Inspired Pak stands between India and Independence glory

DHAKA, January 17: A strange smile flitted across Mohammed Azharuddin's face just after the Indian team squeezed out extra sweat at an exten...

DHAKA, January 17: A strange smile flitted across Mohammed Azharuddin’s face just after the Indian team squeezed out extra sweat at an extended practice session today. Somebody had just thrown an uncomfortable question at him. How would he rate the third final in this Independence Cup against an inspired Pakistan? “The mother of all battles,” he retorted after a while. The joke was on the scribe, but that juicy line did spark off a buzz at the National Stadium.

For, after that depressing Friday evening, the stakes for the Indian captain are quite high, if only to prove that his dream run early on was not just a mirage. And in such an ambience, the fact that he would equal Allan Border’s record of 273 one-day internationals tomorrow seemed just incidental. “It’s just another match for me,” mumbled the 34-year-old.

Yet, amidst this feeling of tense expectation in the Indian team, there was at least one 24-year-old who looked almost as relaxed as the Pakistanis. Hardly bothered by the noisy crowd and those local bigwigs who kept strutting in with autograph books, he was more bothered about getting the ball on the meat of his bat. And, even those casual pats to the off-side did pack some punch as vouched by a startled observer who blocked one with his ankle.

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The Indian think-tank did put out a puzzling message of sorts by sending Sachin Tendulkar in after Sidhu and Ganguly at nets. But as Pakistani skipper Rashid Latif quipped, Tendulkar is the danger man even if comes in at No 11. The Pakistanis, apparently, are convinced that it was Tendulkar’s early wicket that gave them the opening in the second final. And even if the Indians toy with the idea of pushing him down, it would only be to extract more from Navjot Sidhu.

Besides, they do have to cover up those cracks in the middle order where Sidhu has not been as solid as Inzamam-ul Haq has been for Pakistan. Robin Singh too is yet to get started even if he may have ensured his place in the team with his useful bowling arm. And, if Tendulkar returns early, it would be too much to expect Ganguly and Azharuddin to take the team into the final over.

All this, as coach Anshuman Gaekwad admitted would depend a lot on whether India sets a target or is asked to chase one tomorrow. And for once, both the captains don’t seem very keen to gain the right to choose. Apparently, Azharuddin’s decision to bat first on a slightly damp wicket on Friday did not go down too well with some senior players. And for Latif, “it doesn’t make much of a difference going by the form the side is in now.”

As usual, there is no word from the Indian camp about any change in line-up, though the Pakistanis seem more confident after opting to stick to their winning XI.

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TEAMS: India (from) — Mohd Azharuddin (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Navjot Sidhu, Ajay Jadeja, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Robin Singh, Nayan Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Debashish Mohanty, Harvinder Singh, Sairaj Bahutule and VVS Laxman

Pakistan (from) — Rashid Latif (captain), Saeed Anwar, Aamir Sohail, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmed, Azhar Mehmood, Aaqib Javed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Manzoor Akhtar, Mohammed Hussain, Fazl-i-Akbar and Yousuf Youhanna

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