator it was a path-breaking move to consciously understand the frailties of the team and correct it by setting simulated situations. From there-on, India have seemed to have perfected this very art of chasing.

A large share of credit for this sudden reversal has to be given to the youngsters in the team. There is a greater acknowledgement of responsibility and application within these boys and that has surely worked to their credit. The presence of a new steely resolve has only strengthened the mindset of the team and the victories are a tribute to that very change in direction. Pressure, to this Indian team seems to be an enzyme that only made them more determined and more responsible and the results are there to see. In the past, with India reeling at 90 for 5, the common tendency was to switch off the TV sets and conduct a post-mortem about an Indian loss, but now a distinct sense of belief has re-emerged both within the team and the public mindset. And another point of satisfaction and celebration is the fact that each chase has its own heroes. be it Yuvraj Singh in Pakistan, Mahendra Dhoni against Sri Lanka or Suresh Raina in the ongoing series.

"Old habits die hard", they say ! But having seen India's transformation in the recent past, such phrases will remain phrases. For now, it seems as though India have visibly done away with their unwanted habits of wilting to pressure, but it will be equally important for India to start looking at setting targets and winning matches than only chasing them. Chasophobia if I may call it, is surely a thing of the past and has translated itself into a red-hot chasomania. If anywhere India need to inspire themselves, it the Test matches. They may well have lost the game at critical moments, but they only need to look within their dressing room to find an inspiration to correct their wrongs. The adage of "I don't care how they come, as long as they come !" is the new buzzword among the Indian cricket fans. Be it by batting-first or by chasing, an Indian win enthralls the masses. One hopes that this massive streak of run-chases will surely take Indian cricket to new heights in the near future.

Missionaries of Charity ?

Mixing business with noble intentions is the latest mantra of the BCCI. As India and Pakistan head to Abu Dhabi for the two-match DFL Cup, a greater cause will take center stage. Sport is often noted to be a wound-healer, and on this occasion cricket will play the medium and catalyst to provide relief to those affected by the Kashmir Earthquake. It is indeed heartening to know that there is a certain amount of social responsibility that both the PCB and BCCI are showing and none better occasion to start off this endeavour than the Abu-Dhabi tournament. For once, the age-old mindset of the money going straight into the Board's kitty has taken a sidestep and the revenue generated through this event, should in all likeliness reach the President's Relief Fund. As per reports, the overall-revenue from the first ODI could be as much as 10 million USD and with Percept D'Mark bidding successfully for the in-stadia rights for close to 4 million USD, it would seem as if cricket has finally decided to contribute its share to a cause. Moreover, the players from both teams have come forward to donate their match-fees for the cause.

As the BCCI makes its gradual transformation from being run as a typical Indian public-sector unit to a more privatized and corporatized version, innovation in thought and action is well on the cards. This renewed mindset could not have come at a better time for India, as they seem to do well both on and off the field. India and Pakistan certainly carry a larger social responsibility on their shoulders as they head off to the UAE. They not only make up as ambassadors of the country they represent, but also the game they play. The 'giving-back-to-the-society' notion seemed to have gripped the Indian sub-continent. As the tsunami waved through the island of Sri Lanka, it was the cricketers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara who took it upon themselves to reach out to the victims and try and heal the grave wounds of calamity. It is certainly a step for both the Boards in more ways than one, as there is no better way to show solidarity for the cause than cricket.

All this comes with a but, a big one at that ! For BCCI it might be considered as a good marketing move to take cricket to identified "markets", where the game has yet to leave its imprints. An aggressive step in its own way, Lalit Modi and the BCCI have outlined several 'overseas' venues where cricket might not yet be that popular, and tapping the ethnic Asian community is crucial to the positioning of cricket in that country. This is precisely why India is slated to play about 30 one-dayers against Pakistan in venues like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Canada, US and the Middle-East in the next 5 years. Another proposal surrounding this 'overseas' theme is where India play some of their home matches abroad. I somehow tend to disagree with this aspect, simply because losing out on the strong and existing market would hit the BCCI badly. It is within India itself that the marketing of the game needs to improve and a shift in focus from the original statements could prove a bit harmful at a later stage.

