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Final Fifteen
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Top order needs to
find form
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Final Fifteen
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Indian selectors’ Chawla googly
New Delhi, January 17 We have one question too. Exactly where are they planning to play three specialist spinners in the World Cup? The squad of 15, announced in Chennai today, wasn't a great exercise really, since 13 of the 15 in the fray were almost automatic choices, though even that has a little teaser to it. But we will get there later. So as it turns out, Harbhajan Singh will have the company of off-spinning colleague Ravichandran Ashwin from Tamil Nadu and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla from Uttar Pradesh. Ashwin was always thought to be in the running — cynically, since he has the blessings of the Chairman of Selectors and the president-elect of the BCCI (realistically, since he is a good prospect and bowls with a straight arm). But how and where Chawla fits into the scheme of things is, conservatively, a little mystifying. India, traditionally, play four specialist bowlers in a 50-over game. In the sub-continent, its normally two seamers and two spinners. This, combined with the fact that there is an array of part-time spinners in the side, makes up for their attack. There is no place for a third specialist spinner. The selectors have left out Rohit Sharma. Again, not quite certain why. In a worst-case scenario, he would have been a batsman in reserve, and also a part-time spinner, who incidentally hasn't done badly at all with the ball in South Africa. Now for the 'guaranteed' players. Quite a collection of real and potential walking wounded. We have Sachin Tendulkar on that list (conveniently paving the way for Chawla to get some match practice in SA) with a dodgy hamstring; Virender Sehwag's shoulder kept him out of the ODI series, though we now hear he is in Germany for medical attention to an injured forearm; Gautam Gambhir finger is in poor shape and Praveen Kumar's elbow isn't the best.
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Top order needs to find form Cape Town, January 17 The Indians have suffered a big jolt with Sachin Tendulkar returning home because of a hamstring injury, further weakening the batting line up which has plenty of talent but has not come to terms with the pacy tracks in South Africa yet. Tendulkar's injury has added to India's cup of woes as three key players — Virender
Sehawag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar — have already been ruled out of the series due to injuries. Thanks to some superb bowling, India managed to defend a low total of 190 in the second ODI and yet again the onus is on bowlers to deliver the goods for the team on a Newlands track which was expected to assist the quick
bowlerss. India would look to pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel to not only get wickets but to check the Proteas batsmen so that the batters have an easy job to do, in case they bat second. Spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh has done his bit by putting the brake on the scoring in the middle of the rival innings and yet again he has to ensure that not many runs leak during that stage, which played a part in India's series- levelling win at Johannesburg. Batting has always been India's strong point but the form of the batsmen in the ongoing series is a big disappointment. With seniors missing from the ranks, the youngsters, who have actually done well in the recent past, have not been able to cope with the conditions. The middle-order, except for Yuvraj Singh in the last game, has just not clicked. Suresh Raina nor Rohit Sharma, who are both regarded as highly talented players, are not even pale shadow of themselves although they contributed with the ball as part-timers. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have scored a fifty each so far and India need one of these youngsters to play a big knock tomorrow if the visitors hope of taking lead. Lack of a good start has also put pressure on the middle order and India's problems have just compounded with Tendulkar's absence and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows the importance of Yuvraj in that situation. "His (Yuvraj's) role in the batting lineup is crucial. If we get good start then he can come and score quick runs and if we lose few wickets then he can control the game with a solid innings. He played very well in the match. "It is important that Yuvraj gets into good form. He is now a decent all-rounder for us as he also bowls a few overs," Dhoni said. Diminutive wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has been sent as Tendulkar's replacement and it will be a big challenge for the left-hander to do the tough opening job in trying conditions, if he gets a chance tomorrow. It's time that Murali Vijay scores some runs to show his worth in the short format. He got into the side due to absence of both Sehwag and Gambhir but has not
capitalised. South African batsmen, specially the top-order, are in terrifc form and an ecore of the Johannesburg performance would be difficult for the Indian bowlers.
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), the skipper of the side remains the advertiser's dream and a poster boy for modern-day India, but off the field, Dhoni has seldom courted attention or publicity. Even his wedding was a low-key family affair, and now nearing 30, he remains content to make the big statements where they need to be made, out on the field.
