Test for new-look middle order

A few kilometres away from the Nagpur airport is Zero Mile,Indias geographical centre,marked by a nondescript statue of four horses and a stone pillar.

A few kilometres away from the Nagpur airport is Zero Mile,Indias geographical centre,marked by a nondescript statue of four horses and a stone pillar. A few kilometres drive in the opposite direction takes you to the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Jamtha,a futuristic stadium in the middle of nowhere,and one that will be at the centre of the cricketing worlds attention over the next five days.

India take on South Africa in the first of two hurriedly organised Tests starting Saturday,in a battle between the top two teams in the International Cricket Councils numbers game. Inevitably,the focus of the captains pre-match briefings remained the rankings South Africa can overtake India if they win both games,but it was hardly surprising that the tag wasnt on top of Mahendra Singh Dhonis mind.

Heading the list of his worries remained whether or not the backroom staff could get VVS Laxman fit enough to play. Theres some uncertainty over Laxman,who was in the nets today, Dhoni said. He will come back and talk to the physio. Were hoping hell be fit.

For Indian cricket fans,dreams can slip seamlessly into nightmares when thoughts drift to the future,with the crystal ball showing a middle-order minus some of the most accomplished run-getters the sport has seen. All of a sudden,in the most important home series India have played in a while,theyll get a glimpse into a future no ones really keen on seeing.

Rahul Dravid,with a broken cheekbone,will not march in studiously at No 3. Yuvraj Singh,this time with an injured wrist,will be missing at No 6. And if Laxmans finger injury doesnt heal in time,the collective hole will be fairly large.

Since he made his debut on Indias 1996 tour of England,Dravid has missed just one Test. Laxman,since that unforgettable day out at the Eden Gardens against Australia in 2001,has not made the XI in only nine games out of 88 and a significant number of them as a scapegoat to Indias obsession with playing five specialist bowlers midway through the decade. Even Yuvraj Singh,statistically the easiest of the lot to replace,has played some crucial knocks since Sourav Gangulys retirement gave him a more permanent slot in the side.

An entire generation has now grown up on a line-up thats read like a whos who of crickets record books; you squeeze Murali Vijay,S Badrinath and Rohit Sharma in there all at once and even accounting for the trios undeniable talent India look decidedly shaky on paper.

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Dhoni,obviously,likes to see it as an opportunity. Injuries are beyond our control. We will miss Rahul,but somebody has to step up and do the work for the team. Im expecting some of the youngsters to get an opportunity to prove themselves and score runs for the side, he said.

Vijay has looked solid in both his Tests,while Badrinath,certain to make his debut,will be out to prove hes much more than a flat-track,domestic cricket bully. If Rohit does get a look-in,itll be a chance even he wouldnt have expected to come his way this early.

Added pressure: Smith

Visiting skipper Graeme Smith,who has indulged in no mind games on this trip so far,turned on the heat ever so politely on the Indian openers,saying the fact that India were missing Dravid,Yuvraj and,perhaps,Laxman in the middle-order,meant the pressure on Virender Sehwag to deliver would be much higher. About the rankings,he said the side would focus on the task at hand and if they did that,the ranking would take care of itself. The bigger opportunity is for us to beat India and we have got everything to gain on this tour while India have got everything to lose, he said.

If India do win,theyll have extended their stay at No 1. If they lose,South Africa would have taken a giant step towards reclaiming the crown. But the next five days could be about more than that; this could be a Test that actually gives an inkling of what lies ahead.