Ifs, buts and certainties

Chappell says he8217;s 8216;8216;pleased that the Tests are finally beginning.8217;8217; And he says he is excited to see 8216;8216;an India-Pakistan Test match8217;8217; from close quarters like never before.

There are too many ponderables about the team and for Chappell and Dravid. The permutations and combinations are tricky. While the Ganguly factor will probably be the biggest, there is the bowling slot to take care of.

At hand are two very important decisions for the coach:

8226; If Ganguly plays as he should and opens as he should, what does Chappell do with Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer, as both were impressive in the practice match?

8226; Who does he pick, Zaheer Khan 8212; who8217;s had a fabulous domestic season 8212; or Ajit Agarkar, who has been good in the last two months?

Inference: The toss-up could be that both openers, Gambhir and Jaffer, will likely be tossed out to warm the bench. They are likely to make way for somebody else read: Ganguly. What is the justification? Gambhir has had a poor run in the last eight Tests and Jaffer8217;s brief stint in Tests couple of years ago also do not give him an upper hand.

The rumour: Zaheer Khan might lose his place to Ajit Agarkar. Reason? Agarkar has bowled well for India recently, remained the most economical Indian in the practice match. Looking at the wicket, Chappell too will be keen to play the Mumbai bowler.

The pitch: Except for the hardness, there might not be other purchase possible. Contrary to what former Pak stalwarts have been stressing upon, it has been left only with a smattering of grass. In Chappell8217;s view, 8216;8216;the track is bound to support a good batting team.8217;8217; The captain and coach say 8216;8216;this one looks interesting8217;8217; where they feel Pakistan will be looking to gain from the early pace and bounce and then let the track ease down for the slow bowlers.

The certainty: Irfan Pathan. The coach is convinced that the conditions in Lahore, morning and at times late afternoon dew can be most assuring for the left-hander.

The die is cast: Being in Chappell8217;s or Dravid8217;s shoes isn8217;t easy at the moment. However, the captain-coach duo, have 8216;8216;already decided8217;8217; on what the playing XI is going to be like, 8216;8216;but I would prefer that it is announced on the morning of the match,8217;8217; said Dravid today. And, 8220;as a part of the strategy8217;8217; it has been decided to make the opponents play the guessing game.

Inzy has decided: Inzamam is not interested in the guessing game, though. He has decided that Pakistan will open with Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik, as was reported by The Indian Express.