Steve Waugh is raring to go

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, FEB. 21. Indian coach John Wright's decision to seek Sachin Tendulkar's and Ajit Agarkar's exclusion on injury grounds from the Mumbai team for a three-day match against the awesome Australians may have been taken to deny the visitors a perceived psychological edge prior to the first Test.

But it is a gambit fraught with danger for whatever is left of the Mumbai side, being led by Sameer Dighe, considering that the Aussies have decided against holding back any punches, fielding an almost Test side for the second game of the India tour at the Cricket Club of India. Tendulkar or no Tendulkar, Steve Waugh is raring to get down to the business of winning matches.

Glenn McGrath will be let loose on the Mumbai batsmen, so will be Shane Warne, both named in the first 11 for this tour game against a depleted regional side, but the most eager faces on Steve Waugh's squad may be three specialist batsmen-- Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Michael Slater-- all looking to spending quality time at the crease in the run-up towards the first Test.

The tour opener against India `A' at Nagpur was its first major game since early January. Justin Langer lashed a stroke-filled century in the Nagpur, but both Slater (5, 11) and Hayden (49, 37) have no option but to steal runs off the Mumbai attack as a way of confirming their places for the Mumbai Test.

The Aussie skipper Steve Waugh, non-committal about the re- induction of leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani into the Indian squad for the first Test, will get a second look at how his leading batsmen shape against spin, though of a lesser standard, in the form of Nilesh Kulkarni, Sairaj Bahutule and Ramesh Powar. The three Mumbai spinners went through an intensive net session at the CCI, even as the Aussie batsmen played against a few local spinners.

Steve Waugh, however, is firm where his priorities lie. ``Test cricket looks a lot different from what we get out here, so you have to work out whether you are trying to win this match really, or preparing for the Test match. I probably go about preparing for the Test match, where you will get a harder wicket than the one here, a bit more bounce and a bit more surface movement. It is a tough decision.''

Mumbai coach Ashok Mankad, having already decided to employ the spin option against the Aussies, cannot expect miracles from almost the same squad which turned out to be under- achievers against Rest of India in the Irani Trophy at the Wankhede stadium earlier in the season. Waugh's side is a different level of opposition altogether, forcing the Mumbai coach to take a different line of thinking as a way of motivating his boys.

Mankad talked of how the Mumbai players can learn by competing against the world's best cricketing outfit. ``I have told them to look at Tendulkar's absence as a blessing in disguise. One never stops learning in cricket, either as a coach or as a player, till you leave this world,'' said the Mumbai coach. ``There is a lot you can learn from the Aussies-- keenness, attitude and fitness. An important aspect the Mumbai boys can pick up is fast bowling-- the line McGrath is keeping, their field placements when different bowlers are operating.''

Six players from the current Mumbai side figured in that epic victory over Australia in 1998, highlighted by Warne's massacre at Tendulkar's hands which set the tone for the rest of the series-- Vinod Kambli, Amol Muzumdar, Paras Mhambrey, Sairaj Bahutule, Nilesh Kulkarni, Wasim Jaffer and Rajesh Pawar-- so this side is not short on players who have been there and who can draw inspiration from that victory.

Kambli and Jaffer's poise and posture in tackling an Australian attack featuring pacemen McGrath, Damien Fleming and spinners of Warne and Colin Miller's calibre will be eagerly watched by the selectors, whose decision to leave out Mumbai players from the Challenger Series evoked criticism. Now the opportunity has arrived for the Mumbai players to assert themselves, inspired by the possible presence of Tendulkar in the stands.

Jatin Paranjape, named as replacement for the Indian titan, is nowhere in the Tendulkar class, no batsmen in world cricket can stake that claim, but can be expected to seize this chance to display his temperament with both hands.

The surprise packet may be young all-rounder Robin Morris, if he gets a look- in. This sprightly Mumbai player who represented Orissa in the domestic cricket before deciding to return to his roots, is a daredevil who can withstand the Aussie aggression.

Teams:

Australia- Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Colin Miller, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming. Coach: John Buchanan.

Mumbai (from)-- Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Mane, Jatin Paranjape, Vinod Kambli, Amol Muzumdar, Sameer Dighe (skipper), Paras Mhambrey, Sairaj Bahutule, Nilesh Kulkarni, Rajesh Pawar, Ramesh Powar, Sriram Kannan, Robin Morris and Kunal More. Coach: Ashok Mankad.

Umpires: Mr.A.M.Saheba and Dr.M.S.Mahal.

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