How will Pakistan fare in India?

Seven steps to heaven

Wisden Comment by Kamran Abbasi

January 19, 2004

Many sins are forgiven in the name of rebuilding. One sin that will not fit into that category, however, is defeat against India. So Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq may well look to positives in the one-day defeats to New Zealand and earlier to South Africa, but in a few weeks their pleas of mitigation will not be heard above the deafening roar of public expectation.

For now, they are right to point to success in both Test series as a truer indication of this team's progress than the uncertain meaning of one-day results. It is easy to forget that Pakistan are less than one year from their most disastrous World Cup and current progress is good, perhaps better than could have been hoped for. However, India are progressing too - and they are building on a successful World Cup.

All this boils down to trouble for Pakistan unless they can play to their traditional strength, which is bowling. One question-mark that hangs over India's rise in Australia is whether or not their star batsmen were flattered by Australia's bowlers. But this is also a lesson for Pakistan: go into the India series with a half-baked bowling attack and Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman will prevail. The present strategy of two speed merchants followed by an assortment of novices and trundlers is unlikely to bowl India out once, let alone twice, unless Shoaib Akhtar is on fire.

So what do Pakistan need to do to preserve an outstanding home record against India?

Strategy 1: If it ain't broke don't fix it
There is a danger in too much experimentation. Reward the current group of players by sticking with them ... mostly.

Strategy 2: Unpredictably is a virtue in sensible measure
There's a danger in too little experimentation, too - it's equivalent to a lack of creativity. Pakistan's team formula has been too predictable. Javed and Inzamam tinkered with it only in the final one-day match against New Zealand, almost with spectacular results.

Strategy 3: Support the Colossus
Inzamam's batting is commanding, his captaincy is not. A change in leader would be madness at this stage, and Inzamam can be successful provided his advisers are astute. Stand up Javed Miandad, Yousuf Youhana and Moin Khan: you can make or break Inzy.

Strategy 4: Play to your strengths
Bowling is the route to success. India will be undone by high speed or high-class spin. Shoaib Akhtar's fitness is crucial; Mohammad Sami must rediscover his length and patience -- which he lost most alarmingly in the New Zealand one-day series. They need to be backed up by two frontline bowlers. Pakistan's current bowling attack is appetising after the first two, and India's middle order is prone to feasting. Also India's bowlers do not need to be countered by more than seven batsmen (including Moin).

Strategy 5: Play to the Razzler's strengths
Abdul Razzaq's alarming decline as a pace bowler means that he should be used as a batsman who sometimes bowls. This is balanced by his brilliant one-day batting form. Is he now the world's most destructive batsman under lights? All this should point to a move up the order and in responsibility.

Strategy 6: Don't compare apples with oranges
Pakistan should stop thinking that Shoaib Malik is a rival for Saqlain Mushtaq's place. Malik is competing with Shahid Afridi, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq, while Saqlain is in a different bowling league. It is time to accept Malik's limitations. The India series will also be a time for wise heads.

Strategy 7: Return of the prodigals
Remember Saqlain's endless spells from one end, combined with high pace from the other? The India series will be a war of attrition, and Saqlain has the armoury. Only Pakistan could treat their only world-class spinner so dismally. Remember too Afridi's attitude and destructive force? In Pakistan against India -- under Javed's beady eye -- he could be a phoenix.

Kamran Abbasi is a London-based cricket writer and deputy editor of the British Medical Journal.

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Players/Umpires

Abdul Razzaq

Inzamam-ul-Haq

Javed Miandad

Moin Khan

Saqlain Mushtaq

Shoaib Malik

Series/Tournaments

India tour of Pakistan

Pakistan tour of New Zealand

Teams

Pakistan