India began their run up to the ICC World Cup with a well-fought win over the West Indies at Nagpur. The win was even more significant for the way the Indians kept their cool in spite of the challenge by the West Indies batsmen, as they chased a massive total put up by the Indians. Their challenge was set back when their skipper Brian Lara was out-thought by Sachin Tendulkar, and was smartly stumped by Dhoni. After that, the West Indians didn’t really have any player to stay with Shiv Chanderpaul as he played one of the finest chasing innings seen in one-day cricket. It was a close shave in the end for the home team, but that’s the best way to begin a campaign where not only one’s skills are tested, but also one’s temperament.
The Indians owe a big thanks to their opening pair of Ganguly and Gambhir, who put on a big partnership and gave the team just the kind of electrifying start that is needed in limited-overs cricket. Both Gambhir and Ganguly were making a comeback to the Indian limited-overs team, and both batted as if they were never away from the team. Gambhir in the past has not helped his cause by being a tad too impetuous and trying to score a boundary every ball, but here, he seemed a lot more patient without wasting a scoring opportunity. What can one say about Ganguly, other than the fact that he is silencing all those who doubted he had an international career left. He was superb as he carved the Windies bowling as only he can. If this knock doesn’t prove that there was injustice done to him in omitting him from the limited-overs squad, then nothing will. The way he has returned to the Indian team, it could well be a massive irony if his batting and occasional bowling make India rediscover its winning ways and thus end up saving the job of the person who has tried every trick in the book and some underhand ones too to finish the prince of Kolkata’s career.
The Nagpur pitch was pretty much a son-in-law one, and the son-in-law also enjoyed himself, as did Dhoni and Tendulkar, who showed that if they had more overs to bat, then they too could have got more runs and provided more entertainment to the goodly crowd. The little champion batting in the middle-order is a good move by the team, as in the absence of Yuvraj, they don’t have a batsman capable of the finishing touch. Of course, Tendulkar’s centuries have come as a top-order batsman, and so he may well prefer to be at the top than wait his turn to bat in this form of the game.
The West Indians never wilted under the burden of chasing such a mammoth total, and they have Chanderpaul to thank for taking the fight right to the Indians. The hosts sent down far too many boundary balls as the bowlers tried to bowl quick than maintain a good restricting line and length. Harbhajan was good and Dravid’s use of Tendulkar was clever and slowed things down somewhat. Gayle was devastating, and had he not been dismissed, India could well have had more trouble. The contributions from Samuels and Lara were also good, but not the big ones that a team wants when chasing a big total. Still, the West Indians will not feel bad, for they came so close to causing a big upset.
India will be breathing easy, but they know that even at home, it may not be as easy as it has been in the past.
