Cricket India

A desperate India will look to hit back at South Africa in the decisive second and final Test starting on Sunday after suffering a humiliating defeat in the opening tie.

India’s reputation as the number one Test side in the world took a massive blow after they lost the first Test in Nagpur by an innings and six runs to the second-ranked Proteas.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men need a series-levelling win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to stop South Africa from snatching the coveted ranking.

India’s hopes received a timely boost when key middle-order batsman Venkatsai Laxman was cleared to play after having recovered from a finger injury.

With star batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh ruled out at the start of the series with injuries, Laxman was sorely missed in Nagpur as India crashed for 233 and 319 in reply to South Africa’s 558-6 declared.

Laxman, 35, has scored 6,993 runs in 109 Tests at an average of 45.70 with 14 centuries.

India were forced to play rookie wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha as a specialist batsman in Nagpur after Rohit Sharma, the first-choice replacement for Laxman, got injured just before the toss.

“We definitely missed some important players due to injuries,” said Dhoni after suffering his first Test defeat since taking over as captain in 2008.

“That pushed us to the back foot. Injuries can cause a bit of panic in the dressing room.

“It was a test of our bench strength. So I won’t complain, I’ll only say that we were completely outplayed by South Africa.”

India’s bowling attack also lacked firepower, with pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and frontline off-spinner Harbhajan Singh paling in comparison to their South African rivals, Dale Steyn and Paul Harris.

Steyn, with a match haul of 10-108, underlined his reputation as the leading fast bowler in the world, while left-arm spinner Harris proved effective with three vital wickets in the second innings.

During their last series in India in 2008, South Africa won the second Test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs to take the lead in the three-match series after the first match was drawn.

India drew the series on an under-prepared wicket in Kanpur, raising fears that a similar ploy may be used at the Eden Gardens.

South Africa’s coach Corrie van Zyl, however, said his team will not be intimidated, whatever the nature of the wicket.

“Mentally, the South African team is better prepared than they were in 2008,” said van Zyl, who took over as interim coach from Mickey Arthur just before the start of the India tour.

“I won’t say it will be a minefield, but I do expect something that will help the Indian team. We know that if the first Test was a challenge, then the second Test is going to be a bigger challenge.”

The Kolkata Test will be followed by three one-day internationals in Jaipur (February 21), Gwalior (February 24) and Ahmedabad (February 27).

India were displaced from the top spot within 24 hours of gaining it after their morale-shattering 139-run defeat against the hosts Sri Lanka.

After India’s defeat, Australia defeated England by seven wickets to take a 4-0 lead in the seven-match series, which pushed India to third.

Both India and Australia have 125 points each but the latter are ahead when points were calculated upto decimals, according to the ICC website.

South Africa occupy the top slot. India will take on Sri Lanka in the final of the tri-nation series on Monday in Colombo.

“I don’t think you’ll see one team dominating like Australia did, at least not in the immediate future,” Dravid said.

“There are three or four teams that are evenly matched and you could see the number one spot change hands a few times in the next couple of years,” the 36-year-old, who makes a comeback to the Indian One-day side after two years, added.

Asked whether India would also face the transitional crisis that the Australians are battling once the likes of Sachin Tendulkar retire, Dravid said it would boil down to how well the Indian pace bowling attack shapes up.

“We’ve got a great blend of experienced cricketers, and promising talent coming through. We’ve done really well over the past couple of years and if we can keep a core group of fast bowlers fit enough to support the spinners then we have as good a chance as anyone,” he told ‘The Guardian’.

“When Australia dominated, it was the bowling of (Glenn) McGrath and (Shane) Warne that was the key and I believe that England won Ashes series because they had the more balanced bowling attack. We certainly have that balance, and so do Sri Lanka and South Africa. I think the bowling strength will determine which team gets to top,” he added.

On his assessment of the Ashes that England won 2-1, Dravid said the series never looked one-sided and could have gone either way.

“I always expected it to be close, and it was. But England won the moments that mattered, and over the course of the five Tests, I’d say that they just about edged it,” he said.

Australia slumped to No. 4 after its Ashes loss. It had been rated the world’s best team since Mark Taylor’s side defeated the West Indies in 1995.

“We would love to create that sort of aura and the sort of results that Australia had for so long,” South African coach Mickey Arthur was quoted as saying by Herald Sun.

“The results we have achieved in the past 18 months vindicate us being the No. 1 side in world cricket.”

