œND‰‰†‰K 20 SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA New Delhi, January 12, 2003 SPORT Leave more outside the off Quick footwork and swaying needed Go back and across Watch your backlift Graeme Pollock on Sourav Ganguly: It’s naive Virender Sehwag’s coach Yograj Singh on Yuvraj Singh: Anshuman Gaekwad to look for technique in Sourav Ganguly’s batting. AN Sharma on his ward: I’d like to see him In New Zealand, Yuvraj has got on Rahul Dravid: He was never renowned for that but is a class act play his drives close to the body. He’s out to some brilliant catches. When I was the coach in ODIs. He needs to leave more balls outside stretching his luck a little too far which We did talk about how he could of the Indian team, the offstump. Indians love to hit boundaries can run out against quality fast bowling counter the movement which will once or twice I did and none more than in South Africa. He also needs to have a be there in South Africa as well. I point out to Rahul Ganguly himself. good defensive technique to last on suggested that he stand a little Dravid about his He gives his wicket away if the fast wickets. Though, he has got outside the crease and then go backlift. I think there’s he can’t hit big shots which runs in New Zealand, I’d have liked to back and across to meet the ball. too much bottom-hand won’t be there early in the in- see some fast footwork and even By doing that a batsman can count- in it. Consequently, he nings in South Africa. He’d be more importantly swaying away er the late movement. For the slot tends to miss the ball, his tested with short balls and being from the line of the ball as it was kicking from a he’s batting at, it’s imperative to play head falls over and gets out an instinctive puller and hooker length. But it won’t be wise to shuffle him in out the entire 50 overs. If he can do that lbw. You’d notice that he should look for a trap from fine leg to the batting order and should open the innings India will invariably post a big total. He also mistimes the ball square leg region. against one and all. He being needs to play more in the ‘V’ and with because of this. a good square cutter of the the punch in his strokes he doesn’t need He’ll have to play a number of strokes In general, I’d say our ball should help him but can’t say the flourish which takes batsmen should leave as many A FEW DOs AND DON’Ts off his chest and the waist area. The the same about the hook and the his bat away from the balls as possible in SA. key is patience. pull. body. By Bobilli Vijay Kumar & ...And what the others must do Dinesh Chopra WHEN & WHERE Punjab Ranji coach Bhupinder Singh Sr. on Dinesh Just when the entire world WILL TWO SWALLOWS MAKE AN Indian cricketers are bad Mongia: He’s making a comeback and looks visibly tight in was giving up on tourists, a fact illustrated the middle. I’ve seen him as a youngster coming up in them, the ma- once again in New Chandigarh and normally, he’s a very free-flowing batsman harajas have Zealand. TNN looks at with a good cricketing brain. I’d like to see him leave more gone and set two the venues and the alien balls outside the offstump and let the bowler bowl at him matches on fire. conditions that India will rather than chasing it. There’s also a tendency to play more towards The sombre play their six pool match- cover and extra cover than midoff and midon. That too needs to be clouds have al- es in the World Cup: plugged. He’s played most of his cricket on Mohali, one of the fastest ready started INDIAN SUMMER? oland Bank Park, Paarl (Vs tracks, and is a good player of horizontal bat strokes but should try to running for cov- BHolland on Feb 12): India’s play the pull stroke down. er; the abuses and curses The Indian team is back in business. Two victories in the last two matches have reinstated the players Cup opener will be played at the Cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar on the Big have even made way for bou- picturesque setting of the Four — Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar and Sehwag: The way they quets and praises; and ac- as heroes. Experts in South Africa too believe that the condition in the World Cup will be better for Boland Park. While the modest batted in New Zealand will have no bear- cording to last dispatches, In- Tendulkar and company. Times News Network sees if the team still needs to go in for an operation resources of Holland are not a worry, the Indians will get a fine ing on how they’ll perform in South dia were finally spotted, alive opportunity to launch their cam- Africa as conditions will be different. In- and kicking. More interest- burly all-rounder Brian line. As I see it, 240-250 should bowlers theory.“The wickets Wessels has a piece of advice ingly, the cricket fan is also McMillan agrees. “The Indi- be a winning score. Anything will afford good bounce and for the Indian openers: “They paign on a bright note. India dia open their campaign against Holland played the first-ever ODI played back in business. an fast bowlers should enjoy less than that and a decent movement and India are have to be wary early on and a hundred by Sourav Ganguly can at this smallish ground, a sensa- the conditions if they don’t team would scale it,” says clubbed with the two most when there will be some set things for him. Rahul Dravid will be Never mind that their he- tional tie against Zimbabwe in perhaps the most consistent. He’s rotating the strike well, manoeuvring roes literally gasped to victo- get carried with the pace and Bacher. potent new-ball attacks (Aus- movement.” That is, of 1996-97. And the last time they the ball and helping India win matches. Sachin Tendulkar is one bats- ry at Auckland; never mind bounce.” Srinath, Nehra and But the ghosts of New tralia and Pakistan). They course, anathema to our ma- figured here, they ran up a mas- man we don’t need to talk about, he should do well. Virender Sehwag that they again took the old, Zaheer have proved that they Zealand are still lurking in will suit bowlers like Mc- harajas: they believe in the sive 351/3 against Kenya in has all the strokes and can be really destructive. I don’t think anyone tortuous route home: canter, don’t always get carried the dark. Master batsman Grath, Gillespie and Razzaq lofty concept: Have-bat-will- 2001-02 with Tendulkar-Gangu- can make him or Ganguly change their games. cave in, crash and almost col- away; they, in fact, usually Graeme Pollock says he is who hit the deck and land the swing. More importantly,the ly amassing a record 258 for the seem to bowl better when the not too convinced about In- ball consistently on the think-tank will probably be Former India cricketer Yashpal Sharma on Mohammed Kaif: lapse near the finish line. first wicket. Hopefully, the condi- The good news is that Jav- team is defending small tar- dia’s batting. “I see a problem seam.” arguing over the line-up even During my days as the Ranji coach for Uttar Pradesh, I’ve worked very tions will help leave the memo- agal Srinath survived two de- gets. (for India) as apart from Ten- He sees the only silver lin- when the team is landing in closely with Kaif. Though he’s technically sound I can see ries of New Zealand behind. liveries at the death; the good “I see Ashish Nehra play- dulkar and Dravid, there ing for the Indian batsmen in Durban. certain flaws creeping into his batting. These are more to do omen is that Ashish Nehra ing the role that Kallis plays aren’t any good backfoot the overhead conditions. Dr Bacher agrees. “India uperSport Park, Centurion with One-day cricket — things like opening the face of his (Vs Australia on Feb 15 evaded the closing trap and for South Africa as a swinger. players.” “They don’t play much of a S bat or playing around his front pad. He’s a tough character have one of the most destruc- and Vs Pakistan on Mar 1): In smashed the penultimate He keeps the ball full and He even sees a corollary to role in day matches but cer- and should soon overcome the problems. May be he needs to tive batting lineups. They all probability, India’s fortunes in ball for a boundary. Srinath moves it around as good the good-wickets-good-for- tain venues can really be talk to the seniors. Generally, I’d like to see the team get together for a should enjoy the conditions the Cup will be decided in this and Nehra looked pretty as pace.” He feels Agarkar and our- windy in the evenings. And camp before the World Cup and practice under lights. Any place which here as most of their batters small city.