Little enthusiasm yielding nothing

MSK PRASAD
His selection ahead of the experienced Nayan Mongia for such a demanding tour opened up a debate, even prompting theselectors to send Mongia as a back up before the Tests began. Till then, Prasad only had ordinary results to show for but the team management — coach Kapil Dev and skipper Sachin Tendulkar — were ready to back him up, despite his so-called "injury". However, Prasad did a neat job behind the stumps, showed guts with the bat (till he was pitted as an opener against the Aussie quicks in the Sydney Test) and looked quite promising, till, he was done in by the Great Indian Game of Musical Chairs.

SAMEER DIGHE
For a man who had almost dumped his gloves, the national call must have come as a surprise. But, Dighe proved skeptics wrong even though he took time to settle down and adjust to the conditions in Australia. He looked sharp and agile behind the stumps and after gaining in confidence showed some of the limited-overs batting skills he is known for in the domestic circuit. The question then is: At 31, is Dighe an investment for the future? Or, will he be subject to more musical chairs being playedwith that slot?

ANIL KUMBLE
On even-paced wickets, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, Kumble could never be as menacing as he is on the wearing and two-paced sub-continent tracks. Still, with all his experience and bagful of wickets against the Australians at home, he was expected to be at his restrictive best and one who could give Indian breaks at vital stages. Sadly, for India, and skipper Tendulkar, Kumble lacked variety, confidence and even the guile, so important on those wickets. The Aussies went after him and once his line and length suffered, he was not even half the bowler he was thought to be.

SUNIL JOSHI
Joshi must be wondering what does he need to do for Tendulkar to show faith in him. From the time he was neglected in the home series against New Zealand, Joshi’s confidence has been on a downward swing. Here is one man who can bowl his left-arm spin decently, throw his bat for quick runs and field at least as well as his teammates. Joshi, however, had to wait tillthe last day of the tour to get a game and bowled well in the pressure situation, inviting questions as to why is India’s best left-arm spinner being sidelined?

NIKHIL CHOPRA
Again, like Joshi, the right-arm off spinner played just one match in the Tri-series and ruled himself out of the last leg of the tour with an injury. With India’s over-reliance on seamers (who anyway did not deliver), the one-day specialist Chopra did not fit in to the scheme of things.

AJIT AGARKAR
His ability to skid the ball and show of aggression, especially his eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Steve Waugh caught the opponents by surprise. However, he failed to discipline himself and bowled far too many short balls in trying to bowl fast. Five blobs, four of them first-ball, made things more difficult for the "fragile’ medium pacer, much to amusement of the Australian crowd. Still, did well to raise the level of his game. The tour could help him attune to the intricacies of fast bowling, if he does notfall prey to his now-suspect fitness.

VENKATESH PRASAD
Bowled well in patches but like his fellow bowlers, lacked the variety and pace to make a mark. Surprisingly, Prasad did not rely much on his slower ball in the Test series. Inconsistent spells let rivals off-the-hook many a times. Was also guilty of overdoing his show of aggression.

DEBASHIS MOHANTY
Labelled the dark horse, Mohanty was confined to bowling only in the nets and carrying drinks during the matches. His ability to swing the ball was said to be a double threat on those hard wickets but when he finally did play in the tri-series towards the fag end, Mohanty appeared a bit rusty. Maybe his confidence took a dip while sitting out. That’s the way, this honest trier has always been treated.

HARBHAJAN SINGH
Played just a tour game, without success of course, before the off spinner was replaced after the Test series by Nikhil Chopra for the one dayers. Saqlain Mushtaq was getting good carry off the wicket in theTest series and the batsmen, at times, looked unconvincing playing him. With Kumble far below his best, the young bowler could have had a look in, even for the sake of variety but the Indians chose to go for the status quo.

JAVAGAL SRINATH
If coach Kapil Dev feels Srinath was a disappointment on the tour, it had a lot to do with his potential of being the Indian dangerman. Bowled well at times, especially at the start of the Tri-series, but got carried away with that extra pace and bounce on the wickets. The Australians did play him on merit but it was Srinath’s approach towards the battle which, at times, let the team down. The fast bwler appeared to be reticent and failed to guide his fellow pacers on occasions.

NAYAN MONGIA
It was nothing short of humiliation for the `veteran’ wicketkeeper, who was flown in to Australia as a "reinforcement" for the Test series. It appeared he couldn’t inspire confidence in the team management and would surely like to forget the nightmarish time hespent there, doing little but sitting alone in the dressing room. Was he really unwanted by the team? And, why?

T KUMARAN
A perfect case of gross injustice. Here was a promise to the perenial Indian problem lack of young fast bowlers. Kumaran had an excellent start to the series, picking up wickets in the tour games preceding the Tests. The decision to send him back after the Tests came in for criticism. And, when the team management did wake up to ask for him in the Tri-series as a replacement for the injured Agarkar, it was too late.

KAPIL DEV
Where is your magic wand, the Indians are asking the high-profiled Indian coach. On his part, he never promised one, or did he? He is asking for some more time for the "youngsters in the team". Till now, both Kapil and Tendulkar had been given a free hand by the board. The selectors never said no to the two and gave them what they wanted, even if it meant keeping Mohammad Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia out. However, with everything falling apart,everybody, even the selectors, have become restless.

Kapil has been critical of his fast bowlers for not sticking to line and length ("pitch it up" he was crying aloud) but why weren’t they listening to him there? The way the Azharuddin episode came out in the open, with Kapil even suggesting the former Indian skipper is not a popular man in the dressing room, it has given a new dimension to the on-going drama within the team and the Board. The next couple of months are going to be a litmus test for him. If India does not do well against the visiting South Africans, Kapil can expect hell of a time from the section of the board he doesn’t go down well with.

— CONCLUDED