The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Team India’s captain-coach combination should build on a superb start, writes Abhijit Chatterjee

Dravid and Chappell have several match-winners at their disposal.
— PTI photo

The Greg Chappell-Rahul Dravid combine augurs well for Indian cricket. With the astonishing 6-1 win over Sri Lanka, the captain and the coach have been able to mould a bunch of talented but under-performing players into a team of achievers.

The Indians will be playing a minimum of 27 one-day matches till the end of the season, which will give an opportunity to the team management to try out some more innovative moves. The series against the South Africans is not going to be easy, but the Indians will be playing with their tails up after the demolition of Sri Lanka. The tour to Pakistan early next year will be no cakewalk either. Nevertheless, a good beginning has been made.

The forthcoming games will give several chances to the players (and the team think tank) to finetune their gameplan, be it bowling, fielding or batting. In spite of the big series win, there are some chinks in the Indian team which need to be filled. Vice-captain Virender Sehwag is getting starts in every innings but not big scores.

The Indians looked positive in every outing. Every player tried, and did look like an achiever, in giving his best to the master plan drawn by a coach whose commitment to the game cannot be questioned. The unsavoury incidents in Zimbabwe, where the coach and the team captain were involved in a slanging match, seemed to be a thing of the past as the players rose from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix to crush a team which just a couple of months had forced the Indians to bite the dust.

Still, it is too early to say hurrah. India have a long haul to the 2007 World Cup and by then the Chappell-Dravid combine will have to develop a core group of 20 to 25 players from whom to select the team for the World Cup. Of course a large number of players will select themselves but even those who seem to be automatic choices for the next World Cup will have to perform to stay in contention.

Sachin Tendulkar’s impressive comeback is great news for Indian cricket. It is important for the team management to nurse him along the way, giving him the liberty to play and rest as he feels like so that he can serve Team India for a longer period of time. As Chappell says, the mere presence of Tendulkar in the Indian dressing room is by itself a huge plus. For example, the decision to play Irfan Pathan at the one-drop slot was reportedly taken at the suggestion of Tendulkar, who is one of the best readers of the game.

The series against Lanka has helped India unearth a host of new players who can serve Indian cricket for a long time. The names of new stars like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rudra Pratap Singh and S. Sreesanth come easily to the mind but the fact is that everybody played for the team and not for himself and this is what has made Team India click. Players like Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao (and Chandigarh’s V.R.V. Singh, who unfortunately could not get a look-in in the series due to an injury) have age on their side, together with a keen desire to learn as much as they can. The seven games also helped Ajit Agarkar to regain his rhythm, and, more importantly, to be among the wickets again.

Chappell and Dravid must work hard to continue the task undertaken by them of rebuilding the team. Not long ago, the players looked like a rag-tag army with no motivation even if they had the skill. The reincarnation of Harbhajan Singh, who attempted to back Ganguly in his spat with Chappell, had to be seen to be believed. In the series against Sri Lanka, he looked like the bowler of old, willing to try out new angles, trajectory and use the width to his advantage, all signs of a bowler keen to learn and adapt according to the situation. This is what the Chappell magic is all about.

But the Australian cannot let his guard down. Team India has a long way to go till the World Cup 2007. He might have won the first battle but there are many more ahead.

Court marshal
Vinod Kumar

He is said to be the next big thing in Indian tennis. Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, winner of the recently held DSCL Open National Tennis Championship, is known for his consistency and fighting spirit. A product of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA), 22-year-old Sunil is getting better every season.

Sunil was born in Kapurthala on April 4, 1983. He joined CLTA at the age of nine under its Rural Development Programme. In 1995, Punwire became his sponsor. He lived up to their expectations by clinching the ITF 3rd IYF Central Asian boys under-14 singles title in 1996. He won the first of his many national titles in 1999 at the age of 16, a feat achieved earlier only by Ramesh Krishnan and Leander Paes. Since then, he has gone through many ups and down, often coming very close to big-time fame.

“I joined Paes en Sport Academy in Kolkata, run by Paes and his father Vece Paes. That’s where I learnt the finer nuances of the game,” said Sunil, taking a break from his routine training schedule at CLTA. “I owe all my success to Leander. It’s always good when a player of his stature gives you guidance.”

Apart from the Paes duo, CLTA’s Rajan Kashyap has also played a crucial role in Sunil’s career.

However, Sunil’s journey to fame has not been very smooth, considering the expenses associated with the game. “Once you start playing tournaments you have to spend a lot of money from your pocket. It involves a lot of travelling and board and lodging.

“If you are out of a tournament in the early stages, it proves to be an expensive affair. One should have good financial support to succeed in this game,” said Sunil, currently working with Indian Oil as grade one officer.

Sunil’s transition from junior to professional circuit wasn’t that difficult as it should be. “Though playing at the junior circuit is totally different from the senior level, I was determined and took every match seriously, no matter whom or where I was playing.

“Tournaments at the senior level are very competitive. You are up against players who are mentally and physical stronger than you. You need to have the right attitude and skill to succeed at this level,” he said.

But all this couldn’t halt his progress from Kapurthala to the international arena. In 2001, a great year for Sunil, he won the Tata Futures singles title in New Delhi and ITF titles in Kolkata and Dhaka. That year, he also reached the third round in boys singles at Wimbledon and the US Open. When asked what motivated him to keep going, he said, “My family and friends are my main source of inspiration. They are the ones who always encourage me to go ahead.”

Despite being a part of India’s Davis Cup squad in 2002, Sunil is yet to get a look-in.

