A Blip On The Screen

It is time for all good men to come to the aid of sanity. Last week, ReverseSwing’s was a very feeble voice saying that the Pakistan team was not a bunchof pushovers. The cacophony of opinion then was writing them off as lambs forthe slaughter.

Now, the din has moved to the other extreme. This Pakistan team, on thestrength of its performance on the fifth day at Mohali, is supposed to havebecome a supremely resilient fighting unit. India, have moved from being theoverwhelming favourite to a team struggling to save face at home. John Wright istalking about a lack of killer instinct in the Indian team. Dinesh Kaarthick hasmade Kamran Akmal his role model. History is being touted as another factor inPakistan’s favour – they have never lost a Test at the Eden Gardens, winningone and drawing four.

The fact is that nothing much has changed. It is just the way it was beforeMohali. India remain the better of the two teams. The Pakistanis remain capableof presenting a stiff challenge.

The Mohali Test ended in glory for Pakistan. But the preceding four days werevery much a romp for India. Ganguly’s was clearly the better team. The drawwas salvaged purely because Kamran Akmal played the innings of his life and sodid Abdul Razzaq. And these two sterling performances can do nothing to hide theglaring weaknesses of Pakistan.

Great teams are built around strong opening pairs. Pakistan’s batting inMohali really started once the first three wickets had fallen (2 for 30 in thefirst innings and 3 for 10 in the second). Most batsmen struggle when theycannot figure out where their off-stump is. Salman Butt, in the second innings,did not know where his bat was. Taufeeq Umer did not look the part. And theselectors have been cruel to Younis Khan in making him the vice-captain.

Pakistan’s pace attack remains weak. Both Mohammed Sami and Rana Naved-ulHasan will have to do a lot more of what they did only in patches on the thirdand fourth day. Danish Kaneria did take six wickets, but to be fair, he had totake them for about 70-75 runs less to be called a destructive bowler. In fact,the most heartening outcome of Mohali for Pakistan – it is something thatpeople are forgetting already – was yet another proof of Asim Kamal’sundoubted talent, unwavering temperament and undying resolve.

India, on the other hand, are sitting pretty. After a long time, not only theeleven but the fourteen is fighting fit and in form. Their biggest problem inrecent years, the opening pair, was not a problem in Mohali. A left-rightcombination of two aggressive fast-scoring batsmen makes for a happy situation.Sachin Tendulkar showed no sign of the tennis elbow. Lakshmipathy Balaji hascome back a better bowler. Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman are in good nick.

All India have to do is merely maintain their level at the Eden and thePakistan team will be again required to perform out of its skin. And that maynot be possible on a fifth day Eden pitch. As for history, this will be Pakistan’ssecond Test in Kolkata in some 20 years. And this match is not being played inthe past.