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India needs bold approach

India did the unexpected the other day while defeating world champions Australia, at a time when no one was willing to back the side's chances.

Now expectations are high once again, just as in headier times when a tiny bombshell called Sachin Tendulkar tended to explode with clockwork regularity and snatch the initiative irretrievably away from hapless opponents.

But we are all wiser today, even skeptical. No longer do we get carried by emotion or patriotic fervour. Clinical detachment is about the most appropriate description of the Indian attitude to Indian cricket.

We know for instance that Tendulkar is a marked man these days. No opponent, least of all the hardnosed South Africans, will allow him to plunder at will. And the other, left handed, dynamo, Ganguly, has been dissected and analysed. The Pollocks and Donalds, Kallises and Telemachuses know exactly what length and line to bowl to him to stop those off side boundaries. They play Kumble as though they played him every other week; some of them actually do, in the English county season. Venkatesh Prasad's slower ones don't bother them as much as they used to. And they continue to field with the practised ease of animals that kill to live, pouncing on their prey and never letting go.

The South Africans, mercifully, don't always bat so well, especially, after the top batsmen have come and gone, with the freak exception of a man called Lance Klusener. But to offset that, India doesn't boast an attack of five specialist bowlers. It has next to no wicket taking bowler. Its fielding, though vastly improved with the recent induction of youth into the side, is not in the same street as that of its opponents. In short, it relies heavily on its batting to win matches.

The best strategy for India to adopt is of course for her batsmen to fire on all cylinders, led by a superhuman effort by the master blaster, followed by some superlative bowling and fielding! What could also be attempted in the forthcoming encounter is a realignment of forces. How about both Sriram/Joshi (one of them) and Badani coming in for Kambli and Dravid? Here, no offence is meant to the Indian vice captain, the team's mainstay in the longer game, but he does tend to slow things down at no.3. The youngsters are both eager beavers on the field and they can bowl usefully, particularly Sriram. Joshi could be a serious option, because his bowling is superior to Sriram's and he can slog effectively in the end overs or pinch hit if needed. The inclusion of Badani will surely strengthen the batting.

Whatever the composition of the team, the only way India can win this match is by adopting a positive approach. Go for broke about sums it up.

The South Africans are a formidable side but we know they can be beaten. It would help if a certain Jonty Rhodes had an off day.