Another opportunity for Lara, Tendulkar

Some 30 hours after the presentation ceremony for the Test series had been affected by rain, it is still pouring here in Kingston, Jamaica. The Indian team must have shed as many inches of tears as the inches of rain that have fallen on the capital city and the island, as they come to terms with the fact that another 15 minutes or so spent at the crease by their batsmen would have guaranteed them a drawn Test and hence a Tied series. But alas, that is history and they now have to refocus on the upcoming one-day series.

The weather forecast before the scheduled start on Saturday is not very good and if it does clear to allow cricket on the weekend, the most influential factor could be the pitch. With all the rain around, naturally the preparation has not been ideal for lack of rolling. Work had started on the one-day strip just about the same time as the adjacent Test strip. But during the Test, nothing was done to continue the preparation as one of the captains was not of the opinion that the continued sprinkling of the one-day pitch, required for continued rolling, was ideal, considering the proximity to the Test strip. That concern to a certain degree is understandable, but surely now, the pitch, come Saturday, could be a bit underdone. That should normally mean, win the toss and bat, thereby getting the best use of the pitch to pile up the runs. But then the prevailing weather conditions could mean a damp pitch at start of play. Both captains, come Saturday morning, will be very keen to see what the pitch looks like when the covers are removed.

Under normal circumstances, not withstanding the changes made by both teams, the favourite for each game in this one-day series should be the team batting second. It was most peoples’ opinion before the start of the Test series, that with batsmen like Lara, Hooper, Chanderpaul and Sarwan for the West Indies and Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and Ganguly for India, the team that performed better with the bat would be the victors. Nothing during the series occurred to alter that opinion as only one of the five man-of-the-match awards went to a bowler.

The one-dayers should be even more so and hence it may turn out that any total set by the team batting first will be achieved by the team batting second. That though will depend a lot on the mental strength of the chasing batsmen. On so many occasions in these one-day Internationals, batsmen and hence teams lose their way chasing totals by panicking when things aren’t going as smoothly as they would like, instead of thinking their way through the innings. I suppose you can never discount the age-old adage “runs on the board are runs scored”.

The Test series was billed as a Lara versus Tendulkar duel and both gentlemen would be disappointed with their returns. This one-day series gives them a second opportunity to make their mark on the tour and in this shortened version of the game, one innings can be even more influential in the outcome. Hopefully, all the pitches will be as flat and ideal for batting as the pitches in Guyana and Antigua were. And that being the case, the fans should be in for some dynamic strokeplay. Sorry bowlers, but one-day cricket is about batsmen showing off their wares and giving the spectators much to cheer about.

Earlier Columns:
- India should employ a double-edged spin attack at Antigua
- Kumble should play in the rest of the Tests
- The toss will be vital
- India start favourites

- Gameplan

Feedback | Illustration: Uttam Ghosh