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[Zacked]

Break gives Sachin a chance to redeem
By WV Raman: Rahul Dravid, the Indian skipper would remember the 100th Test with mixed feelings as a result of England winning the test with enough to spare. His decision to insert England has been criticised severely but that alone cannot be deemed as the reason for the defeat. Any side, which bats in a lukewarm fashion in both the innings of a test match, will invariably emerge as the second best. In hindsight Dravid admitted that he should have done things differently, but the simple fact is that his gamble
did not pay off.

The composition of the team came under scrutiny as well after the defeat but it is about time the Indians played the fifth bowler, as the lower order is capable of churning up some runs. The team management would have looked silly if it were to go back to playing six batsmen and four bowlers, as they have been repeatedly
talking about taking team India in a new direction.

Apart from Dravid and Jaffer, the solidity was that one associates with the Indian batting was at a premium in this series, which helped England's cause. The failures of Sehwag and Tendulkar coupled with Laxman's relegation to the sidelines meant
that the rest of the batsmen had no option but to perform every innings.

The focus on Dravid's decision has overshadowed one of the main reasons for India's debacle. Shaun Udal played a major role in England's victory but with due respect to him, the Indians have handled better spinners far more efficiently and that too on rank turning tracks. This particular pitch at the Wankhede was a typical fifth day pitch in that the turn and bounce was there but the batsmen could have negotiated.

The England captain Flintoff marshalled the limited resources available very effectively apart from rotating the fast bowlers on a regular basis. This enabled them to be fresh and go flat out in their short spells. Flintoff displayed a lot of maturity in his batting as well for one who likes to belt the ball around the park. The charismatic all rounder would be pleased not only with his team's performance but also with his own ability to handle the additional responsibility. Flintoff has done something that
even the most experienced of captains have failed to do—doing well in India.

Nazar Hussain came very close to winning a Test match the last time around but somehow a win proved elusive. "Freddie's" performance, both as an individual and as a captain goes to show that a right approach is the key to success. Moreover, Flintoff continued to play the game in his usual positive fashion despite the depleted resources and the burden of captaincy weighing on him.

In contrast, Tendulkar is curbing his natural style and though there is no doubt that he is still as focused as he was on his debut, the runs seem very hard to come by. One can understand the fact that with passing of years, cricketers tend to operate more on percentage than on flair but Tendulkar's decision to give up his natural style almost completely has got him into a tangle. Any suggestion that he should pack it in is preposterous but on the other hand it will be hard for his ardent fans to see a great batsman like him make batting look a very tough exercise. The recent injury has added to his problems but the break might just give him the time to chalk out his future course of action. He is going through a rough patch right now and one can only hope he bats like his own old self when he resumes after the break.

http://indvseng06.msnspecials.in/exstory.asp?id=2006223171654593