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November 25, 2002 | 2000 IST
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Bowling arsenal lacks firepower

Faisal Shariff

The announcement of the Indian team for a tour is the most important assignment in a cricket reporter’s diary. Today, after attending another dull press conference, this time to announce the team to New Zealand, in Mumbai at Hotel Orchid, the entire posse of journos questioned the futility of the conference, where questions could be asked but none answered.

After media men grilled former chairman of selectors Chandu Borde last year, the BCCI scrapped the interaction of the chairman of selectors with the press.

So, after waiting for close to two hours -- even as the five selectors deliberated over the 16-member Test squad to be sent to New Zealand along with skipper Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright in tow -- BCCI honorary secretary S K Nair strolled into the hall, released the list of selected players and considered it pointless to talk about the deliberations of the selection committee meeting.

Reporters merely sat trying to eke out a peppery statement that could add spice to their reports but failed miserably, though they made a strong call for the team list to be e-mailed to them henceforth instead of holding a conference without a proper briefing from the chairman of selectors or the board secretary.

"We want to meet the media," insisted Nair, when told that henceforth the BCCI should send a press statement on the team selection.

Having shut the only window of interaction between the BCCI and media by refusing to take questions after the selection meeting, that claim seemed ironical. The board has increasingly cut off access to its policies and cast aspersions on the mode of selection.

The ghost of the quota system won’t go away; not for now. How else does one explain the inclusion of Tinu Yohannan as the fourth pace bowler in the squad ahead of Debashish Mohanty?

Yohannan played two Tests against England last year, at home, and failed to make an impression, having claimed just four wickets. His selection, ahead of swing bowler Mohanty, who thrives in countries like New Zealand and England, where the wind assists swing bowling, is debatable. Particularly, since Yohannan's basic bowling action is flawed and needs improvement. According to a member of the team, his faulty action needs a radical change to be effective on the international circuit. The selectors have not taken cognizance of that fact and, in keeping with the quota system, inducted him into the squad.

On the other hand, Mohanty played two Tests since making his debut in 1997 in Sri Lanka and picked up four wickets for 78 runs, which included the prized scalps of Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda DeSilva. His movement off the seam could have complimented the Zaheer Khan – Ajit Agarkar duo. Last January, playing for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, he created a national record by claiming all the ten first innings wickets of South Zone.

In the absence of Srinath, who has been intriguingly rested from the Test series, and Anil Kumble who has even more surprisingly opted out of the series for personal reasons, the Indian bowling finds itself without appropriate arsenal.

On the last tour to New Zealand, these two Karnataka bowlers had claimed 19 of the 31 wickets, besides making useful contributions with the bat.

With Zaheer Khan back in the side, Srinath’s opening spell in New Zealand could well be instrumental in winning a series in a country where we have not won a Test series since Tiger Pataudi led the team to a 3-1 victory in 1968-69 -- the first overseas series win for India.

In left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, however, the Indian bowling department has found a classic long-term prospect in the mould of Bishen Singh Bedi, though it would be presumptuous to compare the two. In combination with Harbhajan Singh, India might just have found a lethal spin cartel. With yellowed edges to his career, Kumble seems to be nearing the end of his career, but the decision to opt out of a Test series just before the World Cup seems dipped in curiosity.

On the batting front, the players chose themselves on merit, with the positive addition of Mohammad Kaif into the Test squad. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly have all got hundreds in New Zealand and will look forward to a keen tussle with latest Kiwi quickie Shane Bond and the guile of Daniel Vettori, the finest left-arm spinner in world cricket today.

Sanjay Bangar and Virender Sehwag will continue opening the batting, with SS Das as the third opener.

The inclusion of a second wicketkeeper in Ajay Ratra along with the prodigious Parthiv Patel is unnecessary for a two-Test series. Instead, a fifth pace bowler could have been included.

Before India’s tour to the West Indies earlier this year, coach John Wright placed a logical proposal to the team. He argued that the West Indies, England and New Zealand are three sides the Indian team would beat hands down at home. With away tours to each of these countries this year, Wright believed that if we won any one of the away series it would be new dawn in Indian cricket.

Although India lost the series in the West Indies, they managed to win their first Test in the Caribbean in 26 years. After drawing the series with England, following a scintillating win at Headingley, the team travels New Zealand to complete the performance ascent and win the two-Test series.

A Test win in the land of the rapid rivers and hissing geysers will be the adrenalin thrust to India’s World Cup campaign.

The team:

Openers:
Virender Sehwag
Sanjay Bangar
S S Das

Batsmen:
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Sourav Ganguly
VVS Laxman
Mohammad Kaif

Pace bowlers:
Zaheer Khan
Ajit Agarkar
Ashish Nehra
Tinu Yohannan

Spinners:
Harbhajan Singh
Murali Kartik

Wicketkeepers:
Parthiv Patel
Ajay Ratra

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