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The fifth bowling option

The Windies score was impressive as all heck -- but even while the assault was on, you had to wonder if the Caribbean calypso was missing a note or two.

Barring Sarwan and, to an extent, Chanderpaul, the batsmen appeared content to score in boundaries, or not at all. They did damn well, too, on the four-hitting front: 30 fours and five sixes went into the final score; in other words, fully half the total came off just 35 deliveries. Against this, they didn't look to do too many singles -- and in the final analysis, that could well have made a difference between a huge target, and an unattainable one.

As a point of interest, the Windies innings had 155 dot balls to 95 singles, following the trend of the previous game that saw them score 87 singles to 147 dot balls. Against this, India, in the last game, had 122 singles to 128 dot balls -- a heartening sign, even in a lost cause, that the importance of taking singles has seeped into the home side's mindset.

On another note, I had in a recent column looked at the extra option the induction of Ajit Agarkar could give -- but it needs mentioning that against his recent batting feats, there is the problem of his unpredictable prodigality with the ball. They say he bowls very well at the death -- the catch, though, is that no matter how well he bowls at the end, more often than not his opening spells are responsible for India losing its way.

Take the current game, for instance -- his first two overs went for 22. He was then rested, and when brought back, gave away 14 runs in two overs. That's a healthy 36 in 4 overs -- he would have needed to take two hat-tricks at the end, to make up for that kind of prodigality.

A look at the West Indies Manhattan, here, will give you an idea of the negative impact of his bowling on the day. And that raises the question -- when India's bowling resources are so stretched, can it really afford a loose cannon?

That in turn raises another question -- if the think tank believes it needs an all-rounder, then isn't it time it gave chances to all the possible prospects? Take for instance the case of J P Yadav -- he gets to play one game, then he is dropped for the next. Here, in the third game, he goes for 14 off his two overs, bowled between the 15th and 20th when Chris Gayle was going berserk and all bowlers were taking serious tap, and he never gets to bowl again, in the game. Surely he is entitled to a more thorough trial?

In the same vein, check out a few stats. Virender Sehwag has now become an indispensable component of the bowling attack, sending down 10 overs in almost every game. Before this game, he had taken 20 wickets at an average of 46.00, and an economy rate of 5.14.

The economy rate is the most crucial -- the fifth bowling option normally goes for between 60-70, so Sehwag is doing very well when he goes for 5.14.

But what then of the other, largely untried option? At a time when we lament the lack of options, there is a regular member of this side who has taken 18 wickets, at an average of 36.17 average and an economy rate of 4.68.

Why, do you suppose, is it that Yuvraj Singh, whose figures above put him in the Sehwag class or better, rarely gets a bowl these days? If those figures are any indication, could he not become the all-rounder we are looking for?