“Every Indian tennis player wants to represent the country in the Davis Cup. Though I couldn’t play in 2002, I learnt a lot from the seniors. I know my chance will come soon,” said a confident Sunil.

His speed on the court, backed by a powerful serve, are his main strengths. The national final in 1999 is one of his most cherished matches as it was his first major victory.

He is also upbeat about the recent triumphs of Sania Mirza. “Sania’s success will definitely help in promoting tennis in India. Now people have started following tennis”.

Playing a tough sport where people perish in no time, Sunil has been able to defy the odds and it seems he’s here to stay. Slowly but surely, he is moving towards glory.

Chacha Pakistani

Pakistan cheerleader Abdul Jalil (left) was a big hit during the team’s tour to India earlier this year. — PTI photo

Abdul Jalil is using cricket to pursue his mission in life: bringing joy into the lives of his fellow Pakistanis. “There is so much poverty and illiteracy in Pakistan. There are unemployment problems and people remain under stress. I think cricket is a good way to lift their spirits,” says Jalil, popularly known as Chacha Pakistani or simply Chacha.

The 57-year-old Jalil is a familiar sight at Pakistan cricket matches, wearing his green robes and cap and waving the national flag.

He has travelled around the world as the cheerleader of the team and is now paid by the Pakistan Cricket Board to rouse the supporters.

Cricket remains Pakistan’s number one sport and the performances of the national team are passionately followed by the population of 150 million.

Jalil saw his first cricket match at Lahore in 1969 when England played Pakistan.

“It has been 36 years now since I have been following cricket and 19 years since I first decided to don this green cloak and cap,’’ he recalled during the first Test against England in Multan earlier this week.

Jalil made his first appearance as the official cheerleader of the Pakistan team at the Australasia Cup final in Sharjah in 1986.

It was the famous match in which former captain Javed Miandad hit a last-ball six off the bowling of India’s Chetan Sharma to give Pakistan their first major one-day title.

“That match and moment remain memorable for me. It lifted the profile of our team,’’ says Jalil. ‘’I used to travel from Abu Dhabi, where I worked, for the matches in Sharjah.’’

“Now the Pakistan Cricket Board has fixed Rs 10,000 monthly stipend for me and they also sponsor some of my trips abroad or else it is not possible for me to carry on like this.”

Chacha has been to the last three World Cups courtesy of the board.

Jalil, who hails from the Punjab city of Sialkot, went to India earlier this year when Pakistan toured there and said the response of the Indian people towards him was fantastic.

“They were very good to me. I travelled a total of 58 hour by train around India and everywhere they greeted me with love and affection,” he said. The series was the first on Indian soil in six years between the two countries.

In Multan earlier this week, Jalil waved two flags instead of one, having decided to add the Union Jack in honour of the visitors.

“Cricket should bring people and nations closer,” he said. “After all, it is just a game, not war.” — Reuters

IN THE NEWS
Ace archer

Jhanu Hansda was the only Indian archer to win an individual gold at the recent Asian championship. — AFP photo

Jharkhand never had it so good in sports. While Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who represents the state in the Ranji Trophy, was busy tormenting the Sri Lankan bowlers, Jhanu Hansda was hitting the bull’s eye in the women’s compound bow event at the Asian Archery Championship in New Delhi. She was the only Indian archer to win an individual gold in the championship (the men’s team bagged another gold).

It has been a superb year for Jhanu. In April, she set a world record in the women’s 70m event (compound bow) during the National Ranking Circuit Tournament in Hyderabad, a feat for which the Jharkhand Government awarded her Rs 5 lakh.

Not long ago, archers like Jhanu had threatened to call it quits due the alleged apathy of the state government towards them. However, the powers that be acted promptly to induct Jhanu and others into the ranks of the state police. Thanks to her and other archers like Dola Banerjee, Rina Kumari, Balsara Lindher, Keji Guno and Sakro Besra, Jharkhand has become a powerhouse in the sport.

Jhanu has a host of important tournaments lined up next year, including the inaugural South Asian Championship in Dhaka (February) and the Asian Games (December). If she keeps aiming like Arjuna, a golden year is a distinct possibility.
— Agencies

SPORTS MAIL

Thumping win

The Indian cricket team has become a contender for the 2007 World Cup with their thumping 6-1 win in the series against Sri Lanka. Team India was superb in the series, particularly during their comprehensive victories at Nagpur and Mohali. Rahul Dravid is proving to be the ideal captain, leading from the front in virtually every match.

— Rajan Malhotra, Kangra

Apropos the news item, “Sachin shines as India win” (The Tribune, October 26), the fine comeback of Sachin Tendulkar was one of the high points of India’s show in the series against Sri Lanka. Team India may not be the best at the moment, but it is certainly among the best. Captain Rahul Dravid deserves a pat on the back for leading India to a big victory against the Lankans.

— P.k. Gupta, Bathinda

Topalov on top

Kudos to Veselin Topalov for claiming his maiden title in the World Chess Championship held in Argentina. In the last-round game, Topalov secured a quick draw against Hungarian Judit Polgar to clinch the title. He steamrollered his opponents by scoring six wins in the first seven games of the championship. This spree of victories made all the difference, leaving all his rivals far behind in the race for the title.

The Bulgarian deservedly ran away with the title through sheer concentration and consistency, with Viswanathan Anand and Peter Svidler on his trail. But the Indian and the Russian could end up only with 8.5 points each which fetched them a commendable second spot.

— Tarsem S. Bumrah, Batala