Indian cricket selectors in a spot

The Indian cricket selectors when they sit to pencil the final eleven for the Third Test against Australia beginning in New Delhi tomorrow will be in a spot of bother.

The bother being whether to play regular skipper Anil Kumble or stick to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni showed that he is the captain in waiting by leading by example and giving the Indians a vital victory in the Second Test.

With the Third Test being another game, the selectors are sure to give the reins to Kumble who had to skip the previous Test owing to a shoulder injury. Kumble will have to undergo a rigorous fitness test before making himself available.

And if Kumble is available, then the chop will fall on Mohali debutant Amrit Misra who had a memorable beginning to his Test career. It no doubt will be galling to the young leg spinner.

Misra varied his spin very cleverly. His variety of deliveries had the Aussie batsmen always in trouble and none of them could read him with confidence.

In the past the Indians used to win games with spin. Names that come to mind are that of Baloo Gupte, Ghulam Ahmed, Nadkarni, Vekat, Prasanna, Bedi and Chandrasekhar who bowled them to many a victory.

And the selectors who are sure to be informed how the wicket would play, could go in with two spinners. Kumble and Misra although being two leg tweakers, are different in their bowling mannerisms.

Kumble bowls more pacy, low trajectory, spinners, while Misra gives the ball more air and obtains more turn than Kumble.

So being bowlers of two different types, the selectors might want to give both a go. If that was to happen it would be interesting to watch who the selectors would want to leave out.

Kumble went wicketless in the First Test. But being the captain should prompt the selectors to play him which Test series is likely to be his last as captain. The Indian selectors know best and we leave it to them to put on the field the best combination that could give them a series deciding victory.

Indians playing better

If the convincing 320-run victory by the Indians is an indication, then there is no doubt that they are playing the better allround and forceful cricket.

In batting, their stars are in good nick, with Laxman being the only failure. But Laxman has it in him to come good. He is too good to keep failing and is sure to strike when most needed.

Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendular, Dhoni and Ganguly all had a good game and they batted in the manner born and are sure to fire in the Delhi Test too.

Sehwag and Gambhir gave their side a good and solid start for the batsmen following to build on. Both attacked the bowling and never let the Aussie pacies find line and length.

Bowlers with the new ball, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are bowling better than their opposite numbers. The delivery that Sharma bowled Ponting with in the second innings was the ball of the match. It pitched and moved in so quickly that had Ponting bowled thorough the gate. It was a bewildered batsman who left the wicket.

Zaheer Khan too had a good game, but spoilt it all by some insensible behaviour where he launched into a verbal attack on Matthew Hayden and was fined which served him right.

The only way that the Aussies can avoid a three-nil defeat is for Ponting to win the toss and take first strike and run up a score that would not have them bat a second time. To bat second would mean defeat.

According to the Aussie media, cracks are beginning to show with the captain and his pace ace Lee not seeing eye to eye. Had Ponting acted with a bit more foresight, the spat between the two could have been avoided.

With the Aussie game on the skids, the worst thing that could happen is for the seniors to quarrel. That could rub off on the other players and the bottom line would be disaster.

With the Indians determined to chalk up a victory and pocket the series, and with the Aussies wanting to get even, a thrilling Third Test is on the cards.

It is hoped that the two teams will play up and play the game and not denigrate it by resorting to foul language.

Indian Cricket League

The Indian Cricket League that first took the field with the Indian Premier League being an afterthought, has grown in interest and if the action and the crowd participation we see on Ten Sports is an indication, then that tournament has come to stay and would soon give the IPL a good run.

Some of the cricketing stars of yesteryear are in action and they don’t seem to have lost their old touch as they unwind.

Ten Sports brings the action to viewers courtesy Zee TV sponsors of the event and it is wonderful listening to Tony Greig and Dean Jones who are joined by Mike Whitney and Darryl Cullinan.

It was sad when Jones was taken off the panel suddenly for a remark that was made in jest about Hashim Amla.

Jones was not aware that the mike was live when he mouthed those words. But the remark was considered serious and that was the end of the game with Ten Sports for the former champion Aussie batsman. But now that he is back he and Greig are keeping viewers glued to their TV sets describing the action cleverly and forcefully and with interesting anecdotes thrown in for good measure.

It is also great to see the female TV commentators showing their knowledge of the game with their talk shows and interviews with the players. The dancing girls too are a drawcard and from the looks of it this ICL tourney is going to be a star class act as the years begin to roll.

Zee TV, Kapil Dev and his team of organisers can take a bow, because their innovation has hit the top rank and before long the ICC will be forced to accept the ICL whether they like it or not.