THOSE who stayed away did not miss much. Those who came must have wished they had stayed away. It was a match which was best forgotten.
Some of the cricket fans had come from neighbouring Botswana and some from Zambia and Mozambique. The match, for all of them, was dead by the 14th over itself when the West Indies lost its fourth wicket.
For a limited overs contest, it hardly was a spectacle. No big shots, no sensational catching or fielding. It was a mediocre contest which showed the West Indies in extremely poor light. Losing the match did not mean the end of the road for the West Indies, but it did expose the brittle nature of its batting line up.
Carl Hooper had few words to describe the collapse, but then he was also part of the brigade which shot itself in the feet with some poor stroke selection. This should not take away any credit from the performance of the three medium-pacers, who gave an outstanding display at the Queen's Sports Club.
This match was the story of the decent comebacks made by Debasis Mohanty and Harvinder Singh, not to forget the nagging spell of Zaheer Khan. Returning to the side after a gap of more than two years, the first two named seamers, given a raw deal by the selectors, gave a good account of their abilities.
How often do you get to see tight bowling by the Indian seamers at the start and towards the end of an innings. This was a match which saw Mohanty, Harvinder and Zaheer produce tight spells to shackle the West Indians.
It was a track which made strokeplay difficult, but the West Indians learnt no lessons. The indisciplined batting was the reason for the match becoming so one-sided. What could Hooper have said of a batting line up which was reduced to 47 for five at the end of 25 overs.
There was purpose in the manner in which the Indians went about their task. Skipper Sourav Ganguly handled the bowling astutely and gave Harvinder and Mohanty the liberty to have the field of their choice. It went a long way in boosting the confidence of these two bowlers who were very nervous when marking their run-up.
The 23-year-old Harvinder made an impressive start with two maidens and signed off in style by conceding just two runs in the last over of the innings. "I was nervous no doubt but could manage to strike a good line. Sourav backed me and that was important because I was feeling the pressure of securing a place for myself, but once I got my rhythm I enjoyed my bowling," said Harvinder, who had an equally incisive partner at the other end in Mohanty.
It was good Mohanty got to bowl with the new ball more. He likes to attack, just like Harvinder. For the Orissa seamer, it was also a crucial match. Often denied opportunities in favourable conditions, Mohanty did well to exploit this opportunity and make a mark in his first match for India in two years.
Harvinder concentrated on line and length. "I remembered John Wright asking me to just watch out my line and length. He had asked me to attack the off and middle stump line and I'm glad I managed to stick to that line. It was tough initially but I was happy to get some wickets early," said Harvinder.
Harvinder did well by leaving the batsmen no room except to play the ball in the covers. With the seamer sticking to a nagging line and length, the batsmen had to play in that area as Harvinder gave no room to cut and pull.
Zaheer too was very effective and showed that he had made strides in emerging as a reliable bowler in the slog overs. His yorkers came in handy to leave the West Indians helpless.
Mohanty confessed he was nervous to begin with but then had decided to go and enjoy this opportunity. "My best performance," said the humble Oriya lad as he reflected on the match but struck an immediate note of caution "I've a long way to go."
Mohanty, 24, had spent long hours of frustration, bowling in the 'nets' and hoping for a break. He remembered the backing from Wright. "He was very helpful. He backed me all the way and ensured that I didn't feel nervous. He kept telling me that I would get my chances and when one came he saw to it that I was in my best frame of mind when I bowled the first ball," said Mohanty.
As Mohanty said, it was a matter of confidence. He knew he had to grab the chance to excel with the new ball and all credit to him for sticking to a tight line and length. Mohanty did not experiment. "I couldn't have," he said. The last time he bowled was on the Australian tour and spent the last season trying to make another comeback.
Mohanty got the rhythm from the first ball. He remembered what Ganguly and Tendulkar kept telling him. "Don't try anything extra. Just stick to the same line."
