RUNNING RIOT
 Mohammed Azharuddin's
captaincy has been under scrutiny in India, especially in the light of Ajay Jadeja's
success in Sharjah. My impression is that he has been making big efforts to be fully
engaged. I have also been impressed with the Indian team's performance, for instance in
placing two short third men for Kumble, and spirit.
I have been mystified by India's going back on their initial
policy of using Tendulkar as an opener. He is a player of such perfect technique that he
needs no protection. Indeed he may even benefit from the heightened challenge of a contest
with the new ball rather than having to accelerate quickly against someone gentle like
Gavin Larsen. If Tendulkar bats through the first 15 overs he will find boundaries through
the attacking fields. If he bats for 50 overs India will win the match.
Azharuddin's tactics were excellent against England.
Debashish Mohanty's selection has been a success and I thought Azharuddin used and
encouraged him admirably. He encouraged Mohanty to go round the wicket after Graham Thorpe
hit him for three fours in an over. Then took him off for a short while and brought him
back at the other end, where he was unlucky not to get more wickets. When the whole team
were unduly up in arms at umpire Darrell Hair's refusal to give Nasser Hussain lbw, the
captain was quick to get his side back to the job in hand and to encourage the young
bowler.
If India do fare well, a very different sort of riot could
worry the authorities -- the prospect of crowd disturbance in the match against Pakistan,
to be played at a time when tension will probably still be running high over Kashmir. In
my straw poll of Indian journalists at Edgbaston, opinions were variable. One reckoned
that a riot is inevitable: after all on the last day of this year's Calcutta Test between
the two countries police ordered the spectators out and the match had to be played before
empty stands. And there weren't even any Pakistani supporters! My second witness was less
definite: it would be explosive, he said, especially if Pakistan start to lose. The third
was much more optimistic: he thought that in England there is enough respect for the law
-- slogans would be chanted, flags waved, much noise created, but decency will prevail.
The police will be hoping so. |
