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India miss the experienced Kumble
India will always wonder if Anil Kumble could have made the difference.
- Arjuna Ranatunga
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:54 AM IST
Read Time:3 min
Colombo:
India will always wonder if Anil Kumble could have made the difference. India did not have Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman pulled out in the morning. It was a side, which was low on experience and was crying for some cool heads. Besides, it is too obvious that three left-arm seamers is not the best way to have variety in your attack. A batsman is best confronted when he has different angles, line and lengths and field positions to contend with. Defensive mindset Kumble, in all the years I have known, is master in creating pressure. He would have made good use of batsmen's defensive mindset and who knows, with a few fielders breathing down their neck, it could have told on the Sri Lankan team. At no stage I am running down the inclusion of two debutants in Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao. I would love to see Raina more in this tournament as I liked the way he walked into the middle for his first international game. There are some things about a cricketer, which reveal his entire character. Unfortunately, Raina faced the first ball of his career like nothing he would have ever faced in his life. Murali's wrong 'un completely did him in. Murali presently is at the top of his form. His googlies are turning four or five feet, which do not allow batsmen to pre-judge him. In this form, it will be difficult to hit him for boundaries. I could remember only two from this game and one of them went dangerously close to first slip. Rao, in his first international, has taken a huge step forward. He can hope for a career at this level. Extra dimension His performance acquires extra dimension on two counts: one, the side was close to being wiped out at the half-way stage and two, Murali had tasted blood. He virtually saw through Murali's first spell, which is no mean feat. Admittedly luck favoured him a couple of times but then the pitfalls of facing Murali is a road, which has never been without potholes. Sri Lanka too had a youngster who shone through in his opening game. Dilhara Lokhuttige bowled a miserly and productive spell and his 21 runs in the middle was a critical contribution. I liked the way he and Farvez Mahroof shared the new-ball burden in the absence of Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa. I can also offer words of encouragement to Dilhara Fernando even though his figures reflect him to be the most expensive bowler from Saturday's game. He went for 61 runs but from Sri Lankan cricket's point of view, it is good that he is back. He has that pace and bounce, which on good day will win Sri Lanka many a games. Top players missing When you are missing top players, the best of the rest need to put their hands up. India needed Virender Sehwag to bat for long. But personally I would not like Sehwag to curb his natural style. He is best suited to play his own brand of cricket and tampering it might not work. Still, if an idea or two comes in his mind watching Sanath Jayasuriya bat, it would not hurt him or Indian cricket at all! Jayasuriya too is a blaster who over the years has learnt to shift gears. His batting with a dislocated shoulder just cannot be measured by runs alone. There was heroism in his act, an act of courage and a raging desire to win the game for his nation. It reminded me of my own knock in a Test in Pakistan when I had four fractures in the thumb but guided my team for those final 60-odd runs with the help of tailenders. (PTI)Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket Anil Kumble
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