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Ganguly's all-round contribution will be more than enough to keep Yuvraj Singh on the sidelines
© AFP
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An hour after Sachin Tendulkar slapped one past point to sew up the
Kotla Test, Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle. Hardly anyone was
left in the stands and only a few cameramen and officials watched
his stint. Facing a group of net bowlers, one of whom tried his best
to imitate Shoaib Akhtar, he went about pounding the netting. The fury
in some of those shots was indicative of how hard he's knocking on the
doors of selection.
By just being around, he's keeping an entire batting line-up, a
selection committee, and a media contingent on its toes. His name has
come up in four of the six press conferences here. Before the game he
was being talked about as a replacement for VVS Laxman, now he's being
linked to Dinesh Karthik. Often he's also giving Sourav Ganguly a run.
At the danger of giving him too much credit, he's obliquely
contributing towards a consistent batting effort, match after match.
Ganguly and Laxman, though, must be a bit confused. One has reinvented
himself over the last year and the other played his part in a quiet,
efficient manner. Both have come through high-pressure situations,
dealing with it in an assured manner. Ganguly has silenced those who
doubted his ability against pace and Laxman has done the same against
swing. Both have eked out runs with the tail, both have kept out the
second new ball and both have, crucially, played out important final
sessions. Ganguly has four fifties and a hundred in his last eight
Tests; Laxman five fifties and a hundred in his last ten.
The Kotla Test was a case in point. If Laxman blunted the Shoaib
threat in the first innings, Ganguly did the same in the
second. If Laxman appeared far more comfortable than any batsman in
the first dig, Ganguly occupied that slot in the second.
Both walked in amid a collapse and, in contrasting styles, calmed the
nerves. Both didn't hesitate to play their shots. They made some
important contributions on the field too: Laxman plucking a
sensational catch to break Pakistan's dangerous opening partnership
and Ganguly having one of his best Tests with the ball.
Before the game, Kumble made it clear that Laxman would play. At the
end of it, having seen his decision justified, he didn't understand
the fuss. "I think Laxman's knock was very crucial considering the
circumstances. He's a fantastic player and his partnership with Dhoni
was very critical for us. I don't know why there is always a sword
hanging over his head. It's only a perception from those not within
the dressing room. We [the team] know what quality he brings in and
his role in the team is very crucial."
Laxman's value is probably forgotten because of the long gaps between
Test series. One-day performances are usually enough to make you a
superstar and it doesn't help that Laxman leads a distinct double-life
- one in the Test arena and another in the quiet confines of
first-class cricket. Others may soon find themselves in his position,
considering that half of India's Test squad don't play one-day matches.
Karthik, however absurd it sounds, seems to be the new one on the
chopping block. He was the only batsman to not make a mark and the
highs of the England series, when he cracked 263 runs at 43.9, suddenly
seem a distant memory. Kumble, though, brushed aside any such
suggestions. "He just missed out here," he said. "His contribution on
the field was important - he took the crucial catch and effected the
run-out [both off Misbah-ul-Haq]. He was the highest run-scorer in the
last Test series and it's not fair on anyone to be judged on two
innings."
India triumph in England was built on a
slew of partnerships and they'll be heartened that the trend continued here. Not only do they
have a batting line-up responding as a team but also a stand-by who's
pushing everyone that little bit harder.
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is an assistant editor at Cricinfo