South Africa scripted its maiden Test series win in Australia last summer, but surprisingly lost the return series at home.

Arthur said that was his team’s “one big blemish” and his outfit was superior to the Australian team.

Arthur was astonished by Australia’s 2-1 Ashes loss.

“Had Australia played as well against England as they did against us, I firmly believe they would have won the Ashes,” Arthur said.

“It was a huge thing that guys like Mitchell Johnson and Phil Hughes didn’t play well against England. We found when we played Australia last summer that they lost the big moments and we won them. If you look at the Ashes, the same thing happened when England applied pressure,” he said.

Yousuf, under fire for his below-par showing in the recent One-day series against Sri Lanka, said that he is looking to give his best in the elite tournament starting on September 22.

Some critics have questioned the selection of Yousuf in the Champions Trophy squad, saying that the seasoned batsman is a poor fielder in limited-overs cricket. Those experts have been calling for Yousuf to limit his international career to Test cricket.

The 34-year-old player, however, said his critics should be aware of the fact that he has been suffering from a shoulder problem for the last few years, adding that the injury has affected his performance as a fielder.

“I always field inside the circle these days because of the shoulder problem. But I’m hoping to get better,” he said.

Yousuf said that he is currently training hard for the Champions Trophy in spite of the holy month of Ramadan. “I do my physical training and also some batting, fielding and running practice,” he said. Yousuf, who has piled up 9292 runs from 272 one-day internationals, has the complete backing of his captain Younis Khan.

Last week, skipper Younis Khan in spite of Yousuf’s below-par showing in the recently-concluded One-day series in Sri Lanka, saying that his top batsman will take his time to adjust to the demands of international cricket.

Younis said that Yousuf has returned after a gap of over a year, and that there is a big difference between playing the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and international cricket.

“He (Yousuf) was out of international cricket for more than a year and will take time to make adjustments,” said Younis. “He played in the ICL during that period but let me tell you that there is a world of a difference in the standard of that league and international cricket. I’m sure in time Yousuf will be giving his best for Pakistan once again.”

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship

Australia have been knocked off its long-held perch as the number-one team in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.

England won the final Test at the Oval by 197 runs and regained the Ashes sparking joyful scenes across sunny south London. But for the visitors, the picture was far more bleak.

Ricky Ponting’s side has now slipped to fourth position in the rankings with South Africa assuming top spot due to Australia’s demise. Such is the competitive nature of Test cricket at present, there are now just six ratings points separating the Proteas and Australia with Sri Lanka currently occupying second spot, ahead of India in third by just a fraction of a point.

For being defeated by fifth-placed England in the series, Australia loses eight ratings points and is knocked off top spot for the first time since the current method of ranking was introduced in May 2003. The Test team rankings are only updated at the end of each series.

For its part, England stays fifth but gains six ratings points and now sits just 11 behind Australia.

And it seemed that Razzaq had cemented his place in the squad after his significant contribution in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 championship win in England in June.

The 29-year-old player is now left in the cold after a spate of unimpressive outings during the disastrous tour of Sri Lanka.

Razzaq was ignored for the Champions Trophy with the national selectors voting in favour of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, another former ICL player, for a place in the 15-man touring party for South Africa.

“I’m obviously disappointed at being dropped for the Champions Trophy,” said Razzaq. “I had regained my fitness and was looking forward to play in the tournament. But I’m hopeful of making a comeback soon.”

Razzaq, who has an impressive One-day record with 4,529 runs and 250 wickets from 234 outings, will find it really tough to regain a place in the national team.

His batting has been not been impressive since his return to international cricket and in the presence of pacers like Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved, it would be difficult for Razzaq to get the selectors’ nod only on the basis of his medium-pace bowling.

However, the Lahore-based player is not intimidated.

“I’ve never avoided hard work and am willing to put in the hours in order to get back my place in the Pakistan team,” said Razzaq, who has played 46 Tests for 100 wickets and 1,946 runs.

Razzaq said he has no regrets on quitting the cash-rich ICL, in which he was among the star cricketers.

“It (ICL) is a thing of past. All I’m interested now is to focus on my career with the Pakistan team,” he said.

Razzaq was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board along with several other compatriots after they switched allegiance to the ICL – an unofficial Twenty20 league run by one of the biggest media groups in India.

Earlier this year, he severed ties with the ICL after which the PCB pardoned and recalled him in the Pakistan team during the World Twenty20 as a replacement for injured all-rounder Yasir Arafat.

