Revenge uppermost on Indian minds

Skipper Sachin Tendulkar too has some unpleasant memories of the encounter which he was forced to skip following the demise of his father. So, it wouldn8217;t be surprising if the Indians come out all guns blazing.

But for that to happen, the Indians would have to click as a team. Problems for Tendulkar begin with choosing the combination. At his disposal are at least two players 8212; Anil Kumble and Vinod Kambli 8212; whose confidence have been dented by short-sighted national selectors who dropped the duo for the forthcoming Toronto tripeven as they had embarked for the present assignment. Besides encouraging the twosome, Tendulkar would also have to strike a right balance in the team.

Eight players 8212; Tendulkar, Sadagopan Ramesh, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh, Debasis Mohanty, Venkatesh Prasad 8211;are automatic choices, leaving the other seven to battle for the remaining three spots. In all likelihood, the toss up would be between Amay Khurasiya and Kambli, Sunil Joshi 8212; who replaced Javagal Srinath 8212; and Kumble and Nikhil Chopra and Laxmi Ratan Shukla. With rookie wicket-keeper MSK Prasad yet to prove his worth, the Indian think-tank would be tempted to ask Dravid to don the gloves again.

Tendulkar8217;s problems don8217;t end with the team combination. He has to weather the climatic conditions too. Yesterday, it was hot and humid, but a sudden downpour this morning and an overcast condition has led to a rescheduling of the practice sessions of both teams.

Rain-affected games tend to be as deceitful as Indianpolitical alliances. In such an instance, the Indian skipper would have to bank upon his luck and ensure he gets up from the right side of the bed tomorrow. Last but not the least, is a problem that has afflicted Tendulkar for nearly six months 8212; back pain.

Though he is fit enough to play, this story would turn upside down if the ailment flares up again.

Similar is the dilemma of Tendulkar8217;s opposite number, Alistair Campbell. Key strike bowlers Eddo Brandes and Heath Streak are nursing injuries which leaves Zimbabwe with an attack as weak as Pakistan8217;s defence of the Kargil intrusion. The Zimbabwean captain, however, would be looking to put psychological pressure on the Indians by playing erratic medium-pacer Henry Olonga, who was carted all over the park by the West Indians yesterday. The bowler8217;s claim to fame thus far had been claiming three Indian wickets in a last over burst which paved way for a three-run victory for his team in the World Cup preliminary phase.

The batting appears healthy asevident on Thursday with Campbell leading from the front. Then there are the Flower siblings 8212; Andy and Grant 8212; the World Cup wonder all-rounder Neil Johnson besides the big-built Craig Evans to activate the run machine. And Campbell would once again be looking to this department to take the bulk of the workload.

8220;It is a must-win game against India,8221; Campbell had remarked after the loss to West Indies last evening. Whether Tendulkar8217;s team lives upto the challenge would form the contents for tomorrow8217;s story.

Teams from

India: S Tendulkar captain, S Ramesh, R Dravid, S Ganguly, A Jadeja, A Khurasiya, R Singh, M S K Prasad, A Kumble, N Chopra, S Joshi, L R Shukla, V Prasad, D Mohanty, V Kambli.

Zimbabwe: A Campbell captain, N Johnson, G Flower, M Goodwin, S Carlise, P Strang, A Flower, C Evans, C Wishart, A Whittall, D Viljoen, A Blignaut, M Mbangwa, H Olonga.

Umpires: Rudy Koertzen SA and Darrel Hair Aus.

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle SriLanka.