Youngsters need to be given more confidence

India haven’t realised yet that their once powerful, attacking middle order is now an uncertain, defensive one. Domination has been replaced by survival. Cracks have developed, evident even on the batting paradise that is the SSC ground in Colombo where some of the stalwarts have looked careworn.

After Suresh Raina’s success, the selectors ought to be kicking themselves for not bringing in youngsters who could play alongside the stars and ensure a smooth changeover. Greats do not last forever except in memories and record books.

In his partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, debutant Raina probably learnt more lessons than in his previous five years as an international cricketer. Murali Vijay has done enough in six Tests to be considered in the middle order even when Gautam Gambhir returns. His scores of 33, 41, 87, 30, 32, 58 suggest that a big one is round the corner. He is in the Rahul Dravid mould, but needs to be given the confidence of a long run.

Of the two reasons for infusing fresh blood — injury and poor performance — India have dealt well with the first but allowed sentiment and past record to come in the way of handling the
second.

The foursome of Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar played together in a record 86 Tests; add Laxman to that list, and the world record is still theirs, with 65 Tests. Bring Sehwag into the equation, and that lot has played 36 Tests together. These are impressive figures, and speak of a settled team over a long period. They speak of remarkable skill and consistency in all conditions, against all opponents.

These are marks the next generation will be aiming at. It would be unfair to expect a whole new ready-made bunch to slip into the shoes of the masters. Over the next year or two, the Indian team will be in transition, the famed batting line-up reduced to figures in record books. We should have got to know their replacements by now. This is how teams evolve — some players making it through long-term planning and others taking a short cut in an emergency.

Sometimes the future is upon us when we least expect it.

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Realistically, Sachin Tendulkar has only two major ambitions left (that is, ambitions on his behalf by his fans) — to score 100 international centuries, and to be part of a World Cup-winning team. He is six centuries short of the first, and eight months short of the second (after all, Tendulkar is another name for optimism in India!).

Why should he be rested from the one-day series in Sri Lanka, when he needs to play as much one-day cricket as possible before the World Cup? He can pick and choose his matches, but should he pick and choose his tournaments?
Inside Edge
Let’s have a Duckworth-Lewis formula for boring Tests forced to be played on the fifth day because there is no rain. Pretend it is raining and come off the field.