da betsson： The inescapable conclusion to be drawn from events at TrentBridge is that it is going to be well-nigh impossible for Indiato level the Test series let alone win it
Partab Ramchand13-Aug-2002The inescapable conclusion to be drawn from events at TrentBridge is that it is going to be well-nigh impossible for Indiato level the Test series let alone win it. The batting could helpthe visitors to draw the remaining two games but there is no waythe bowling can shape an Indian victory.Yes, I am aware that this depressing scenario is nothing new. Thebowling has been exposed time and again away from the designerpitches at home. But it has been a long time since the bowlingwas beaten black and blue to the extent it was savaged atNottingham. The situation was bad enough at Lord’s with Englandrunning up totals of 487 and 301 for six declared. But whenEngland batsmen, not traditionally noted for their flair andadventurous spirit, rattle up 617 at the rate of more than fourruns an over, it is time for an overhaul.However, the problem is that like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, thebowling resources are bare. Replacing Harbhajan Singh with AnilKumble (or vice versa) and bringing in Tinu Yohannan in place ofAjit Agarkar or Ashish Nehra is not going to improve matters.Anyone even remotely associated with Indian cricket is aware ofthis.Realistically speaking, the options before the team managementare virtually non-existent. The team will just have to soldieralong with whatever resources they have and hope that the Englandbatsmen play one daft shot after another, which in other words islike asking for the moon really. What is alarming is the factthat even among the bench strength at home, there does not seemto be a bowler promising enough to succeed at the highest level.
© CricInfoI had said in my preview for the Test that it was imperative thatthe batting, much the stronger of the two departments, shouldshoulder much of the responsibility. Happily, they rose to theoccasion. One did see high-class batsmanship from VirenderSehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly butthen this is something they are capable of doing more often.They did put the mediocre English bowling in its place and eventhough there was widespread criticism of the home side’s strategyof going in with an all seam attack, I am convinced that playingAshley Giles would not have made any difference to the finalresult. Agarkar seems to be finally coming into his own as abatsman and his belligerence made up for the failure temporarilyone hopes – of VVS Laxman. But the batsmen’s job is far fromover. For obvious reasons, they will have to come up with arepeat performance at Headlingley and the Oval.
© CricInfoYes, that little loophole at the top of the order continues tobedevil the Indians. The double failure of Wasim Jaffer is acause for concern. Hopefully, the four-day match against Essex atChelmsford, the only first-class fixture before the third Test atHeadingley will give Shiv Sundar Das the opportunity to build hisconfidence. India would certainly welcome a revitalised Das forthe diminutive opener has it in him to be a long-term prospect.Parthiv Patel, meanwhile, is undoubtedly another long-termprospect. Grabbing the opportunity that the injury to Ajay Ratragave him, the 17-year-old with the looks of a 13-year-old camegood with both bat and gloves. Understandably nervous initially,he recovered his composure and his work behind the stumps gainedin confidence during the extended England innings. His steelytemperament was underlined by his gutsy show with the bat on thefinal day. The lad deserves all encouragement.