Jahoor Omar: Tendulkar Indian Test side's star attraction (22 Sep 1998)

22 September 1998

Tendulkar Indian Test side's star attraction

By Jahoor Omar

Pint-sized Sachin Tendulkar, arguably one of the batsmen in world cricket today, is the undoubted star attraction of the Indian Test team which is to arrive later this week for a short tour of Zimbabwe.

The 25-year-old top order batsman, who has scored 4,552 runs from 61 Tests and boasts an average of 54.84, was named in a squad of 14 for a one-off Test and three one-day internationals.

India are scheduled to arrive on Thursday for a 19-day tour which begins with two one-day internationals against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on September 26 and 27.

Since being stripped of the captaincy last January, Tendulkar has proved a scourge for most Test attacks around the globe.

He is at the centre of a settled if not too solid batting line-up which includes captain Mohammad Azharuddin, vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Navjot Sidhu.

The Indians, who have re-grouped after splitting for unsuccessful ventures in one-day competitions at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia and the Sahara Cup in Canada, may also struggle in the bowling department.

Apart from classy leg-spinner Anil Kumble and respected fast bowler Javagal Srinath, India seem to lack balance and a strong enough pace attack so important on the firmer Zimbabwean wickets.

Venkatesh Prasad has been dropped in preference to the untried Ajit Ajarkar, who will be hoping to win his first cap, and the persevering Debashish Mohanty. There is also no room for left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, one of the few bowlers to excel in the recent Sahara Cup which India lost 1-4 to Pakistan.

Also missing from the 11 which lost the first and only one-day international to Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last February, the last time the two teams met, are opening batsman Vikram Rathore and medium pace bowler Dodda Ganesh. Prasad and Joshi were also in that team which went down by eight wickets.

Former Test great and top order batsman Anshuman Gaekwad is the coach of the team.

Zimbabwe and India have yet to play a Test series. Two previous one-off Tests ended in a draw in Harare in 1992 and an innings victory for India a year later in New Delhi.

Thanks: The Herald, Harare

Source :: Roger Stringer (textpert@samara.co.zw)