da apostebet： A strong performance by the Indian middle order in the Delhi Test is the reason why Yuvraj Singh will be forced to spend more time on the sidelines rather than in the middle
da jogodeouro： Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Delhi26-Nov-2007
Ganguly’s all-round contribution will be more than enough to keep Yuvraj Singh on the sidelines © AFP
An hour after Sachin Tendulkar slapped one past point to sew up theKotla Test, Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle. Hardly anyone wasleft in the stands and only a few cameramen and officials watchedhis stint. Facing a group of net bowlers, one of whom tried his bestto imitate Shoaib Akhtar, he went about pounding the netting. The furyin some of those shots was indicative of how hard he’s knocking on thedoors of selection.By just being around, he’s keeping an entire batting line-up, aselection committee, and a media contingent on its toes. His name hascome up in four of the six press conferences here. Before the game hewas being talked about as a replacement for VVS Laxman, now he’s beinglinked to Dinesh Karthik. Often he’s also giving Sourav Ganguly a run.At the danger of giving him too much credit, he’s obliquelycontributing towards a consistent batting effort, match after match.Ganguly and Laxman, though, must be a bit confused. One has reinventedhimself over the last year and the other played his part in a quiet,efficient manner. Both have come through high-pressure situations,dealing with it in an assured manner. Ganguly has silenced those whodoubted his ability against pace and Laxman has done the same againstswing. Both have eked out runs with the tail, both have kept out thesecond new ball and both have, crucially, played out important finalsessions. Ganguly has four fifties and a hundred in his last eightTests; Laxman five fifties and a hundred in his last ten.The Kotla Test was a case in point. If Laxman blunted the Shoaibthreat in the first innings, Ganguly did the same in thesecond. If Laxman appeared far more comfortable than any batsman inthe first dig, Ganguly occupied that slot in the second.Both walked in amid a collapse and, in contrasting styles, calmed thenerves. Both didn’t hesitate to play their shots. They made someimportant contributions on the field too: Laxman plucking asensational catch to break Pakistan’s dangerous opening partnershipand Ganguly having one of his best Tests with the ball.Before the game, Kumble made it clear that Laxman would play. At theend of it, having seen his decision justified, he didn’t understandthe fuss. “I think Laxman’s knock was very crucial considering thecircumstances. He’s a fantastic player and his partnership with Dhoniwas very critical for us. I don’t know why there is always a swordhanging over his head. It’s only a perception from those not withinthe dressing room. We [the team] know what quality he brings in andhis role in the team is very crucial.”Laxman’s value is probably forgotten because of the long gaps betweenTest series. One-day performances are usually enough to make you asuperstar and it doesn’t help that Laxman leads a distinct double-life- one in the Test arena and another in the quiet confines offirst-class cricket. Others may soon find themselves in his position,considering that half of India’s Test squad don’t play one-day matches.Karthik, however absurd it sounds, seems to be the new one on thechopping block. He was the only batsman to not make a mark and thehighs of the England series, when he cracked 263 runs at 43.9, suddenlyseem a distant memory. Kumble, though, brushed aside any suchsuggestions. “He just missed out here,” he said. “His contribution onthe field was important – he took the crucial catch and effected therun-out [both off Misbah-ul-Haq]. He was the highest run-scorer in thelast Test series and it’s not fair on anyone to be judged on twoinnings.”India triumph in England was built on a slew of partnerships and they’ll be heartened that the trend continued here. Not only do theyhave a batting line-up responding as a team but also a stand-by who’spushing everyone that little bit harder.
