Bowlers have their work cut out
Say what you want about pitches, conditions, opposition batsmen and Duckworth-Lewis technicalities but India's inability to defend a target of 329 at Peshawar was still baffling
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With Harbhajan Singh all but ruled out and Sreesanth just recovering from a bout of illness, India might well decide to play two spinners in the crucial tie. Ramesh Powar, who made his debut on this very ground two years ago, could find a place and his hitting ability could come in use late in the piece. "It looks a good batting wicket," said Chappell, "and it looks drier than what the Peshawar pitch looked before the game. It may not spin that much and there may not be as much early help for the faster bowlers."
That Pathan's bowling form has gradually dipped is there for all to see, but his value as a batsman cannot be underestimated. An average of 36.22 in his last 15 games, with some vital knocks at the top of the order, have played a big part in India's recent successes and he's shown an increased assurance while handling the new ball.
Two fifties in the last 19 ODIs at an average of 31.77 is totally untypical of Virender Sehwag. Like a switch that has turned on and off, Sehwag has slumped in one-dayers while scaling dizzying heights in Tests. Interestingly, in 13 off those 19 innings he has reached at least 20 and it may not be as big a problem as statistics suggest after all. Pushing him down the order is probably an option but India's lack of options may require him to continue at the top and rediscover the old touch.
Greg Chappell confirmed that the rotation policy would continue in India's attempt to "manage their resources". Playing Pakistan, according to him, provided India with a good opportunity to test themselves against a top side, probably the second or third best side in the world. "We think we compare favourably to Pakistan," he said. "They're a good batting side and have some exciting young fast bowlers. We're looking at it as a journey and we get an opportunity to play some good sides throughout this year. We'll get an idea of where we stand by the end of the year."
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is staff writer of Cricinfo