Step forward lads

A silver lining in the black clouds that seem to be hovering over India today: both Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath will get the chance to show their skills in testing conditions. I'd say Badrinath has already gotten off to a good start by his gritty display in the first innings. Murali made himself look a little silly by shouldering arms in the first, but he has gone on to thirty in the second innings, and if he can stay positive, he can grow by leaps and bounds in the course of a single day. Badri must have dreamed of a debut ton once he crossed the fifty mark, and perhaps he can go on today to do just that.

One of the abiding cliches of test cricket is that the greats seize the moment. Murali and Badri both have the chance to try and make an impression on a stage that is set for them. As before, they have absolutely nothing to lose. And everything to gain. That in itself should be liberating. Lets hope they see it that way.

A pack of pretty strong cards

Barring miracles, India will lose this first test match against South Africa by an innings on the fourth day or by a similarly large margin on the fifth (odds are on the former).

What if anything, have we learned from yesterday's collapse? Not that much. Indian batting line-ups (like lots of batting line-ups the world over) are susceptible to high-quality pace and swing. And this line-up was weakened by the absence of Dravid and Laxman (we had collapses even with those gentlemen present). Indian tails are still notoriously fragile, so its no surprise to see the bottom bit of the line-up buckle and fold. Perhaps the sole bright light for India yesterday was Badrinath, who when he looks back at this debut, will thank his stars that he was given such a searching examination. It will stand him in good stead as he goes forward. And he still has a chance to get out there and play a long innings. He has everything to gain, and nothing to lose. All those years of waiting, and now finally, a moment in which he can redeem himself.

If there is pressure anywhere in the line-up, I suggest it rests on one man: Gautam Gambhir. He has racked up approximately a quintillion tons in the past year or so, and drawn comparisons with Bradman. The sneaky sensation that he hasn't really been tested had never gone away and now in his first exposure to a class pace attack in a while, he has come up short. He is going to want Eden Gardens to turn out differently - for himself and for the team.

India's problems began much earlier, of course, when South African racked up 558-6 after being 6-2. But those sorts of performances are commonplace frankly. Many is the time that I have gone to bed on the East Coast (at least in the last seven years since I returned to the US) and woken up to find a gigantic partnership flourishing. India's bowling attack, whether its because they are dealing with dead pitches at home, or the lack of penetration after early breakthroughs, still remains alarmingly susceptible to this sort of smack-around-the-park.

All is not lost. I expect the Indian team to do better in the second test. The batting line-up will be stronger. Folks will be suitably mortified. Perhaps Mishra will get an edge or two. Maybe Harbhajan will get his act in gear. Perhaps Sharma will.

This current Indian team is by far, the most accomplished, and perhaps most consistent, outfit that has taken the field in a while. They are deservedly ranked #1 in the world. But given all that, they still remain a team with distinct patches of weakness that has the tendency to go off the boil a bit too quickly. Some of this is because old, classical weaknesses remain.

In a cricket world where no one team dominates, this is par for the course. Let us not forget that South Africa just lost at home to England by an innings. Inconsistency of this sorts seems to be commonplace. The world of cricket awaits a true dominator. Till then, lets enjoy this sort of back-n-forthing.

Tres Amigos

The recent announcement that Rohit Sharma has been drafted in as a possible replacement for VVS Laxman means that the Indian batting line-up for the first test at Nagpur could well read: Sehwag, Gambhir, Murali, Tendulkar, Badri, Sharma, Dhoni, Harbhajan, Mishra, Zaheer, Ishant. Some folks might think this is the future of the Indian team. Well, once one throws folks like Pujara, Pandey, Tiwari, and Nayar into the mix. Still, its a good chance to see what lies ahead. (I know, I haven't mentioned Kohli, and thats because I'm strangely unconvinced by him).

The top six is an oddly balanced lineup in terms of state representation: two Delhi boys, two Mumbaikars, two Tamil Nadu lads. But there is only one left-hander in there. It'd be nice to have another one in the mix, but it's not the most pressing need at hand. The real need is for the three newcomers to make their presence felt. And they are lucky in a way: they get to face a good bowling attack in home conditions. The familiarity of the pitches and the crowds should make their task a little easier, as will the relative lack of pressure once Steyn and Morkel go off. Indeed, while Murali might have to face the new ball in case of an early dismissal, Badri and Sharma might have a slightly easier time of it. In writing thus, I'm perhaps doing an injustice to Wayne Parnell, who promises to be a handful, and is to boot, the kind of bowler that historically has caused problems to Indian batting line-ups. So all will not be peachy for the three newcomers.

Of the three newbies, Vijay has had the most impact in terms of tests (scores of 33, 41, 87, 30 thus far in his three tests). Badri and Sharma have yet to make their test debuts. Sharma, to be honest, has only partially redeemed himself in this last first-class season. Still, he looks bloody good whenever he gets going, and I'd back him to do well if he can settle in a bit before he starts playing those lovely shots of his. The one I worry about the most surprisingly enough is Badri. He has waited on the sidelines for so long that there is likely to be a little gnawing feeling inside him that he might not make it back if things go bad again. Hopefully, he can find some reassurance, both externally and internally.

Frustratingly, there are only two tests scheduled, but hopefully, the three young 'uns will get a decent chance to show off their wares. Fingers crossed for decent pitches and good weather. The more religious amongst you might consider a Ganesh puja or two.