India seek quick fix

Team India trainer Srinivas Ramji stood with a sheet of paper in his hands as the Indian cricketers sprawled on the ground with...

Team India trainer Srinivas Ramji stood with a sheet of paper in his hands as the Indian cricketers sprawled on the ground with their faces down. Only their elbows and feet touching the ground,their shoulders took the entire weight of their bodies,as was evident from their strained faces. Indias net session started with an endurance test and the competitive edge to it made it seem like an act straight out some Whos the Strongest Man TV show.

The coach and the rest of the support staff egged on the contestants to stay in their uncomfortable positions for longer,and after a while only Ishant Sharma,Ashish Nehra,Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh remained as the cheers around them intensified. Finally,Harbhajan proved to be the last man sprawling,and he soon stood up to a loud round of applause.

A day after yet another uninspiring show by the Indian pacemen this time during the practice game against New Zealand it was reassuring to know that Harbhajans shoulders were strong enough to take the burden of the bowling department. By virtue of being the most experienced bowler in the side,and considering his bright start to the season with the tri-series in Sri Lanka,he could be the pivot around which the Indian bowling will move in the Champions Trophy.

This is a significant change in the Indian bowling line-up from the last time the team took part in a multi-nation tournament in these conditions. During the 2003 World Cup,pace was Indias main weapon it was on the back of a great collective effort by Javagal Srinath,Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehtra that India were a game away from winning the World Cup. Harbhajan was part of that team but he mostly ended up playing a supporting role and Anil Kumble was in the squad but could not make the XI. But times are changing,and while Harbhajan has become more infuriatingly unpredictable off the field,with the ball in his hand hes emerged as Mr Reliable.

The off-spinner sat out of the practice game on Sunday,and though only so much can be read into how the pacemen did in the side game,their performance wouldnt have been reassuring from the Indian think-tank as they sit down to shortlist their best-eleven for the tournament.

Away from the Champions Trophy epicentre in Johannesburg,the Indian team have been based in Potchefstroom,and the seamers spent most of the morning in this sleepy suburb sweating it out at nets. As often happens after a forgettable day on field,the bowlers were asked to bowl in the right areas simple advice,but not easy to follow.

India play their first match against Pakistan on the weekend. Coach Gary Kirsten and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be hoping they get things right by then.

India lose by 103 runs

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Potchefstroom: New Zealand won by a 103-run margin against India at Potchefstroom ahead of the Champions Trophy in a warm-up match on Sunday.

Martin Guptill 63 and Jesse Ryder 57 set a strong platform before Neil Broom smashed 66 off 46 balls. The Indian fast bowlers were largely ineffective with off-spinner Yusuf Pathan ending with 3 for 46.

Chasing 302,the Indian top order did not capitalise on their starts. Down the batting order,Abhishek Nayar provided some fight,scoring a quick 41,which included six fours,but the chase ended when they lost five wickets for 29 runs to slump to 130 for 7. Jacob Oram,Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond shared the wickets,taking two apiece,as India were bowled out for 198 in the 41st over.

Brief scores: New Zealand 301/9 in 50 overs N Broom 66,M Guptill 63; Y Pathan 3/46 beat India 198 all out in 40.3 overs A Nayar 41,R Dravid 37; J Oram 2/26,S Bond 2/38