Indians gear up to give Lankans the blues

Saurav Ganguly knows a thing or two about success and failure and how they are as indivisible as is the ambition to play in a final. There a...

Saurav Ganguly knows a thing or two about success and failure and how they are as indivisible as is the ambition to play in a final. There are of course those who complain whether or not India, having reached a final, can go on to lift the trophy.

Failure is Ganguly’s fault to bear alone. Success belongs to the team. Forget Ganguly’s role, forget also the efforts he put into helping achieve the success. The Prince of Kolkata is only remembered for the defeats and not the victories.

Coach John Wright (L), Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly. Reuters

Such is the folly of a passionate public who would burn effigies in times of defeat. But that is the fickle narcissistic nature of a public which barely tolerates the captain at a time when all should unite behind him.

Two years ago he led India in Nairobi and the side lost to New Zealand with a bowling attack that failed to produce the penetration to finish off the Kiwis. On Wednesday, they were also labouring and South Africa messed up their gameplan when Lance Klusener failed to deliver. Okay, so it was Virender Sehwag who put an end to the long-awaited Klusener charge.

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Yet it was Ganguly, after consultation with his senior lieutenants, who was responsible for the last throw of a dice. Few in India would credit Ganguly for the move. In a year in which India won a limited-overs series in the West Indies and went on to win the NatWest Series triangular in dramatic fashion, the ‘‘we-told-you-so’’ brigade swelled from the few seated in a mini bus to the need to hire a marquee.

Yet, the message was all too obvious at Premadasa Stadium on Friday night where Sri Lanka shocked Australia. The need for an attack based on spin is all too obvious. And unlike Australia there is the need to go into the game with genuine spinners and not the sort designed to turn over the arm and give the ball a tweak.

Javagal Srinath has been rushed to Colombo to take over from the injured Ashish Nehra as the partnership of the two steady left-arm fast bowlers is broken up by the unfortunate accident in the first semi-final.

On a pitch where Aravinda de Silva bowled with tight control and skill on Friday, the need for tight accuracy is so important as is the building of partnerships.

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It was not said so in as many words, but the role of Venkatasai Laxman at No. 3 may be switched and possibly Sachin Tendulkar moved up one slot above to bolster the top-order. There is also the need for India to bat with calm and assurance.

At Lord’s, the top-order blasted off with some success and then the innings disintegrated until Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif produced the miracle. It is not an act which can always be repeated, nor are the explosive innings provided by Sehwag. This is where the team effort is needed to pull the performance together.

India’s biggest battle at Premadasa, however, is to put a steady flow of runs together and either build a total or chase one down with success. Far from easy in the low, slow conditions on a pitch designed to give Sri Lanka the maximum benefit. While the Australian captain Ricky Ponting complained on Friday night about the poor quality of a low, slow surface, Steve Waugh admitted it was the sort of surface he expected.

Patriotism is high in the Sri Lanka capital and after the way they handed Australia a drubbing, the thoughts of a repeat performance is possible. This is where India can create the added pressure and destroy the gameplan with one of their own. Just what this gameplan is will only be revealed during the match.