India have a point to prove

St Kitts-Nevis: The Indians have had light net practice and swimming pool-related drills since the time they have been in St Kitts, the oppressive humidity obviously compelling a revision in the regimen.

The stint with bat and ball at the scenic Warner Park Stadium was muted, the exercises in the hotel pool considerably longer and enjoyable.

Greg Chappell’s handymen, Ian Frazer and Gregory King, have been on the vigil to check whether the players were not expending body fluids excessively.

This is a long and arduous tour, with three more ODIs and four Tests too be played over the next 40 days. More than anything else, the Indians could be stymied by the humidity, so the detailed care is not exaggerated.

Tests done here by the sports medicine experts suggests that the Indians have coped well so far, which speaks well of the player-management protocol that has been put in place by the Board in the past five or six years.

Ailments and fatigue have been easier to spot, and therefore easier to address. One hears of motivational talks and counseling also become part of the routine under the new regime, which is all for the good.

Old-timers might question whether cricket has not become too fussy a sport nowadays. Till 20 years ago, tours were much longer. Sunil Gavaskar, for instance, scored 774 runs in his first series here in 1971 without the benefits of sports medicine.

There are countless other such examples, but it’s a specious argument, of course. International sport has become ultra-competitive with big money stakes, enormous personal pride involved. Technology and medicine have become crucial in optimizing potential and reducing the margin of error.

To draw an analogy, it’s a bit like playback singing. Lata Mangeshkar’s most mellifluous songs in the 50s and 60s were recorded live, on a single track with no retakes. But no playback singer, even the great Lata, would go without an eight-track, digitized sound recording facility today.

Back to the cricket, Tuesday’s game assumes great significance for both teams. A win here could prove decisive in the five-match series, so there is a lot to play for, especially for India who have an excellent track record in the recent past, and hence a fancier reputation to protect.

The Warner Park Stadium is modest in size, and under fast-paced renovation for next year’s World Cup. It has smallish square boundaries, which should assist the big, horizontal-bat shots of players like Gayle, Sehwag and Dhoni.

The last two named, particularly, would hope to leave their impress on this series beginning here.  Ricky Skerritt, minister for sports and no stranger to the game, believes the track will have something in for the bowlers, but should also enable good strokeplay.

The Indian camp did not seem to be in consonance with that view believing, justifiably, that the pitch would be on the slowish side, much like others in the Caribbean.

The West Indies are unlikely to change the winning combination, but India would prefer Sreesanth, who has recovered sufficiently, to Munaf Patel. But more than the playing complement, it is how India fares under pressure that will decide their fate.

Dravid and his team have a point to prove.