The Luckies
The Labelled, Urban, Chilled, Kicked-with-life Indians are here. The most fortunate ever if only for the choices before it, this generation is glib, global, cocky and informed-and chases success with an awesome spending power.

Wages Of Peace
The Centre's decision to extend its cease-fire with the NSCN(I-M)
to three other north-east states leads to large-scale violence
in Manipur.

Man Of Letters
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's skill with the quill has the PMO busy acknowledging his missives. And on occasion agreeing to his demands.

Civil Lines
Pervez Musharraf's assuming the office of President is being seen as a bid to legitimise his position. A look at what this means in the context of his India visit.

Peace In Pipeline
India wants to put on Iran the onus of ensuring safe transit of gas.

VIEWPOINT: CRICKET TALK

Messing Up The Batting Order

The team management in my opinion made a huge mistake by messing up the batting order when Saurav Ganguly was looking like a fish out of water. But let me add that Ganguly has not lost his focus as a leader and he would gain by recalling the career of Australian captain Mark Taylor, who went through similar turmoil but had the mental fortitude to emerge a winner.

Despite the fact that the first Test in Bulawayo went along expected lines, I was not really satisfied with the way the Indians bowled in that match. India gained from the fact that the Zimbabweans committed hara-kiri, that the team was fortunate to discover the batting talents of Harbhajan Singh and Dighe who came good in the crunch and that the team looked cohesive as the players shared the burden. Ashish Nehra added to the incisiveness of the attack and Harbhajan played his role by tightening one end. The third seamer helped Ganguly deliver. The golden rule in such a situation is: never change a winning combination. The Indians did by replacing Zaheer Khan, who to me has emerged as the best bowling prospect in a long time. Srinath was at less than his best, while Ajit Agarkar did not justify his inclusion. It is time the selectors take another look at Agarkar as an allrounder.

Having said all that, let me tell you it was difficult for the Indian bowlers here in Zimbabwe. Srinath was right when he said the length that they bowl in India does not gel with the pitches in Zimbabwe, where the ball passes over the stumps. For Harbhajan it was tough dealing with the Kookaburra ball where the seam merges with the surface unlike the SG ball with its upright seam used in India. The SG ball grips the surface and turns, and Harbhajan told me at a party, "I was struggling with the ball here."

The victory at Bulawayo may have brought a wave of joy for cricket lovers in India but the second Test proved that the team still has a long way to go. The series against Australia had come as a great morale booster but after two Tests here, a few questions remained unanswered. The search for an effective opening partner for Shiv Sunder Das is still on and the prime reason for this I believe is the wrong policies of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. We must expose our young talent to hostile conditions overseas by arranging frequent under-19 and A-team tours for them. Sending teams to Bangladesh and Holland have not yielded results nor are they likely to. At most they have fetched votes and trips for officials. The board at the moment is nothing but a brooding hen sitting on a china egg.

It is time the team management also gave thought to some vexing issues pertaining specifically to our Test side. An effective opening pair and a reliable wicketkeeper are a must. So is the team combination which means inclusion of right men for the right job. It can only come from a competitive domestic structure which can be a launching pad for young talent to be blooded at the international level. Indian cricket can never reach its destination by riding a bicycle when the rest of the world drives a car.

We have to get our priorities right and solve the jigsaw puzzle the Indian cricket team has become. Or else an overseas victory will remain a mirage.

MetroScape

Delhi Decorative Art: D'addomio

Kolkata Restaurant: Thai Tonight

A Hare Krishna cult member's spiritual quest meets with a rude end. But he isn't the only one on trial. The credibility of the Orissa police is equally at stake, writes INDIA TODAY's Special Correspondent Ruben Banerjee in
Sleaze And Salvation