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It was the levelheaded approach of Ramnaresh Sarwan that helped
the West Indies to a thrilling win at Jamshedpur. I must
congratulate the tourists team for the resilience they have
shown. After losing the first two Test matches, they have shown a
positive approach to their game, and that has patently manifested
itself in a marked improvement in their fielding standards.
The signs of improvement started showing even during the Kolkata
Test, and there is a very definite air of positive confidence to
their body language now. After the Jamshedpur one-dayer, the team
will now be boosted even more by the performances of their toporder batsmen like Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels. And even
though the experienced Carl Hooper may have failed, Sarwan
refused to throw away his wicket and, ignoring the mounting
pressure, sealed a scintillating win.
For India, promoting Ajit Agarkar to number three must be rated
as a big gamble. Fortunately for the team management, the gamble
paid off. Agarkar played very well for his 95 runs, and it was
good to see him involved in two big partnerships, with VVS Laxman
and then with Rahul Dravid.
Mohammad Kaif played yet another brilliant cameo towards the end.
Surely India have now found their own version of Michael Bevan, a
late-order player who can hit up quick runs, consolidate when
needed, and pace a one-day chase well. Kaif has shown glimpses of
all three skills, and the first of the three helped India to ta
total of 283 - a good score, especially in the absence of an
injured Sachin Tendulkar.
But Agarkar's success with the bat may pose a few problems. With
Kaif then coming in at number eight, the batting line-up looks
rather over-crowded, and when Tendulkar returns, either Agarkar
will have to move back to his slot in the tail or one of the
regular batsmen will have to make way.
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Then again, going by their display at Jamshedpur, the surfeit of
riches in the batting department is the least of India's worries
in one-day cricket. The fact that they failed to defend a score
of 283, on a placid Indian pitch, must be a worrying factor for
the team management. As the tour progresses, the West Indians are
also getting used to Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh; notably,
Samuels, Hinds and Sarwan are finding their feet against both
spinners. The pitch was a touch on the slower side and should
have helped Kumble and Harbhajan, yet both were completely
outplayed.
Virender Sehwag was the only
bowler to create an impact on the West Indies. I thought he
bowled intelligently and was crucial in the Windies almost
choking towards the end. It is this lack of depth in the Indian
bowling that causes worry.
The two teams look very evenly matched at the moment, and the
remaining games of this one-day series might continue in the same
pattern. It is the change in batting fortunes of the West Indies
that has made all the difference, and the likes of Sarwan,
Samuels and Hinds have the right attitude towards the game. If
they can concentrate on the job a touch harder and score heavily,
the West Indies might give this experienced Indian team a real
scare.