Kotla mystery in India-Pakistan ODI drama

India need to win this one, to at least share some of the spoils, if not any of the credit, writes Jaideep Ghosh.

What was supposed to be a walk in the park has turned into a dangerous expedition through a jungle of green for the Indian team. Savaged by the wolf pack, led by the marauding Shahid Afridi, mauled by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and trampled by the behemoth Inzamam-ul Haq, the Indians are in a desperate corner on the eve of the last game of the six-match one-day series at the half-prepared Ferozshah Kotla on Sunday.

HT Image

India need to win this one, to at least share some of the spoils, if not any of the credit. The credit is all with Pakistan, who overcame reverses, both in the Test and one-day series, to be in a position where they cannot lose, match-wise or morale-wise.

However, the plot of this drama of blood and toil will not be complete without a little bit of mystery, in shape of the pitch at Kotla -- an untried, untested piece of land on which the final battle will be fought. Irrespective of how many claims the Delhi and District Cricket Association makes about its authenticity, insiders claim that even 200 may be a good score to get, batting first.

There are strong rumours that the strip will not survive the onslaught of a full international.

But as we have seen during the series, not even the most experienced of cricketers can predict exactly how the pitch will behave, and keeping that in mind it would be a smart move to keep predictions about how it will behave at the back of the drawer.

A lot was said about how it would be difficult to chase 250 in Kanpur, but Afridi made a mockery of the considerations. Consequently, how well, or badly, the Indian bowlers played cannot be judged from that.

The Indian batting does not give any indications of consistency. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar fire, and then misfire. Yuvraj Singh just seemed to be coming to terms with the whole thing when he was dismissed, and Mohd Kaif would be superhuman to be able to conquer this all-encompassing lack of consistency. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been used as a one-drop, but to see him man that slot all the time does not really seem like the best option. Only skipper Rahul Dravid has looked solid.

As for Pakistan, one really does not know what they can improve on. They have bowled well, batted even better. With success being the only formula, it is unlikely that they will venture to experiment.

In the Indian line-up Ashish Nehra would be one bowler who would carry a frown. He has done enough to stay in the side, but was not in the XI in Kanpur, ostensibly because the strip would help the spinners. That, as we saw, fell through. Nehra needs to be in the side, since current form is the only indicator, and his form looks good.

But still, the equation again falls back on the Kotla pitch. What to bowl, and who to field will be a lottery, and the safe option would be to go ahead and bat. If you were to make a mistake, let it be a positive one.

Question mark over Kumble, Bhajji: There is a question mark surrounding the fitness of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.

While Anil Kumble is reportedly experiencing some stiffness on his knee, Harbhajan is understood to have undergone a MRI scan for a side strain.