Ganguly’s men are game for anything

One of the biggest gains of recent times has been the pairing of Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag. And while Sehwag reaffirms that he will bat like he’s always batted, he’s confident of the opening act being a hit. ‘‘We understand each other very well, know each other well enough and that has helped us in our partnerships.’’

If it’s the bowlers who win Test matches, and need to take those 20 wickets to make it possible, India are in better shape than before. Pretty much the same attack as will play here played Down Under and halted the marauding Australians.

The bowling is short on experience, but not ability with Pathan and Balaji doing well. Though still not match-winners in their own right, they will surely benefit from the wisdom of Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and, especially, Anil Kumble.

Kumble requires special mention, he keeps coming back to stare at his critics with awesome performances. Never more so than in Australia, where he ended up the highest wicket-taker.

Yet India do have weaknesses. In both the West Indies and Australia, they frittered away the advantage of winning a Test by losing the very next Test. In England in 2002, the team lost the first Test after having scored a famous win in the NatWest Trophy. Senior pro Sachin Tendulkar acknowledges that, but tries to look at the positive side. ‘‘I agree when you say that we have not followed up very well. But that does not mean we are not focussed.’’

It’s a problem that has stopped them from erasing the blot of no away Test series win since 1986. This is an area of concern for the Indian team management and the team vice-captain Rahul Dravid has taken note of it. ‘‘We have grown as a team over the last couple of years. There have been positive results, but we know we are not finishing it off.’’

More recently, and closer home, India failed to beat a lowly but inspired New Zealand. Kumble, a hero weeks later in Australia, was the villain at home, an almost unthinkable reversal of fortunes.

That series was again the first thing after the high of the World Cup. But still Dravid won’t see it as a worry. ‘‘No, it is not bothersome. It’s just an area to improvement and we are working hard at it.’’

They’d better work fast as well as hard, for Shoaib Akhtar can ruin all the goodwill and the gains of this tour thus far in several short, deadly spells.