Ganguly looks to make history at Nagpur

The Indian skipper insists that there is no drop in intensity even given the fact that India have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-Test series against Zimbabwe. On the eve of the second Test at Nagpur, Sourav Ganguly told pressmen as much. As ample proof of this, India have decided to go into the match with five bowlers. This gives Zaheer Khan a well deserved chance and offspinner Sharandeep Singh his Test cap. Not surprisingly, the twelve men that the think tank has decided on has no room for left arm spinner Murali Kartik and Mohammed Kaif. Although Murali Kartik bowled well enough in the previous Test, the fact that he bowled as little as he did sent a message out to some - the captain did not have complete confidence in him.

With Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and the captain himself in roaring good form, one can well understand the decision to go into the match with five bowlers. The toss will not play as much a part as one earlier thought. The flatness of the wicket makes it very difficult for one side or the other to extract any significant advantage on winning the toss. However, Ganguly will be keen to win this match. Known as a man who likes his statistics, Ganguly is on the verge of making a little history. If he does lead India to victory in the forthcoming Test match, he will be the first Indian captain to register wins in his first three matches.

Ganguly clarified that India went into the first Test match with only four bowlers because they needed to learn to win while playing with such a composition. Certainly, India are unlikely to go into an away Test with more than four bowlers. This brought the captain to a very pertinent point. Going in with just four bowlers is all very well if Anil Kumble is one of them. In his absence, India struggles. Even if they repeat the Delhi exercise, it is likely to put undue burden on Javagal Srinath. In this regard the captain also added that Sachin Tendulkar and himself were getting used to the idea of bowling a bit more, in order to give the frontline bowlers some respite. Talking about the untested Sharandeep Singh, coach John Wright said, "He certainly has impressed me in the nets. He has been able to turn the ball and that is always a good sign." However, as a matter of abundant caution, he added "There's only so much one can say after watching a bowler in the nets. Let's see how he performs in this Test."

With Kartik out, one has made room for Sharandeep Singh. Now there remains the small matter of making room for Zaheer Khan. Will the Indian team ask VVS Laxman to warm the bench? Or will the out of form Sadagoppan Ramesh be the unlucky one? If Ramesh is asked to sit out the fixture, then the prickly matter of the opening batting will rear its head again. Laxman has made clear his hesitation in filling that position. The skipper also ruled out the possibility of opening the innings with Vijay Dahiya. This all but means that VVS Laxman will miss out.

Nagpur is famous for the juiciest, sweetest oranges available in the country. It is quick becoming famous for something else, the featherbed of a wicket at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Sourav Ganguly looked ruefully at the wicket. Although he explicitly asked for a wicket that would have something in it for the spinners, he seems to have got anything but that. "The wicket is rolled very well. It's a good flat batting track," he said. Not wanting to court controversy he added, "We'll play on any wicket given to us. I am happy to play on this wicket." One thing led to another, and the question of who should have the final say on the nature of the surface came up. When someone asked whether it should be the prerogative of the staging association or the team, the captain quipped, "Who's going to be playing out in the middle? Us or the staging association?" That just about summed up Ganguly's inability to get what he wanted. "There is a pitches committee, and Mr. Kasturirangan is going around the country checking on the playing surfaces. The committee will decide what kind of wickets we get to play on." He concluded.

The Zimbabweans meanwhile will be doing all they can to stop the Indians in their tracks. They suffered a blow when it was discovered that the injury to leg spinner Paul Strang's bowling arm, which flared up on the last day of the first Test, has meant that he will have to be flown home. With limited firepower in the bowling department and a batting line up that looks less than top draw, save for Alistair Campbell and Andy Flower, one can't really see them forcing a win. A high scoring draw however, is a possibility that can never be ruled out.