A missed opportunity

The second innings of the Lords test was a perfect setting for any Indian batsman to cement his place in the side. While Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik made the most out of it, it was another missed opportunity for Sachin. Yes, you heard me right. Sachin has to prove his commitment,skill and ability to be sure of a place in the eleven.

While each delivery he faces will be watched intensely by not only his critics but also his millions of fans worldwide, the pressure he has to face, I believe, is at its peak now. For more than one-and-a-half decades, he has been the premiere batsman of the Indian cricket team. Most of these years he was the only dependable batsman. Captains world over priced the champions wicket over the other ten and they had good reason for that. He is the only batsman in the last two decades who has not been dropped from the test or one day team owing to poor performance. But I believe that its getting worse for the little master now. In our cricket crazy nation, everyone still expects him to make a hundred everytime he takes guard at the crease.

His exploits against South Africa, without doubt, proved that Sachin had still some fire left in him. He hooked, pulled and drove the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel to all parts of the ground in two glorious innings. But he failed to repeat the magic in the all important decider, the third match of the series and in the second innings of the test at Lords. The way he got out to Monty Panesar was appalling. With all due respect to Monty, it was not a delivery good enough to scalp the wicket of one of the best players of spin the world has seen. But of late, he has got out to spinners whose records are nowhere near as impressive as Panesar's.

Hopefully, the Trent Bridge test might see a different Sachin. With the millions of other Sachin fans around the world, I too would love to see some of the master's masterclass.

What does Yuvraj have to prove?

At one time we hear them saying that the old war horses have worn out and need to be rested and young blood will be courted. Then after a while, when the hype is over, they still persist with the same team. For a team which still has Saurav Ganguly with his place cemented in the eleven, even without too many performances to boast of, one does not see any point in complaining.

Yuvraj Singh, arguably, is the best batsman in the current Indian team. He already has a mature head on his shoulders at the young age of 26. Nobody ever doubted the elegant southpaw's talent. But initially the application was lacking. But this man has been around for 8 years and has scored runs all around the world. Still he has to fight for his place in the eleven. Does the board think that Dada will recreate the magic of his first tour of England? I think Yuvraj and Laxman should be considered before Saurav.

With an ageing Sachin and Rahul, Yuvraj, with loads of experience behind him, should be there in the team. England bowling attack may not be the same without Harmison, Jones and Flintoff; but its potent alright.