THE West Indies and India have taken contrasting courses in the final rehearsal for the World Cup that is the primary purpose of the Pepsi Cup series.
It has been evident in their selections and the somewhat contradictory statements of their captains yesterday.
“I think this has always been called a build-up to the World Cup so whatever we can get out of it, not necessarily results, but in terms of improving different aspects of our game, is important,” Brian Lara told the media.
Yet the West Indies, down 2-0 in the series, made only one change in the first two matches, Lara’s knee problem keeping him out of the second in Cuttack on Wednesday.
Rahul Dravid, on the other hand, said that “results are very important” for India.
“We play to win, that’s it,” he said. “Whoever plays in the eleven, we’re confident that he has the ability to win the match. We don’t just play people like that.”
For all that, they have made four changes to their eleven for the third, day/night match at the Chinbaram Stadium here today, bringing the overall number of players chosen so far to 16.
They are clearly using these matches and four against Sri Lanka that follow immediately to determine their best World Cup combination. Winning is a bonus.
A decision on whether Lara returns for the West Indies today, after missing the match in Cuttack, won’t be taken until just before the start today.
He himself reported yesterday that he wasn’t “100 per cent sure” but a lengthy batting session in the nets at the Chinabaram Stadium hinted that he would be back.
If he does, it is likely to be at the expense of Runako Morton who has struggled against off-spin in both matches, bowled by Harbhajan Singh in the first for eight and by Ramesh Powar without scoring in the second.
There is obviously a case for giving Lendl Simmons, the apprentice Trinidad and Tobago batsman, and teammate Rayad Emrit, the bowling all-rounder who was the surprise choice for his first tour, their first game.
In spite of Lara’s assertion that results are not the primary consideration, it is unlikely there will be much tinkering with the eleven.
It would defeat the purpose of bringing Simmons and Emrit here in the first place but the West Indies have now lost five of their last six ODIs (in Pakistan last month and now here) and, given the confidence factor, would not want to go into the World Cup on an extended losing streak.
Two players on whom time is running out are Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin. Both need compelling performances in the last two matches to erase shortcomings in the first two and secure their places.
The teenager Keiron Pollard’s extraordinary debut season back home has brought him very much into the reckoning for a middle-order spot and it is Morton’s that is the most vulnerable, Had Ramdin maintained the standards he set as keeper and batsman in his first series in Sri Lanka a year ago he would be a certainty. As it is, he has become inconsistent in both areas and remains challenged by Carlton Baugh who was preferred to him in the Champions Trophy.
In contrast to Morton and Ramdin, Daren Powell guaranteed his World Cup selection on Wednesday in Cuttack with a telling spell of 10 straight overs in which he dismissed India’s big three, Saurav Ganguly, Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
For today’s match, India rest Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbahajan, all World Cup certainties. Yuvraj Singh, the dashing left-handed batsman, and Anil Kumble, the veteran leg-spinner, return, the former from injury, the latter from break after last month’s tour of South Africa.
India: Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik,, Suresh Raina, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Anil Kumble, Sreesanth.
West Indies (likely, from): Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Devon Smith, Brian Lara (captain), Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Runako Morton, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Ramdin, Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor.
THE West Indies and India have taken contrasting courses in the final rehearsal for the World Cup that is the primary purpose of the Pepsi Cup series.
It has been evident in their selections and the somewhat contradictory statements of their captains yesterday.
“I think this has always been called a build-up to the World Cup so whatever we can get out of it, not necessarily results, but in terms of improving different aspects of our game, is important,” Brian Lara told the media.
Yet the West Indies, down 2-0 in the series, made only one change in the first two matches, Lara’s knee problem keeping him out of the second in Cuttack on Wednesday.
Rahul Dravid, on the other hand, said that “results are very important” for India.
“We play to win, that’s it,” he said. “Whoever plays in the eleven, we’re confident that he has the ability to win the match. We don’t just play people like that.”
For all that, they have made four changes to their eleven for the third, day/night match at the Chinbaram Stadium here today, bringing the overall number of players chosen so far to 16.
They are clearly using these matches and four against Sri Lanka that follow immediately to determine their best World Cup combination. Winning is a bonus.
A decision on whether Lara returns for the West Indies today, after missing the match in Cuttack, won’t be taken until just before the start today.
He himself reported yesterday that he wasn’t “100 per cent sure” but a lengthy batting session in the nets at the Chinabaram Stadium hinted that he would be back.
If he does, it is likely to be at the expense of Runako Morton who has struggled against off-spin in both matches, bowled by Harbhajan Singh in the first for eight and by Ramesh Powar without scoring in the second.
There is obviously a case for giving Lendl Simmons, the apprentice Trinidad and Tobago batsman, and teammate Rayad Emrit, the bowling all-rounder who was the surprise choice for his first tour, their first game.
In spite of Lara’s assertion that results are not the primary consideration, it is unlikely there will be much tinkering with the eleven.
It would defeat the purpose of bringing Simmons and Emrit here in the first place but the West Indies have now lost five of their last six ODIs (in Pakistan last month and now here) and, given the confidence factor, would not want to go into the World Cup on an extended losing streak.
Two players on whom time is running out are Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin. Both need compelling performances in the last two matches to erase shortcomings in the first two and secure their places.
The teenager Keiron Pollard’s extraordinary debut season back home has brought him very much into the reckoning for a middle-order spot and it is Morton’s that is the most vulnerable, Had Ramdin maintained the standards he set as keeper and batsman in his first series in Sri Lanka a year ago he would be a certainty. As it is, he has become inconsistent in both areas and remains challenged by Carlton Baugh who was preferred to him in the Champions Trophy.
In contrast to Morton and Ramdin, Daren Powell guaranteed his World Cup selection on Wednesday in Cuttack with a telling spell of 10 straight overs in which he dismissed India’s big three, Saurav Ganguly, Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
For today’s match, India rest Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbahajan, all World Cup certainties. Yuvraj Singh, the dashing left-handed batsman, and Anil Kumble, the veteran leg-spinner, return, the former from injury, the latter from break after last month’s tour of South Africa.
India: Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik,, Suresh Raina, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Anil Kumble, Sreesanth.
West Indies (likely, from): Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Devon Smith, Brian Lara (captain), Marlon Samuels, D
wayne Bravo, Runako Morton, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Ramdin, Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor.
