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Cricket
By G. Viswanath
Man-of-the-match Yuveraj Singh (left) and Rahul Dravid, the architects of India's victory over England. Photo - N. Sridharan.
In the centre at the time of India's brilliant win were vice-captain Rahul Dravid and Man-of-the-Match Yuveraj Singh, who presented his credentials in a most effective manner. They were unconquered, putting up a partnership of 131 runs off 128 balls after their captian Sourav Ganguly had left the field as a result a heart stopping catch by Paul Collingwood. The thrust, in pursuit of the stiff target, was made in rousing fashion by Virender Sehwag. His assault on the England bowlers did not go waste after Ashley Giles and Ronnie Irani got into their act and sliced through the top order. The value of Dravid's fine exposition of batsmanship, especially in the end overs, was visible to even his severest critic. The circumstances demanded plenty of pluck and character from Yuveraj, who remained unruffled throughout his 65-minute innings of 64. The pair began the last five overs 42 runs behind, but moved into top gear scoring 10 runs each off the 45th and 47th overs bowled by Andrew Flintoff. Sehwag was really red hot. The enormity of the task of reaching the target of 272 was never going to faze him. Explosive action was required during the first spells of the England bowlers to unsettle, alarm and demoralise them. Ganguly let Sehwag call the shots. It was a brilliant decision, well planned and well executed by his latest opening partner in one-day Internationals. The need of the hour was for Sehwag to play his natural game, not only to show his repertoire of shots but also to get the better of the England bowlers so that Nasser Hussain would have to redeploy his forces and work out new strategies. Sehwag's tactics of aggression, driving on the up and hitting over the inner ring, worked wonders. He was severe against all comers; Matthew Hoogard was clobbered for 32 in his first four overs, James Kirtley was smashed around the park for 34 from his first six and Flintoff was taken for 23 in his first four. It was simply great stuff from Sehwag. England had thrown down the gauntlet and India had accepted it. In the context of events that took place, Sehwag's individual brilliance was extraordinary fare. His aggression silenced the crowd at Lord's and made his mates in the dressing room stand up and applaud. He lofted left-arm spinner Ashley Giles for a straight 6 to reach his half century off 48 balls, with eight 4s. Ganguly, by his own standards, was rather quiet. For the record India touched the 100-run mark off 88 balls, the second 50 coming off only 38 balls. The going was good as long as it lasted. It was when the run rate required was well under six that Sehwag perished, held in the deep and close to the line by Marcus Trescothick off Giles. The left-arm spinner, who troubled Tendulkar in India, made the breakthrough after Sehwag (when on 70) was reprieved by Paul Collingwood at backward point off Ronnie Irani. Ganguly was finding his timing going awry, but it was not him England managed to dismiss in the course of the spell cleverly bowled by Giles and Irani. England had Dinesh Mongia, who played a poor shot and then Tendulkar, who was trapped leg before. England's comeback was strong. The catch that Collingwood plucked from nowhere must be put down as fantastic. He made amends for the earlier fielding lapse (dropping Sehwag). From 109 for no loss India slipped to 141 for four, Giles causing a high percentage of the damage, before Dravid and Yuveraj too charge of the proceedings.
Trescothick continues to torment India
Lord's could not have witnessed a better fare. First it was witness to two sides of England's batting. There was the rapid rise of the upward graph when Trescothick was in command with flowing drives, elegant sweeps and timely cuts. England and its supporters relished every moment of the left-hander's show of batting prowess. Then the run rate tumbled from a high of eight plus to just five runs an over. When left-arm spinner Yuveraj picked up three wickets in the fading light of the afternoon session England had shown tendencies of over confidence, the natural follow up of it being a decline. But it was not so much a rapid fall to prevent the home team from posting a high score and regard it as a secure one. Trescothick was all confidence, conviction and class as he mauled the Indian seam bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar. Twenty-three runs from the first three overs was akin to a daylight robbery. To bowl on a ground like Lord's — squarish, big and intimidating — first time bowlers need to prepare thoroughly and learn quickly. Trescothick and England showed what India's priorities should be straightaway. The importance of line and length was emphasised. Khan improved in the next five overs, though his first spell analysis of 6-0-31-0 represented his failure to make a first impression on a fresh pitch at the most famous ground in the world. It was much the same with Agarkar, who was smashed for 15 runs in his sixth over by the two left-handers for him finish his first spell at 6-0-40-0. A team which had handled Muttiah Muralitharan so well in two Tests was not unduly worried by a spinner whom the Australians nicknamed `turbanator'. Trescothick swept Harbhajan at will, picking the ball from between outside the off stump and middle stump. Hussain was bent upon making a mockery of his bowling, reverse hitting him. Flowing boundaries on the off-side and shots hit straight down the ground by Trescothick gave a straightforward impetus to England's start. Hussain used the platform built by the opening pair, which made 86 runs in 13.4 overs. Tormentors do not appear once in a while. Somehow they develop the incredible knack of rising repeatedly to rise magically from where they had left off the previous time and haunt their rivals. Trescothick has every right to lay claim to having played the chief tormentor's role to the hilt against India in the previous away series. The Indians were pushed hard and it required the presence of mind of Tendulkar — who was busy at the third man and deep square leg boundary — to get a breakthrough for India. Kumble realised that there was a chance for a run out only after he saw Tendulkar firing in a flat throw. Knight was caught short of the crease for 31 made off 42 balls. Hussain sustained the tempo during the second partnership, though Kumble and Dravid believed that Hussian was leg before off the first ball he faced. Umpire Steve Bucknor thought otherwise. Yuveraj was removed after he had bowled the first over because Trescothick had hoisted him over mid-wicket off his front foot for a 6. He came back after eight overs and dismissed the dangerous looking Flintoff, Graham Thorpe and Hussain, the three wickets falling for 21 runs, the result of which was England being restricted to a score well under 300. India plays Sri Lanka in a day match at the Oval on Sunday. The match begins at 3-15 p.m. (IST).
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