Bagal replaces injured Patel

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, MAY 15. Fitness remains the buzzword but Rakesh Patel's knee problem caused the lone breach in the Indian probables conditioning camp. The unfit Baroda seamer was replaced by Jammu and Kashmir left arm medium pacer Surinder Singh Bagal, who joined the camp here on Tuesday.

It may be recalled that Rakesh Patel failed to bowl in the Railways' second innings in the Ranji Trophy final which Baroda won. ``Surinder Singh Bagal is a good prospect and that is why he is in the camp. He replaced Rakesh Patel who has knee pain,'' Sourav Ganguly told the media at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The captain was optimistic about his form. ``I have done well for five years and I had a lean period only in the last series. Zimbabwe is another series and I am looking forward to it,'' Sourav said.

Bagal has represented Jammu and Kashmir for the last six years in the domestic circuit. He sprung into prominence recently and attended the conditioning camp at Chennai prior to the Australian tour besides participating in the Hero Honda Challenger Series tournament. Bagal along with Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra will form a trio of left-arm seamers in the camp.

It was mind over matter in the early hours of the camp's third day. For starters there was a stint with yoga and then the players trooped into the National Cricket Academy's conference hall where Rodney Marsh dealt with mental toughness and cricket's changing face.

``I spoke on where they (players) are and where they need to be. The aspects and values of cricket was also discussed,'' the Australian wicket-keeping legend said.

The practice of nets in the morning and fielding exercises in the afternoon was followed. The spectators had lots to cheer when Sachin Tendulkar and later Sourav Ganguly indulged in some lofted strokes. Post-lunch it was time for Rodney Marsh to dwell on fielding. The probables were busy practising their throws with shades of Jonty Rhodes chipping in as they dived full length and aimed for the stumps.

The 61-run loss against Zimbabwe in the last tour in 1998 does rankle the team think-tank. And the camp has been an intense exercise to bolster the team's fitness and skills with the focus firmly on an overseas triumph.

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