Unity in adversity

Forced indoors by riots,Team India bond on eve of crucial third Test.

The nets at Edgbaston are outside the main stadium and next to a very busy road. So as the Indian team put their minds to train a day before the most important Test match since they became the World No.1 side,they had to deal with the distraction of sirens blowing from police vans and ambulances in the background.

Living in a hotel thats just a stones throw away,unfortunately an apt metaphor,from the City Centre,where rioting has been taking place since Monday evening,the Indian skipper MS Dhoni and his team have a lot on their mind other than cricket. With rumours floating around Team India about the possible cancellation of the Test and even the tour,this certainly isnt just another Test for the frequently flying visitors who are constantly on the road.

But as it happens in these tough times,adverse circumstances might just help this lifeless unit regroup. For starters,the team diktat to stay indoors has resulted in increased bonding between the players. Those in the know say that during the last two evenings,the player-to-player interaction has touched a new high on this tour.

Focus away from failures

Secondly,the disturbance on the streets has suddenly moved the focus away from the failures of the Indian team. When Dhoni came to address the press conference,there was no talk about injuries or the sluggish show of the team during the last tour game against Northamptonshire. The first six questions to the Indian skipper were about how the team was reacting to the unusual circumstances around them. There was a pointed question to the Indian skipper about this being the toughest period of captaincy,but soon the press conference drifted towards the green pitch and the team combination.

For India,the playing eleven debate was over one spot in the bowling department remaining after the three pacers Ishant Sharma,Praveen Kumar and S Sreesanth pick themselves. From the signs at the net session on the eve of the third Test,leg-spinner Amit Mishra is likely to be the fourth bowler. Even after most of the players were in the dressing room after training at the nets,Mishra was inside the stadium bowling to coach Eric Simons on one of the practice pitches. Spinners and a green track are a cricketing contrast,but India,it seems,will go for a mix-and-match gamble.

Others in contention for the fourth bowlers spot are pacer Munaf Patel and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Dhoni would have reasons to justify the inclusion of either. Pointing to the green track and seaming conditions,Dhoni could pick Patel,or go for Ojha and say that he wanted a restrictive left-arm spinner to support his pacers.

If the discussions surrounding Indias weaknesses have been put on the backburner because of the tumultuous events off the field,the 0-2 scoreline has overshadowed the visiting teams new found strengths. For the first time in this series,India will have no injury worries and their batting line-up has no replacement players. The return of Virender Sehwag will be a much-anticipated event for Edgbaston. And considering players such as Gautam Gambhir,Rahul Dravid,Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman constitute the Indian top order,the team suddenly has an intimidating aura to it. It is just the kind of star cast that would witness fans travelling miles to get a glimpse.

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Despite the disquiet in the city,there were scores of fans in Indias blues lining up to catch a sight of their visiting heroes. Families with toddlers in prams or pre-teens in braces watched the Indians train at the nets. Birmingham has a 21 per cent population of non-Chinese Asians and they are sure to fill the stands.

Traditionally,the Asian crowd at Edgbaston is said to be loudest,constantly singing and dancing. India would certainly need high-decibel support to go with an adrenaline pumping show. Its also the only way that the deathly sound of passing sirens from ambulances and police cars will be drowned.

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