Another thing that concerns me is the official status of such matches. Maybe the official status was kept with a larger marketing perspective in mind, considering that a large audience would pool in for an India-Pakistan one-day international than for a desert-carnival. But will charity or the cause have any impact on the way the games will be played ? Its hard to answer it at this stage. But having accorded official ODI status to these games, the onus now is upon the teams to maintain the same levels of intensity and competitiveness they would had they been playing in Karachi or Kolkata for that matter. That for me should define the directions these 'charity' matches would take in the future.

I am glad that there is finally a recognition of a larger responsibility by the BCCI to its fans and the society in general, unlike the past, where elections defined responsibility. Such events must be encouraged in the near future and provide that one chance for our cricketers to understand the larger human interest. To conclude, one hopes that two spirited games of cricket is all that the Kashmir quake victims deserve to bring a smile on their faces. We also hope that the 22 men on the field, in blue and green do enough to try and undo the mental scars of this intense calamity.

Random Scribblings : Yuvraj’s Day Out, England’s struggle and Breaking the Goa jinx…

It was one of these matches where it was a contest between momentum, form, confidence and weather. Having pulled-off a nail-biter at Delhi and a comprehensive run chase at Faridabad, the Indians looked like a side on a roll and it seemed as though England had to pull out several tricks out of their kitty to get through this in-form Indian side. As India powered themselves to 294/6 in 50 overs, it almost looked as if England marooned themesleves after conceding 98 off the last 10 overs and victory seemed as far as a trip back home. It was a convincing victory for India by 49 runs and if I may say, already have one hand on the TVS One-Day Cup. Here are some musings about a game took India to their seventh consecutive ODI win…

Yuvraj’s Day Out

Dominant is one word that comes to mind while describing Yuvraj Singh’s knock of 103 today. As he walked into bat, it almost looked as if India got back to their struggling ways as they were nailed down at 130 for 4. On a pitch that did not quite accommodate well for the batters, the timing and strokeplay that Yuvraj Singh showed were nothing short of exemplary. The knock typifies an ideal one-day knock, where the first half included a much required rebuilding act and he found an able ally in young Suresh Raina to help him in this endeavour. There were very notable signs of marked improvement in both the technique and attitude. As the inning gained momentum, he stepped on the gas and his other 50 off only 24 balls vindicates the shift in direction. As the inning approached its carnivalesque stages, Yuvi was quite happy to power the team to a more-than competitive score of 294. As an observation, this was one of the better centuries by Yuvraj purely because the manner in which he commanded the situation and the overall maturity he showed were surely good indications of things to come for the future. Hopefully this purple patch would lead to a possible extension in the future games to come !

England’s Struggle

England might have enjoyed their brief stint at Goa, but on the cricket field, they looked a totally silenced unit. Jadedness, mental fatigue, travel and above all the unforgiving conditions at Goa might have played their part in preventing England’s much-strived for success. Another knock-out punch was delivered to the England management when they discovered this morning that Kevin Pietersen was down and out, thanks to a stomach bug. Added to their woes, bowlers like Sajid Mahmood did not give an account of their international belonging as he was at the receiving end of both the weather and the rampaging Indian batsmen. They could do nothing right today, even when playing Irfan Pathan as it was not his in-dipper but slower delivery that found four English batsmen wanting and only Paul Collingwood gave them a semblance of fading hope, but hope nonetheless. England will surely have to raise their game if they have any intensions of competing in this series. Kochi is not going to get any cooler and it will be important for England to adjust to the nature of the different centers. The must-win days have arrived for England and can Kochi mark their revival ? Maybe Freddie Flintoff and Duncan Fletcher might have better answers to that question !

Breaking the Goa jinx…

Goa will always be known as the Football capital of India, though it competes with Kolkata and Kochi for that standing. Cricket has always played second-fiddle in this picturesque destination and it was important for India to win at the Furtoda ground to boost cricket’s popularity in the state. Ask any Goan to name some sportsmen and names like Bruno Coutinho, Alvito D’Cunha and Noel Wilson might supercede the likes of Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan. Only guys like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar might have their popularity sky high over footballers here. And the results of India at the Nehru stadium might have played its part in this selective memory. Today’s victory was the first ever one by India at the Nehru stadium and perhaps their previous losses should hopefully be a thing of the past. One hopes that apart from winning the 3rd ODI, the cricket and the cricketers have won over the hearts and minds of the Goans.

Kochi is also a football city in many ways, boasting of more football clubs than cricketers and incidentally, the 4th ODI will also be played on a football ground ! As long as India keep winning, the fans won’t mind where they come, on a football field or a cricket maidan.

