India look to spin doctors for killer blow

For the 60,000 Indians in this area, the cricketers from back home have been perfect guests — almost. They’ve autographed bats, do...

For the 60,000 Indians in this area, the cricketers from back home have been perfect guests — almost. They’ve autographed bats, done the Gandhi Walk and even visited an academy for budding talent. But they know they have one duty left: carve out a landslide win over the Namibians tomorrow.

And that could be the toughest of all jobs, unless the Indians proceed with a circumspection and grit that hasn’t been their trademark in this tournament. Their ultimately facile win over Zimbabwe should shore up their confidence but they would do well to keep things in perspective.


The Indian team at a training session on eve of their clash with Namibia on Saturday.

The wicket here is deemed to be a 300-wicket and, with the possibility of rain sometime tomorrow — it can never be discounted in these parts — this would be a good toss to win. India would profit from batting first and then unleashing their spin twins on the spirited Namibian batting.

There is a general feeling in this World Cup that the team that takes maximum wickets in the first 15 overs will go all the way. For that to happen, India need Javagal Srinath to be on song as he has, in his usual understated manner.

Story continues below this ad

Pitch Battles

Van Vuuren vs
Ganguly, Sehwag & Mongia
Mongia is unsure for tomorrow’s match, but with Ganguly and Sehwag yet to do anything about their bat-hanging problem, Vuuren might strike. He’s impressed with his line outside the off stump so far, and though lacking in pace, he might make use of this flaw in the Indian top order.

Jan-Berry Burger vs
Zaheer Khan & Srinath
The England counter-punch might have been sheer fluke, but flukes have a habit of repeating themselves against India. Burger can fast and score lots. India’s strike bowlers need to remove him early if the win has to be comprehensive enough.

Harbhajan vs
Dan Kotze
The Namibian captain is a capable batsman, along with being a fair bowler. Removing Burger won’t be enough if Kotze strikes, and being a mid-order bat, ‘Bhajji’ will need to do the needful.

Indian Batsmen vs
The Net Run Rate
Winning is not enough for the Indians tomorrow. Having wasted a grand opportunity to pile the runs against Holland, Namibia will present the last chance for the Indian batsmen — led by Tendulkar — to give a healthier look to the net run rate, which might come into play in the later stages of the first round.

Namibia, though part-timers and neophytes at this level, come with a warning label attached. England will testify that seeing the back of opener Jan-Berry Burger is vital for the team to succeed. The baby-faced assassin’s murderous attack on bowlers of the calibre of Andrew Caddick and his quickfire 85 — including 10 fours and one six — almost caused the biggest upset of the tournament.

Another potential party pooper for India could be vice-captain Danie Keulder, whose fine innings of 46 in that same game was cut short by a run-out. He played a big role in Namibia qualifying for the World Cup and, if he and Burger combine, it could spell trouble for India.

Story continues below this ad

Kumble’s unusual bowling action and deadly accuracy can unsettle those facing him for the first time. Srinath can take care of the early wickets, and Harbhajan can join the mid-shift with Zaheer flourishing at the death. So India have the ability to take care of what is ultimately an inexperienced batting line-up.

Early wickets is also what India needs to avoid while batting. Namibia’s attack includes Ruid Van Vuuren, who took five wickets against England. He can be lively and maintain a rib-cage line the Indians will find hard to handle.

But when it comes to losing matches, India usually need little help from outside. What won’t help is changing the batting order yet again, even in the name of squad rotation, Aussie-style.

The think-tank thinks differently, though, as Saurav Ganguly made clear today. ‘‘Somebody coming one spot up or down won’t change the fortunes of the team.’’

Story continues below this ad

Chances are that the skipper will come in one down tomorrow. He hinted as much at this: ‘‘My coming in at three is an option, probably I should have done that in the game against Zimbabwe too.’’ If so, Mongia will probably drop down the order.

Other changes will depend on the weather conditions, the skipper saying, “It all depends on the conditions and if at all it rains when it starts and what is the time in hand.’’

That, indeed, is one of the major factors the game hinges on. A repeat of the West Indian nightmare — sharing points with minnows — could be the killer blow for a team picking up the pieces of a shattered reputation.

Finally, the update on Sachin Tendulkar, who kept a low profile at nets yesterday with a bruised hand. There was no injury, said his captain, ‘‘just that the hands get hardened after holding the bat long periods. Now he’s okay.’’