Cape
Town, January 17
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), the skipper of the side remains the advertiser's dream and a poster boy for modern-day India, but off the field, Dhoni has seldom courted attention or publicity. Even his wedding was a low-key family affair, and now nearing 30, he remains content to make the big statements where they need to be made, out on the field.
Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, the most prolific runmaker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation. He will be playing in his sixth World Cup.
Virender Sehwag (VC) has constructed an extraordinary career with a relentless quest, and a genius, for boundary hitting. With minimal footwork but maximum intent, he has piled Test runs at a faster pace than anyone in the history of cricket. Bowlers must always fancy their chances against a batsman who plays so many strokes; it's just that Sehwag fancies his chances against them much more. He will be the backbone of the Indian lineup.
Gautam Gambhir is one of the most complete batsmen of the current era. He is adept at opening in all three forms of the game. He can be more aggressive than Virender Sehwag, he can play the kind of back-to-the-wall innings that would do Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman proud.
Yuvraj Singh hits the ball as clean and long as it has ever been hit. When all is not well, he looks so awkward you forget he can hit the ball clean and long. When all is well with Yuvraj more often in limited-overs cricket, where he can be effortless and brutal.
Virat Kohli has already earned a reputation as a level-headed and mature cricketer. Batting at his favourite No. 4 position, he has a penchant for converting his fifties into big scores. In January he was 2008 named captain of the Indian U-19 squad for the 2008 World Cup.
Yusuf Pathan first made his mark as a hard-hitting batsman and offspinner for the Baroda Under-16 team in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 1999-2000. His impressive showings saw him quickly climb the rungs in domestic as well as international circuits
Suresh Raina represents the new age Indian cricketer. An attacking left-hander who goes for the big shots with impunity and clears the field with a swashbuckling flourish, Raina is also equally capable of attracting applause as an electric fielder in the circle.
Praveen Kumar had everything to become a domestic cricket legend: limited pace but ability to swing the ball both ways, persistence to bowl long spells to take wickets on unresponsive Indian wickets. But he took his limited pace and remarkably smart application of that ability to a higher level, claiming 10 wickets in in his debut ODI series. 
Zaheer Khan has all the traits that made the Pakistani fast bowlers a phenomenon. He swings the new ball and reverses the old, he does well on flat subcontinent pitches and relishes the helpful ones away, and he controls all three balls well - SG, Duke and Kookaburra. He knows how to get wickets and he has an intuitive sense of when to go for the kill.
Ashish Nehra brings to the popping-crease most of the virtues of a classical left-arm fast bowler - pace, accuracy, subtle variations, an ability to move the ball off the wicket and a devastating late inswinger. He came out of his first full tour - to Zimbabwe in 2000-01 - with his reputation as one of the most promising new-ball bowlers on the international circuit.
Munaf Musa Patel, the young boy from the little town of Ikhar in Bahruch, Gujarat is strongly built though not overly tall, a wild mane flowing behind him as he bustles up to the bowling crease, gathering momentum before releasing the ball with a windmill-whirl of hands, Patel's priority is to bowl accurately like his idol Glenn McGrath.
Harbhajan Singh is India's most successful offspin bowler. Purists might mutter about a lack of loop and flight, but he is very much a product of his times where short boundaries, heavy bats and shorter forms afford little latitude to slow bowlers. Bowling with a windmilling, whiplash action, remodelled after he was reported for throwing, he deals by varying his length and his pace, and can turn it the other way too. 
Piyush Chawla is one for early impact. As a 15-year-old he represented India Under-19 and Uttar Pradesh U-22. Before he made his first-class debut, at 17, he had already bowled Sachin Tendulkar with a googly in a Challenger Series match. In his first first-class season, he took 35 wickets and scored 224 runs to help UP win their first Ranji Trophy.
R Ashwin has some uncanny similarities with S Venkataraghavan, but for the moment the comparison should end there. Ashwin is taking his first steps in international cricket. He made big strides in his debut season in 2006-07, leading the wickets tally for Tamil Nadu with 31 scalps at under 20. He was impressive the following the season with both bat and ball before a wrist injury unfortunately forced him out for four weeks in the middle of the season. He later made it to the Chennai Super Kings squad in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