From the Indian perspective, the Kochi ODI might seem more like a decider. India would be keen to settle the issue at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi and get on with their constant eye on the future and try more youngsters in the last 3 games. It will surely be a test of physical and well as mental stamina and with a lot at stake, India might look the better of the two teams. England have surely drained themselves, but cannot afford to drown at Kochi. Incentives of a series win and a possible series comeback throng the teams as they head to Kochi, and it will be interesting to see which of these intentions prevails.

For now, its over to Kochi for the 4th ODI.

Will the Prince charm us again ?

"Who would have thought I would ever make it here after all that has happened?" Capriati said afterwards.

"Maybe dreams can come true."

This is what Jennifer Capriati, the US tennis star had to say after winning the 2000 Australian Open, in what has been touted as one of the best ever comebacks in International sport. There is one man in India who could gain a lot of heart from this story. As Saurav Ganguly has been dumped to seclusion by events that not only demoralised the person but also Indian cricket in general, is he the man Dravid and Co are looking back to, for answers to their top-order woes ? Several scoops in the media seem to tow that line !

Even though India has been performing consistently and winning matches, the top 3 or 4 have not been much of noted contributors. India has been struggling with batsmen getting in and once they looked secure and safe at the wicket, a rash shot follows and they end up taking the long walk back to the pavillion. This rot needs to be sorted out as soon as possible and the answer lies in the selectors and the team management's hands. In an interview to CNN-IBN, Dravid catagorically stated that the lid has not yet been put on Ganguly's career, and if newspaper report in the DNA is to be believed, Ganguly might just get the nod in the immediate future (could be tomorrow when the team is selected for the rest of the ODIs or the upcoming West Indies tour). These angle of opinions that have lingered about for a while predicting Ganguly's comeback for quite sometime may finally get their due justification as constant failures from the likes of Gambhir and Sehwag has prompted the selectors to look eastwords.

The BCCI is strongly considering bringing back India's latest 'Forgotten Hero'. Call it coincidence or what ? Both of India's apparent heroes belong to Kolkata ! It is nothing short of a revelation that Ganguly's name was discussed in every selection meeting and his brief and frequent meetings with senior Board officials might just prove the much needed catalyst for his inclusion. For the records, Ganguly has not exactly set the domestic circuit on fire, but has certainly made meaningful contributions to help his side end up on the winning side. His aggregate of 203 from 5 matches at a healthy average of 50.75 is an additional incentive to move his inclusion and certainly satisfies the criteria of merit set by the team management. The ball is surely in Ganguly's court it seems. Will he be ready to put that extra yard of effort on the field and keep up to the standards set by the young brigade of Yuvraj, Raina and Kaif ? This is where he might lose out to youth. At 33, age is not doing him any good, but on pure form and quality, Ganguly should still haunt the selector's minds.

The demands of international sport is such that past experiences have to be forgiven if not forgotten. To an extent, there has been a great deal of exaggeration about the Ganguly episode and the war of words from both sides have not in anyway helped the cause. Besides, the media has chosen to up the tempo and gain more mileage by adding fuel to fire in this clash of minds. As a professional, one expects both Greg Chappell and Saurav Ganguly to bury their hatchets and get on with the job in hand. If Ganguly fulfils the requirement of any domestic cricketer pushing his claim in Team India, he should be given equal credence ! Having said that, if Ganguly's name indeed falls into the team squad sheet in the immediate future, he will have to take fresh guard at the crease and grab any opportunity with both hands.

With a lot of emphasis on youth these days, one somehow feels that experience tends to get submerged and with India going through a rough phase with respect to Sachin Tendulkar's injury and the woeful top order form, the selectors can do no wrong by looking upto the tried, tested and now 'Forgotten' man of Indian cricket to heal these wounds. Maybe the time has come for a change of heart, and a change that will keep the best interest of Indian cricket in mind, and restore the much needed experience among these bundles of youthful energy.

PS : This is not a personal change of heart, but a pragmatic amalgamation of facts and opinions. I still back Chappell in his methods and will continue to praise him for the good he has done so far with India, but at the same time, its my opinion that we cannot afford to miss out on experience at tough times and if we need someone to look up-to, its surely Saurav Ganguly. Maybe one can hope a fairy-tale ending to this unanswered saga of Indian cricket !