Keeping the option open for Jaffer

India appear to have zeroed in on young Wasim Jaffer as their second opener as they go into the third Test against West Indies here tomorrow determined not to lose their 1-0 advantage at a historically troublesome venue for them.

Skipper Saurav Ganguly today said Jaffer was the front-runner for partnering Shiv Sunder Das in the opening slot. 8220;Jaffer is likely to be the opener for the third Test. He batted well in the game against Busta XI, looked secure and we would like to give him a chance,8221; Ganguly said. Jaffer has twice opened for India against South Africa in a home series in 2000-01 and had a modest showing with 23 as his highest. Picked as a specialist opener for this tour, Jaffer was ignored for the first two Tests before his 62 in the second innings of the three-day match against Busta XI brought him back into contention.

Jaffer is being preferred over wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta who has had a reasonable success as an opener but his performance behind the stumps has left much to be desired. Dasgupta too struck a half-century against Busta XI but his rival Ajay Ratra8217;s better wicketkeeping would see him being retained in the team.

8220;Ratra was impressive in his work behind the stumps in the second Test,8221; Ganguly said. 8220;He needs to get another chance in this Test.8221; Jaffer8217;s inclusion in the side would be most probably at the cost of all-rounder Sanjay Bangar who was asked to open the innings in the second Test at Port of Spain. Bangar has failed with the bat in all the three innings on this tour so far and has not been very impressive as a bowler too.

The inclusion of Jaffer is likely to be the only change in the winning combination with the Indians looking all set to keep veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble out for this match too.

The wicket here is very hard and bouncy with a lot of grass on it and the Indians are almost certain to go in with a three-pronged pace attack comprising Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra as they did in the second Test.

8220;It leaves us again to choose between Harbhajan Singh and Kumble and that is not an easy choice,8221; Ganguly said.

Ganguly said a choice between the two spinners would be made only tomorrow morning even though he had been criticised for making such a decision about Kumble at the last minute before the second Test.

8220;What am I expected to do? You don8217;t decide two days in advance that you are going to rest your proven match-winner,8221; Ganguly said.

Sources in the team had earlier said that it was Kumble who would once again be left out.

8220;Harbhajan bowled well to Brian Lara in West Indies first innings in Trinidad. Kumble is an asset as he can run through the lower half of any batting line-up,8221; Ganguly said.

Meanwhile, West Indies fast bowlers were being told to maintain a better line in order to rein in the Indian batsmen. 8220;They should be trying to bowl four or five balls consistently in an over in the corridor of uncertainty,8221; said captain Carl Hooper. 8220;Six or eight inches outside the off-stump which keeps a batsman on the backfoot and is leaving.8221;

8220;We know Indian players are very strong square off the wicket on both sides. We have bowled a lot of half-volleys to drive on the onside and on the pads to push away backward of square-leg,8221; he said. Hooper has been blaing his bowlers for giving too many 8216;four-balls8217; to the Indian batsmen and easing the pressure.

8220;We were able to get to Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly before hundred runs were scored. But then we probably did not bowl as well as we could have. If we could do that, we could get to the middle-order and hopefully dismiss India for a low score,8221; Hooper said contemplating on the second Test. Despite including Dinanath Ramnarine in the 13-member squad, Hooper was not sure whether the leg-spinner would play in the match. 8220;Dinanth Ramnarine has as good a chance to play in this Test as 12 others. It just depends on what the selectors think is the best 11 to go into this match.

8220;The good thing is the selectors had a chance to look at him at St Lucia during the three-day match. I didn8217;t go there but both Pedro Collins and Ramnarine bowled well in that game,8221; Hooper said.

The failure of the opening pair to put up a good score was another worry for the West Indies. Hooper said he expected Chris Gayle and Stuart Williams to give them a better start here.

PTI