Even the West Indian bowlers bowled a decent line but Tendulkar guided the chase comfortably, batting most sensibly, concentrating on getting the runs in ones and twos. The West Indians, with the exception of Ridley Jacobs and Marlon Samuels, had made the mistake of trying to dominate. Tendulkar made no such mistake and saw India through with a splendid knock, in keeping with his reputation.
For the spectators, however, there was little to remember. For two players, Harvinder and Mohanty, however, it was a contest which may go a long way in restoring their confidence as they enabled India coast to a six-wicket victory.
The scores:West Indies: Darren Ganga c Sodhi b Mohanty 2; Chris Gayle lbw b Harvinder 0; Wavell Hinds c Sodhi b Mohanty 9; Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Dighe b Harvinder 10; Carl Hooper c Ganguly b Zaheer 14; Marlon Samuels c Harvinder b Mohanty 44; Ridley Jacobs (not out) 53; Mahendra Nagamootoo c & b Zaheer 17; Mervyn Dillon (not out) 5. Extras (lb-8, nb-4, w-3) 15. Total (for seven wkts. in 50 overs) 169.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-18, 4-26, 5-47, 6-119, 7-156.
India bowling: Debasis Mohanty 10-1-18-3, Harvinder Singh 10-3-25-2, Zaheer Khan 10-2-27-2, Reetinder Singh Sodhi 10-0-38-0, Virender Sehwag 8-0-39-0, Sachin Tendulkar 2-0-14-0.
India: Sachin Tendulkar (not out) 81; Sourav Ganguly c Jacobs b Cuffy 20; Dinesh Mongia c Jacobs b Hinds 8; Rahul Dravid st Jacobs b Nagamootoo 4; Hemang Badani c & b Dillon 27; Virender Sehwag (not out) 11. Extras (lb-6, nb-1, w-12) 19. Total (for four wkts. in 43.5 overs) 170.
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-58, 3-63, 4-137.West Indies bowling: Cameron Cuffy 10-3-20-1, Reon King 7.5-1-39-0, Mervyn Dillon 10-1-28-1, Wavell Hinds 4-0-12-1, Mahendra Nagamootoo 9-0-48-1, Carl Hooper 3-0-17-0.
IT was important that Sachin Tendulkar hung around because he alone had the batting skills to see the side through.
It was his second Man of the Match award in the triangular series and this one came for an effort which was far more professional than the one at Harare.
The pitch in Bulawayo was not easy for strokeplay. True, there was no need to indulge in any fancy shots on the slow track of the Queen's Sports Club, but it was also important that Tendulkar maintained a close watch on the scoreboard. India had lost Sourav Ganguly cheaply to a poor decision and there was always the chance of a collapse once Dinesh Mongia and Rahul Dravid left in quick succession.
So, Tendulkar was back to play his familiar role. He had to carry the innings and this time he had to do it with an uncharacteristic knock. "It wasn't easy to drive so I decided to play the waiting game," he put it simply.
It was simple for Tendulkar because he could adapt and also because he had the mental strength to change his approach to suit the situation.
The West Indians bowled a tight length to keep Tendulkar in check, especially Cameron Cuffy, who established an early dominance. But he was up against a master, and Tendulkar did not give any chance to the bowlers to get on the top. The runs may have been difficult to come by but then the batsman showed little discomfort in playing the game of survival.
What struck one most in Tendulkar's innings was the manner in which he controlled the knock. He paced the innings so well and accelerated the scoring rate at the right time as he slammed Reon King for two lofted boundaries.
It was an object lesson in disciplined batsmanship as Tendulkar cut out the frills and put his head down. It was a rare innings from him and one which showed that if he wanted, Tendulkar had the skills to play the waiting game.
"I wanted to spend as much time in the middle as possible," said Tendulkar as he prepared for the next match. It was like another session of 'nets' for him, only this one came in a match situation. Tendulkar was flawless as he concentrated fiercely on remaining undefeated. It may not have been his best effort but it did reflect his commitment to the team. Like the match in Harare, this time too he finished the game and was rightly honoured with the award.
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