BOMBAY, 19 September 2003 — The importance of being earnest was emphasized in two different ways by Indian and New Zealand cricket officials, as both sides prepared for the two-Test series in three weeks time from now.

The Indian selectors were not the least wiser after the trials, held in the form of a two-week camp and the Challenger series matches, in which 40 players participated. At the end of this elaborate exercise, the major problems of finding a reliable set of openers, as also a specialist wicketkeeper, with decent ability to bat, were hardly addressed.

Moreover, total confusion reigned over the fitness, or rather the lack of it, of one of the main pace bowlers, Ashish Nehra. Nehra had fractured his right ankle during the World Cup in March, had been sent for a specialized treatment in South Africa. Even after almost six months of rehabilitation, he has not been included in the five-day Irani Trophy match, the final trial before the announcement of the team for the first Test against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

On the other hand, look at the meticulous way the New Zealanders are preparing for the Indian tour. For two full weeks, the members of the touring team visited Brisbane in Australia to practice on wickets made to order of the kind that they are likely to face in India.

The expertise for this was provided by two of their officials who visited India to have a closer look at pitches on which they would be playing during the tour.

The Kiwis have gone a step further by again deputing two important team officials to be in India, this time to watch all the Indian players in action. All the leading players are being seen in action in the Irani Trophy match at Madras, between Ranji Trophy champions Bombay and the Rest of India. Among the spectators are Ashley Ross, New Zealand’s stand-in coach, and his video analyst, Zach Hitchcock.

Such earnestness has rarely been seen on the part of a visiting team. The New Zealanders have done everything possible to see that they are able to overcome all the hurdles, actual and psychological, before they catch the action.

The records show that the New Zealanders have never quite fared well on Indian tours. After having virtually routed India at home last year, they want to maintain their superiority, come what may, hence all these pre-tour activities.

The same cannot, however, be said of the way the Indians have gone about their task of preparing for the Kiwi visit, to be followed by a tri-series (with Australia being the third team) and the more taxing tour of Australia. There were more words mouthed, (by all and sundry) than there was any action on the ground, with regard to two major problems facing the team.

Skipper Saurav Ganguly was the most vociferous when he talked of the need to have specialist openers and a wicketkeeper. In the end, when the Rest of India team was announced, none of the players, said to be genuine openers, were picked. And he finally ended up by saying that he would prefer to have Rahul Dravid continue to keep wickets. In other words, these problems will remain with the Indian team.

Coming to the confusion over Nehra’s fitness, no one seems to be sure what the exact position is. First, it was the BCCI secretary, S. K. Nair, who issued a statement that Delhi’s left-arm medium-pacer will be available for the Test series against New Zealand. Nehra himself said that he had fully recovered but needed some more time for rehabilitation, that is why he was missing the Irani Trophy match.

There was a complete contradiction, after the team for this match was announced. The Indian team’s physiotherapist Andrew Leipus said that Nehra was far from fit and that he still had a long way to go. “I just can’t imagine that he will be fit for the oncoming Test series. I am not even sure whether the bowler will be fit for one-day series as well.”

Why cannot all these people who are playing various but important roles put their heads together before taking a final decision these issues? No one has yet spoken about why Javagal Srinath is not back in action. A BCCI officials just said that he had not heard anything on the veteran pace bowler’s state of fitness.

He has been completely out of action since the return of the team from the World Cup in March last. No one knows whether he is even interested in continuing to serve the Indian team.

One fails to understand what the exact role the BCCI’s newly-appointed Media Manager is supposed to play. Already, there is such a wide communication gap within the BCCI itself, with one hand not knowing what the other is doing. So, how can you expect the media to be properly informed on all important matters.