London, August 20:
The third
Test at Headingley this week will give India the chance to start
living up to their top-of-the-bill reputations.
Time, though, is running
out. To date, there has only been one side in the four-match
series against England and it has not been Saurav Ganguly's.
England captain Nasser
Hussain has continued with his diplomatic line -- "people seem to
forget this is a very talented Indian side" -- but even he has
probably not forgotten Sunil Gavaskar's jibes when the two teams
met in India earlier in the year.
Former India opening
batsman Gavaskar, a lesser diplomat, had branded Hussain's side
one of the most boring he had ever had the misfortune to watch.
During this reverse
series, though, Hussain might be tempted to think, India have not
exactly been enthralling themselves.
With high hopes of a rare
away series victory, the touring side crashed to a 170-run defeat
in the first match and only salvaged a draw at Trent Bridge thanks
to a Rahul Dravid final-day century and some fireworks from Sachin
Tendulkar and Ganguly.
For all that England,
shorn of a string of top-name players, have made nearly all the
running.
Despite Gavaskar's
comments it is the home side, improving by the game, which has
scored faster and more heavily while at the crease and taken more
wickets while fielding.
They have been
ambitiously pro-active, while India have let the game come to
them.
They will not be able to
be so lethargic from Thursday onwards. As Ganguly pointed out: "Headingley
is a result-pitch." A pitch perfect for salvaging a series or for
letting it go.
England, with the
towering Andrew Caddick reinstalled at the head of the attack
alongside seamer Matthew Hoggard, will certainly fancy their
chances at one of their happier hunting grounds in recent years.
Caddick, set to make his
first appearance of the series after recovering from a side
strain, took a liking to Leeds two years ago when England crushed
the West Indies inside two days.
In the second innings he
took five for 14 off just over 11 overs, including four
extraordinary wickets in an over, as West Indies were laid waste
for 61.
Last year, there was also
a result when Mark Butcher produced the innings of his life, a 173
not out, in an improbable overturning of the Australians.
And in 1998 England had
won again against South Africa, after Butcher got another century
and Darren Gough -- now battling for his future after a string of
knee operations -- took nine wickets in the match.
Traditionally, Headingley
has helped swing bowlers. This season, however, in conditions more
akin to baking Bombay than the cloudy north of England, others
have prospered, prompting England to keep left-arm spinner Ashley
Giles firmly in their plans despite his omission from the second
Test.
The last thing India will
want, indeed, is a traditional Headingley. Their left-arm fast
bowlers, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, have been the major
disappointment of the tour to date. Hoggard and Caddick would seem
better placed to exploit the conditions if the ball begins to
swing.
Ganguly, however, who
pointed the finger squarely at his bowlers after Trent Bridge,
also needs Harbhajan Singh, supported by Anil Kumble if need be,
to perform to his world-class status.
The off-spinner could
only manage three for 175 in the second Test. He has, however,
since found some rhythm, taking seven for 83 in the county game
against Essex.
India's batsmen, despite
their sterling efforts in keeping them in the series at Trent
Bridge, must also carry some of the blame for the team's
colourless show.
