The visiting Pakistanis have lit up a big rocket of confidence after their successful run chase at Mohali helped level the series and lift their morale.
India may play two spinners as Murali Kartik can add variety on a wicket that is expected to aid spinners too
KANPUR: The visiting Pakistanis have lit up a big rocket of confidence after their successful run chase at Mohali helped level the series and lift their morale. And it is the manner in which they picked up those heavy runs that should ring an alarm bell for Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After that defeat, Dhoni said that the main strike bowlers could have bowled better at the death and the dew factor discouraged him from employing the spinners in the final overs when the match was slipping away from India’s grasp.
It was clear that Dhoni had gambled for an extra batsman instead of a pacer. Virender Sehwag, who returned to one-dayers, hit 31.
In the bowling department the team is sticking with an attack comprising of three left-arm fast bowlers. The strategy could be getting a bit stale as the lack of variety seems to be helping the opposition batsmen. And Pakistan, like Australia, took full advantage of the predictable line and length.
While Mathew Hayden and Andrew Symonds opted to dispatch the deliveries pitching on middle and leg stump over the boundary, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq preferred to scoop them fine for cheeky twos and boundaries.
Dhoni realized it to an extent when he said, “The bowlers should have shown more focus and bowled on the off-stump line.” Another option would have been for Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Irfan Pathan to come from round the wicket as Shoaib Akhtar and Sohail Tanveer did.
The moment Sourav Ganguly started by slashing Akhtar to a boundary on Thursday, the bowler came round the wicket to cramp him for space and the effect: Ganguly played onto his stumps.
Dhoni and his boys were chilling out during their day off break and will arrive here on Saturday. Once he puts on his thinking cap, Dhoni will have to decide on whether to bring back his second full-time spinner Murali Kartik. That will lead to one of the batsmen being dropped and that could lead to an uneasy wait for either Sehwag or Ganguly.
The pitch in question is a double-edged sword though. The Green Park Stadium, based very close to the Ganges river, has a general tendency to favour swing bowling for the first 15-20 overs traditionally. The day game will see low bounce and will assist spinners later in the afternoon. Going in with two spinners will be ideal more so since Pakistan have two part-time spinners in Shahid Afridi and captain Shoaib Malik himself.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}