Dravid’s NPAs (non-performing assets or batsmen)

By John Cheeran
Has the decision of the team management – read Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell -- to play five bowlers in the Mohali Test backfired?
There are quite a few who think so, especially now India is struggling at 149 for four in the first innings with all specialist batsmen except – who else? -- skipper Rahul Dravid at the crease.
Commentators, critics, spectators, VVS Laxmans, Mohammad Kaifs and the Ganguly-ists are of the opinion that India lacks the crucial sixth batsman in Mohali in the context of 149 for four.
To make matters worse, India’s fifth bowler, the debutant Piyush Chawla, has been under bowled in England’s first innings.
He has been under bowled because he was not troubling batsmen as much as it was expected of him.
Yes, these, indeed, are points for debate.
But let me restate why India picked five bowlers.
Indian bowling was ragged and lacked bite in Nagpur. England does not relish spin bowling, especially leg breaks. The Mohali track for the current Test is prone to offer turn and bounce for spinners.
Young spinner Piyush Chawla had troubled the Englishmen during a warm-up game. And India must attack aggressively for England wickets to force a win.
Bowlers might get tired and our bowling should have variety. The leg-spin of Kumble and leg-spin of Chawla are different in nature.
It is quite another matter in the England first innings only Kumble had Andrew Flintoff and company in a spin.
But I cannot understand why should India always play six batsmen. If five specialist batsmen cannot do the job, how can the sixth one do the job?
The crux of the matter is not in how many number of specialist batsmen we carry in the side. How many justify their presence in the side by scoring runs?
India’s trouble is that some of the established ones fail to perform against quality bowling.
The trick Dravd and Chappell should learn fast is that they should pick those who perform consistently and dump the rest.
How I wish Dravid retained the bloody-minded Mohammad Kaif in the Mohali XI!
Now he has to do it all by himself.