India should win the World Cup. It's well represented in batting and its bowling crop is very impressive. It's so good that raising the issue of fielding appears a bit improper.
The likes of Laxman, Ganguly and even Tendulkar must look to command their place by virtue of performance and not past glory. Otherwise, it would appear that the Indians are adopting different yardsticks in their approach to one-day and Test cricket.
Ganguly was seen giving his 100 per cent at Kotla. He wanted his place back badly. Such hunger is to be welcomed, not scorned. It has not reflected well of the system, the selectors or team management.
The champion in him would like to leave his mark on the tour. Murali's pride must havebeen hurt in the ODIs and he knows it is not often that you come to tour India.
The Tendulkars, Sehwags and Dravids, Muralitharans and Vaas are reasons enough to hook on to the game. We are not counting the Harbhajans and Kumbles, Pathans and Dhonis, or the Sangakkaras and Jayawardenes.
India would count out Sri Lanka at its own peril. It would be a mistake if they treat these Tests as a warm-up for the battles against Pakistan and England.
Wish as anyone might, nobody can take away Ganguly's record or the esteem in which he is held worldwide. India must learn to respect its heroes lest they look like pirates who can only destroy a legacy.
Flexibility, which men like Pathan and Dhoni afford, is key in one-day context and India is blessed in the knowledge that it has unearthed two match-winners.
The Indians have managed to unnerve the Sri Lankans. If they could do it to a Glenn McGrath or Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, cricket as a sport will go a notch higher.
India took the flexibility theory to dangerous terrain. To aim for eleven faceless men in a team is alright but it was akin to pushing an automobile onto the road without gas.
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