From: vigneswa@ecs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Can Indians Make It....?
Date: 25 Jan 93 11:23:26 GMT

England can expose India's glass jaw 

Tony Lewis looks at the fond belief that Azharuddin may turn the 
Test odds against Gooch

Thanks: The Sunday Telegraph



	The Indians say they can  beat England in the first Test
which begins on Friday in Calcutta.  Their optimism  is based on
the  negative argument  that there  are no thunderbolts  to face
from Allan Donald as there were in their recent  series in South
Africa.  They are  sure the high speed  of Devon Malcolm will be
nullified  by the slow  pitches, and so they  will be able to re-
gain their  composure and rediscover the habit of winning.  This
is an extremely optimistic view.  Fighting  talk which  includes
the word "rediscover" usually advertises a glass  jaw.  India, I
guess, will be confident  as long as things go  their way, other-
wise the  captain  will blame his team, the  team disown the cap-
tain, and the  press scarify the lot, while calling for the head
of Agit Wadekar, the cricket manager, and the resignation of the
whole selection panel.  So it  has always been when  India loses.
The captaincy of India is a worry for them.  Azharuddin has been
unconvincing  in the  role  and  has failed  to produce his  own
talents with bat.  He has been uncommunicative  on the field and
takes the mere whisper of  criticism badly.  As his critics grow
in number, so he becomes more sullen and withdrawn - a difficult
body language for  young players to follow.  

	Last week's win in the one-day  international  at Chandi-
garh has made Azharuddin happier. He looked more assertive there,
and the prediction of former Test players is that he will retain
the  captaincy  for the  whole series, even  though he was origi-
nally appointed only for two one-day matches and  the first Test.
The alternatives they see as unattractive.  Returning  Kapil Dev
to the captaincy appears to lack the  forward planning  required
to develop the side, and  loading Sachin Tendulkar  with the job
at the age of 19, before he has truly established himself at the
top  level, could reduce him  quickly to  the ranks of  ordinary
players.  Kapil's  supporters point  to his  run  of success  as
captain of  Haryana, who  have won  important  trophies  without
fashionable Test players, and of North Zone, who  have  just  en-
joyed two  conspicuous victories.  And  surely, they  say, Kapil
will give the team the buoyancy it so urgently needs, because he
is about  to pass the  world-record  number of Test wickets.  He
requires 19 to pass Sir Richard Hadlee's 431 from a programme of
three  Tests against  England, one  against  Zimbabwe and  three
against  Sri Lanka,  all at home.  They  say that  the selectors,
chaired  by Viswanath, the  former  Test cricketer, favours  the
continuation of  the present captain and it seems likely that if
Azharuddin is to  prosper  it will be with  the  benefit of  his
cricket  manager's  experience.  

	Agit Wadekar  knows what  it is like  to be  lauded  one
minute and  scorned the next. He led India to victory in England
and the West Indies in 1971  and was hailed a genius.  Later, he
lost all three Tests in  England in  1974 and  went home  on his
own, the long way - taking a month or two, waiting for the wrath
of the  Indian cricket populace to die down.  He will be able to
explain to Azharuddin  why his  footwork  has become  indecisive
when he bats.  Wadekar knows how the pains of  captaincy gnaw at
self-confidence and manifest themselves in unexpected ways. Both
manager and captain are  serious, sensitive and likeable men and
should  be able to work  out these initial  difficulties in Azha-
ruddin's captaincy.  

	The  real  Indian  threat  to England is  their  batting,
though there is much more talent locked  into  the batting order
than  has so  far come out.  Sidhu  is in  belligerent form  and
should be  allowed  to play his shots.  Raman, Kambli, Tendulkar,
Azharuddin  himself and  Amre are full of ability - and nor does
anyone  underestimate  the  straight  bat of  Prabhakar or Kapil
Dev's magic wand. On the other hand, if they are to bowl England
out twice, they  will need luck.  Bowlers  on both sides will be
hoping to be in action  early in the mornings at  Calcutta, espe-
cially on the first day when the soil will be moist and help the
seamers.  Mists often  drift low over  Eden Gardens from the sea
side of the ground and the ball has often swung considerably for
the first hour.  The best has not been seen of England's bowlers
yet, and that is not  their fault.  The programme of matches has
been patched  together unevenly and  there are clear  signs that
DeFreitas can produce more and Emburey and Tuffnel  have not yet
settled. Any new series  wriggles with  ifs and buts.  To take a
positive line, however, England  must be seen as the better side.
Graham Gooch is  more assertive  and positive  than ever  before;
there are  reasonable  slip fielders  available in Hick, Gatting,
Gooch, Atherton and Emburey, and an attack of enough  variety to
give the  captain welcome  alternatives.  Malcolm is a potential
match winner, though  it is only  at Madras  in the second  Test
that  he is likely  to find a pitch  which offers  him speed and
bounce. What surprised Indian observers during their recent tour
of South Africa was  seeing Keith Fletcher, the England  manager,
making notes  on the strengths and  weaknesses of  their players.
England  should get enough runs.  Whether their bowlers can pass
the bat or not will  depend on Fletcher's homework, the  weather,
and the irregular form of the opposition. In my own opinion, the
slow pitches may  prove to be more  frustrating than the  Indian
players themselves.

==
Vicky:
UMass, Jan 25
Subject:  Kapil Dev wickets ...
From:  Ashok Ingle <adi@ctt.bellcore.com>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Organization: Bellcore - Information Technology, Morristown, NJ
Reply-To:  Ashok Ingle <adi@ctt.bellcore.com>
X-Gateway: ALEX.ims.bellcore.com
Date:  Wed, 20 Jan 93 00:28:11 EST
Keywords:  
To:  news-post@ctt.bellcore.com
Message-ID: <1993Jan21.164511.2561@ALEX.ims.bellcore.com>