From: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu (Murali Iyer)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Indian team
Date: 28 Jan 1993 17:40:39 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
Reply-To: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: vmsa.csd.mu.edu

In article <1993Jan28.152402.6995@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM>, vasa@columbia.Central.Sun.COM (Vasanthan S. Dasan) writes:
>
       <an informative note deleted>

>
>   India: Mohammad Azharuddin (captain), Navjot Sidhu, Woorkeri Raman,
>Manoj Prabhakar, Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar, Praveen Amre, Kapil
>Dev, Kiran More (wicket-keeper), Anil Kumble, Venkatapathy Raju and
>Rajesh Chouhan

I read the list thrice to make sure that my eyes were not deceiving me. Srinath
is not in the twelve!! What gives? The only reason I can think of (other than a
possible typo, which would come as a great relief) is that he may be ill....
Srinath received rave reviews in the final test against RSA, and knowledgable
cricket commentators/columnists did not like the idea of dropping him one bit.
Now this. Did he not take six wickets (4 + 2) in the last test? 

Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I guess I *can* see Azhar's reason
for going in for the kill with three spinners(provided all three play) and try
to win the test. But are the three chosen the best available in the land? I
read that Maninder was very unlucky not to grab more wickets in the game he
played against the England XI, but at the same time he does not seem to have
impressed people who matter, with much guile or spin. And indications (Azad's
success, Chauhan's relative success early in the tour) are that it could be
off-spin which may prove useful, hence Chauhan's inclusion. I still fail to be
convinced that Raju is a better bowler than Maninder, whatever the former's
merits. When Maninder bowls wel, he bowls better than most left-arm spinners
around today. And English players -- former and current -- have been heard to
say that he could be the match-winner for India. 

For all those debating the team for the first test -- batting order, bowling
line-up, fielding, etc -- on rsc this team must look ... different. Raman or
Sidhu (more likely Raman) may carry the drinks tray, while Chauhan may don his
first National Cap, alongwith Kambli. Azhar himself will be leading the team
only for the second time at home. Other than these, there is not too much
that's very  different about this team. Ofcourse, Manjrekar must be wondering
where he went wrong, other than at the crease with the bat. A friend says he
rubbed Gavaskar the wrong way, when offered some much-needed advice. 

I just cannot bring myself to join the debate about who should bat at which
position, basically because I know little about the finer details of such
decision-making process, and secondly because Azhar and co are known to shuffle
their line-up around as they deem fit. But still, I don't think Kambli will be
asked to open. Prabhakar has justified his long-standing "demand" that he be
allowed to open, and when he enjoys it so much, why should the captain or
anybody else worry about burning him out? Prabhakar is an experienced player
and he should know what he is getting into. If he does not deliver, the
decision is always in the selectors'/captain's hands to use him in the best
possible way. And Prabhakar likes to see himself as an opener. He opens for
his employer, Delhi and North Zone(whenever it is okay with the overall team
composition).

>    England: Graham Gooch (captain), Alec Stewart (wicket-keeper),
>Mike Atherton, Robin Smith, Mike Gatting, Graeme Hick, Neil
>Fairbrother, Chris Lewis, Devon Malcolm, Paul Jarvis, Phil Tufnell,
>Ian Salisbury and John Emburey
>
>===

Since there so many players who are eager to prove themselves among the Indian
batsmen, England will be hard-pressed to achieve any positive result with this
bowling line-up. If they do, it shall be a great achievement for Gooch and Co.,
and goodbye to Azhar. 

Looks like the stage is all set for an interesting tussle, just like in Perth
where WI seems to be on a canter and I can't see much resistance in Ambrose and
co's way. Men greater than myself have been proved wrong in this
wonderful game that's cricket, and isn't that what makes cricket the game it is?

-Murali