Don146; t worry, be happy

India8217;s score of 196/8 on Day Two of their warm-up game here can trigger a collective wagging of tongues back home...

India8217;s score of 196/8 on Day Two of their warm-up game here can trigger a collective wagging of tongues back home and even the frequent utterance of the words 8216;paper tigers8217; for the high-profile middle-order in inane cricket discussions can8217;t be ruled out. But before the hand involuntarily moves towards the panic button, a bit of perspective about the alleged batting debacle is needed.

Of the six specialist batsmen who faced the competitive Sri Lankan Board President8217;s XI bowling, two went past 50, one was run out as the ball grazed the hand of the bowler to hit the stump, there was another freak dismissal while the remaining two seemed in touch while on crease. In the 48.2 overs that were possible on Saturday because of morning rains, India8217;s day on field was like at a net session with every batsman getting a knock in the middle. If the idea behind tour games was to get a match feel, the Indian dressing room wouldn8217;t have many glum faces at the end of the day.

Sachin Tendulkar, in his innings of 69, hit a few drives with an exaggerated follow through of his bat 8212; a sure sign of a man in form and happy with his rhythm. Dinesh Karthik, with his disciplined unbeaten 58, certified himself as a perfect Test No.7. Sehwag, too, never struggled and was hitting the ball as hard as only he can. Rahul Dravid was unfortunate and so was VVS Laxman, out played on with the ball breaking a splinter of his bat and reaching the stump. Ganguly might have liked a longer stint on the pitch since he looked flawless with the precise footwork 8212; and elegant too 8212; with the ball repeatedly hitting the meat of his bat. But then everybody can8217;t be happy.

And it isn8217;t just runs, the strange mode of dismissals or the minutes8217; section on the scorecard that was responsible for the relaxed mood in the Indian camp. More importantly, it is the composition of this tour party that gives a comforting feel to the players, especially to the batting line-up.

It8217;s been a long time since such a settled batting line-up has been put together. With all the batters picking themselves for the Test to start on Wednesday, that uncomfortable feeling of a sword hanging on their heads is a welcome change. With 21-year-old Rohit Sharma as the only back-up batsman in the squad, the seniors this time around don8217;t have to repeatedly look behind their backs. As things stand, Sharma seems more like an option that can only be tried in case of an injury and not because of someone8217;s temporary loss of form.

In case there was someone like Yuvraj Singh, or say even a Mohammad Kaif, on the bench, things would have been different. Speculation about the Test playing XI would have kicked off the moment the ball hit Laxman8217;s stumps or when Ganguly was out miscuing the pull. Statistics such as the number of games Yuvraj or Kaif have spent on the sidelines were likely to be quoted, and stories of a senior vs junior slant would have been churned out from Colombo.

It can be argued that complacency can creep in with a few options in the dressing room; but if, for once, the batsmen, who have been under constant scrutiny, find themselves in a comfort zone, it8217;s an experiment worth pursuing. Opener Gautam Gambhir might have been out cheaply in the game, but coach Gary Kirsten has given enough indications that he is here to find long-term solutions and that means he would prefer specialists.

Story continues below this ad

There8217;s only one way in which the present batting line-up can be disturbed and that is if the team management opts for five bowlers. Traditionally, in the first Test of a series, India rarely go with a batsman short and that happens to be the thought process in the dressing room too.

So, as the Indians walked towards the team bus, there were several smiles on the faces despite the reading on the scoreboard. Tongues can wag because of a bad day at the office, but to counter that, all they need to do is shut their ears and focus on the Test ahead. This time around there are no edgy fingers hovering around the panic button.