Morkel, regarded as a match-winner when he burst on the national scene in 2006-07, paid the price for inconsistent performances last season.

While Morkel missed out, left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe returned to the national team for the first time since undergoing a cartilage operation on his right knee in March. Tsotsobe took four for 50 in his only One-Day International against Australia in Perth in January.

Tsotsobe, 25, joined Wayne Parnell, 20, as one of two promising left-arm pace bowlers in the squad. Parnell was one of the outstanding performers in the World Twenty20 in England in June.

Left-arm spin bowler Robin Peterson also gained a recall.

“There were some difficult choices to make,” said selection convener Mike Procter.

“At the moment South African cricket is blessed with an abundance of fast bowling talent with the emergence of Tsotsobe and Parnell as outstanding new prospects and Charl Langeveldt becoming available again.

“Langeveldt is not fit enough yet to be considered after his shoulder surgery and Morne Morkel is the unlucky one to miss out. He is very much part of our long-term planning and has a major role to play but we would like to see more consistency from him at this stage,” said Procter.

Procter said one of the strengths of the team was that there were numerous options, with four spin bowlers, two all-rounders in Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel as well as a strong pace attack.

“There is also batting potential most of the way down the order.”

The Champions Trophy will be played at two venues, Centurion and Johannesburg, from September 22 to October 5.

South African squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha (vice-capt), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

The seven-member selection committee headed by former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim also have to take a hard look at the fitness of pace bowler Muhammad Asif, who has not played any competitive cricket since last July.

“It is not going to be easy for the selectors when they sit down on Friday to finalise the Champions Trophy squad because in South Africa the conditions are tough at a higher altitude and there is need for experience,” a source said.

The source said if the selectors decide to call up Asif then they will have to either axe all-rounder Fawad Alam who scored a debut century in the Test series in Sri Lanka or a senior player.

“Fawad has become a good utility player for the team and plus the captain, coach and manager are very impressed with his commitment and attitude in the team regardless of whether he is playing or not,” the source said.

He said if the selectors decide to retain Fawad then they would have to axe either one of three senior players including Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt or Misbah-ul-Haq.

“Butt was already overlooked for the One-day series in Sri Lanka after a dismal show in the Tests and the captain is also said to be unhappy with his attitude and commitment so in all likelihood the selectors might opt to pick just one specialist opener in Imran Nazir and manage with makeshift openers like Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal or even Shoaib Malik to partner him in the Champions Trophy,” the source said.

He said if Butt was again ignored then finalising 15 men would not be a problem with Yousuf and Misbah retaining their places despite putting up a poor show in Sri Lanka.

“But the selectors are double minded since Butt is an experienced opener and in South Africa it is always safe to open with a proper opening pair and not experiment,” the source said.

However, the source said that all-rounder, Rana Naved who excelled in Sri Lanka in the One-dayers, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq were sure to be selected.

“Rana is so confident of being picked for the Champions Trophy that he didn’t even bother to go back to England after the Sri Lankan series to resume his contract with Yorkshire,” the source said.

According to the source, selectors have narrowed down to 18 players, namely:

Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Khalid Latif, Khurrum Manzoor, Umar Akmal, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.

“I will continue to train at the camp here till August 29 and then at the conditioning camp for the national team before leaving for South Africa. I am confident that I will touch my peak fitness by the time the tournament starts. I am satisfied with my bowling and generating pace with sideways movement of the ball,” Asif said.

“The training by Rashid is hard and there is no let-up. This schedule is very beneficial for someone like me who is getting back into the game after a year.

“It is a new beginning for me and my career. I am ready to take on the new opportunities offered to me,” said Asif, who has played 11 Tests and 31 One-Day Internationals so far.

“I enjoyed bowling in South Africa on the Test tour in 2007 and again in the T20 World Cup,” he added.

The 26-year-old Asif was watched closely by chief selector Iqbal Qasim and fellow selector Saleem Jaffer on Wednesday at the national stadium.

“He is bowling well but we are more concerned about his fitness. The feedback we get from Rashid Latif is important for us,” Qasim said.

Qasim will sit down with the national team coach Intikhab Alam in Lahore tomorrow to finalise the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, which is to be announced on Friday.

All the indications are there that the selectors will take a gamble with Asif who has not played any competitive cricket since July 2008 due to disciplinary and doping issues.

Qasim also added that the selectors are happy with the recovery of Umar Gul from his back problem.