After winning Mohali Test with an astounding margin of 315 runs against Aussies, India go into third Test at Firozshah Kotla, Delhi on next Wednesday (29th Oct.2008). Dilemma is not new thing or phenomenon to Indian cricket team, as our whole country has '11th hour culture', with no firm policy, planning, foresight, courage, conviction, etc. in every field and cricket is no exception to it.
Now the biggest problem confronting the Indian cricket team what type of final XI, it should come out.
Skipper Anil Kumble, who is having torrid time with the ball, as he went wicket less on his home pitch at Bengluru (Bangalore) and who had a horrible tour to Sri Lanka as well, is now reportedly fit. As he was appointed as the skipper for the full series, he deserves a place in final XI, if he is fit, no matter, what Amit Mishra has done on his Test debut.
The Indian media seems to be carried away, with Mishra's phenomenal success at Mohali, as he undoubtedly flummoxed the visiting Kangaroos. No question about that. But, the Indian team can't afford to have three spinners, at the cost of batsman, as the move is afoot to show the door to V.V.S. Laxman, who is not so fine with his bat as of now. Also a talk is going on to accommodate Yuvraj Singh for the last two Tests.
Though Saurav Ganguli was selected initially for first two Tests, now he definitely deserves his place in the last two games, before he bids adieu. That would be right way to see him off.
One is surprised to read that Indian media has now started a debate, whether Amit Mishra is another Anil Kumble in making. Well, such kind of debate is absolutely premature as there is no point in getting carried away over one's maiden performance.
Look at Narendra Hirwani, who had help India win Madras (it was not Chennai in 1987) Test against West Indies with a sixteen wickets haul in barely three and half days, could not find a place in the Indian Test Team after two seasons. Same thing happened with seventeen year old L. Sivaramakrishnan, who made his debut in 1983 on Indians' Caribbean tour. But his career lasted barely for couple of years.
With the advent of T – 20 cricket, both, the significance and utility of spinners is bound to die down in the process. It’s the medium pacers, who would be ruling the roost.
The Aussies have been receiving barrage of criticism at home, over its most 'unforgettable' defeat in the Test history, that too at the hands of Indians abroad. The media Down Under has already lambasted the home team and the spat between captain Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee has already added fuel to the fire.
But, India can't afford to get complacent. Just two months ago, India had had squared the series by beating Sri Lanka by 170 runs at Galle, but the hosts Lankan won the third and final Test at Colombo's PSS stadium by eight wickets to win the series by 2-1.
It was defiantly the element of complacency that had crept in after second Test, made cost India third Test dearly. Such kind of repetition of complacency can't be ruled at Delhi.
Remember, Anil Kumble of 1995, who took all ten wickets of visiting Pakistan cricket team at Kotla, is not same, as he was ten years ago. Harbhajan is having slightly dicey Test series. It’s the due of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, on which India's hopes really rests.
Be that as it may, there is no question of making any 'whole sale' changes in the winning team combination, and hence the question would revolve, as to whether to draft in skipper Kumble at the expense of a Laxman or debutant Mishra, is a Hobson's choice before the Indian selectors.
However, it would be wiser to keep finger crossed about the outcome of the Test series, as Aussies are known fighters and have a tendency to bounce back. Ponting has already revealed that his team have a plan under his sleeve to tackle Zaheer now. But, to down play Ishant is not wiser for the tourists. He would be playing his maiden Test at his home town and the crowd would be extending a whole hearted support to him, to ensure that Ishant once again scalps his bunny skipper Ricky Ponting.
The recent showing by Australians in two games, have showed that some thing is defiantly amiss with their team. They are not able to get along with the things, barring thirty plus Western Australian Mike Hussey. The visitors defiantly require some one who can bat in tandem with Hussy for building up a huge partnership.
Moreover, their bowling attack appears to be toothless. Zaheer is to some extent right in questioning if the Kangaroos have an ability to capture India's twenty wickets in the present scenario. However, many did not like Zaheer saying this, as he is too junior player to say so and wondered about his authority to make such comments, albeit they were true.
The absence of McGrath & Warne has definitely cost both the confidence and also the gusto of the their team. That’s why a debate of Shane Warne's possible return to Test cricket arena has been kicked off in the Aussie media.
All in all, an interesting Test series is poised ahead. It would be suicidal to make any kind of predictions of winning 3-0, or 2-0 or even 2-1 at this stage. You never know, that the cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.
However, one is definitely sure that our Diwali is going to be really noisy on this ocassion, due to runs that would be blasted at Kotla, if not from fire crackers. !!
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