Spotlight

Venugopal Rao and Ajit Agarkar

In Venugopal Rao, India may have found the middle order batsmen it has been looking for. Technically sound, he seems to be equally adept playing spin and pace. While it may still be early days in his fledgling career, today he showed what he is capable of.

Rao read Murali perfectly. He seems to have a sharp eye and he is picking up Murali's variation off his hand rather than off the pitch. This allows him greater flexibility when it comes to shot selection. He also has a quick set of legs, which will be an asset on the field. While Laxman will still waltz into the test team, he may have played his last ODI. While his batting brilliance covers up most of his athletic ineptness, it has often found him out in the ODI's where he can only patrol the slip region. With Rao in the team, India may not have to worry about that handicap.

The only problem that Rao seems to have is at the start of the innings, especially when he is playing the quicks. he tries too often to guide the ball to the third man region and this may very well lead to his dismissal; either as a caught behind or a chop onto the stumps. He needs to realize that this is a percentage shot and it would be much better playing through the line which will open up large swathes of green on the off side.

I can only hope that the team management doesn't try him as a opener in hopes of drafting in another batsmen into the team. Opening is a specialist job and Gambhir has done well with what opportunities he has been presented.

On Agarkar, it bodes well for Indian cricket that he is being tried for more than just a game. Agarkar is much more than a utility player. If Chappel and Co. guides him properly; he may finally live up to the reputation of an all-rounder. Agarkar, unlike Nehra and Zaheer, is again much more athletic in the field. He has already shown many how much of an asset he is on the field by effecting run-outs from the outfield. Agarkar is, and always was, an opening bowler. When at his best, he can get the ball to swing like a boomerang. He has been doing that in this series and the fifer he took today would have done his confidence a world of good.

This Indian lot looks a lot fitter, meaner and hungrier than any of the other Indian sides. Whatever Chappel and Co. have been doing with the team, they should continue with it. If only the BCCI would hire Gloster on a long term basis...

India vs. Sri Lanka, 05'-06

India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Nov, Sri Lankan tour of India '05-'06.

Fourth ODI in a series of 7. India led 3-0 at the start of this game.

Murali, who was in his element, had picked up the crucial wickets of Venugopal Rao and Irfan Pathan in quick succession. India, at this stage, was precariously placed at 180-6 with Dhoni and Raina at the crease. India still needed 62 runs of 11 overs and the specter of Murali loomed large. Both had struggled against the guile of Murali when India toured Sri Lanka in July and the wily spinner, with two overs left of his spell, must have been licking his fingers at what should have been easy pickings. Chaminda Vaas had four overs in the kitty and this was the ideal time for Atapattu to have cast the two veterans of Sri Lankan cricket in a script written for them.

Then the ball was handed over to Dilshan. With that, Atapattu had essayed his role of the anti-hero to the hilt. Dhoni and Raina read the situation well and milked Dilshan, then Zoysa and finally Russel Arnold to script India a memorable victory against the Lankan tigers.

Atapattu, however, was hero of the Sri Lankan innings when he shrugged off a string of poor scores and forged his way to a 100-ball 87. Earlier, a double strike from Agarkar left Sri Lanka tottering at 51-3 and another collapse seemed inevitable. Agarkar first had Sangakarra trapped plumb in front with a ball that shaped in towards the left-hander. In the next over, he had Jayasuriya nicking a ball to Dravid, who put down a regulation catch at first slip. Jayasuriya then thumped the next delivery for a four and it seemed like the Lankans finally had something going their way. But this moment of joy was short-lived when Agarkar flummoxed Jayasuriya with a ball that held its line in the same over. Jayasuriya was rapped on the pads and his sad tour with the bad continues. Tharanga, blooded into the team to replace Jayawardne, looked to be a fine touch as he carted the Indian seamers towards the fence. Sreesanth, who bowled with fire and aggression, nipped this promising innings in its bud when he had Tharanga caught at fine leg after he played a rash pull shot.

Dilshan then flailed his arms for a bit before settling down to score a quick-fire 52 while Atapattu clung on to his wicket at the other end. But with the departure of Dilshan in the 30th over, Atapattu came to the fore. He stroked the ball to all parts of the ground and seemed all set for a hundred before hitting a full-toss to Sehwag, who took a smart catch off his own bowling. Agarkar then cleaned up the tail and Sri Lankan folded for 261. This score was at least 30 short of what Sri Lanka had been looking at and a lot of credit should go to Harbhajan Singh, who bowled ten magnificent overs on the trot and gave away only a miserly 35 runs. He also picked up the all-important wicket of Dilshan just when he was looking dangerous.

India started cautiously as they began to chase down the total. Vaas and Fernando started off with maiden apiece and both, Sehwag and Tendulkar, seemed itching to let go. Tendulkar carved a Fernando delivery to the point boundary before top-edging a delivery from the same bowler to a six over third man. He then charged Vaas but was beaten comprehensively and his off-stump went for walk. Yuvraj came in next and hit a couple of lusty fours before he smashed a half-tracker from Zoysa to Dilshan at point. Sehwag, on the other end, rode his luck as the Lankans dropped him twice. He shared a 78-run partnership with Dravid before being snared at 48 by a Murali doosra.

Dravid then struck gold with Venugopal Rao who seemed to take a special liking towards Maharoof. Maharoof was clattered all over the off-side boundary by Rao, the climax being a flat six over point. Rao also seemed to have no trouble reading Murali and rotated the strike well with Dravid before being caught behind off another Murali doosra. Fernando then accounted for Dravid with a bouncer that should have been left alone. Dravid swiveled on his feet and managed to top edge a hook to a diving Chaminda Vaas at fine leg. Pathan then nicked Murali to Sangakarra and India, who had been well placed at 175-3, were now 180-6. The Pune crowd, who had been in a festive mood all day long, went silent, as India seemed to choke yet again.

But India's supersub, Raina, and the milk-guzzling Dhoni had other plans. With the run-rate below 6, they scampered for two's and three's and took minimal risk. Atapattu, who blundered by bringing on part-timers, looked totally devastated when Dhoni heaved Arnold for two consecutive sixes over long-on as India cruised to a 4-wicket win with 4.2 overs to spare. This is the second time in this series that Dhoni has ended a match with a six.

With this win, India now lead the seven match series 4-0. This is also India's first series win at home in the ODI format since March 2002, when they beat Zimbabwe 3-2.

The Sri Lankans would, no doubt, be smarting from this drubbing and it wouldn’t be long before they roar back. But they still have to sort out many issues like bowling changes, supersubs and the use of power-plays. It is also imperative that they make full use of Vaas and Murali for they are the lynchpin of the Lankan attack.