Mohali win strengthens Dravid’s hands

By John Cheeran
India’s nine-wicket win over England in the second Test Mohali could not have come at a more appropriate time for skipper Rahul Dravid. After the Karachi Test debacle, India needed a reassurance of sorts that its Test match play has class.
I have been puzzled, even now, by the insistence of Indian critics that India should have rolled over England, as the visitors are a weakened side, with out the designated skipper Michael Vaughan and vice-captain Marcus Trescothick. They lost fast bowler Simon Jones who was widely expected to run through the Indian side.
To them, to the critics, let me say this.
This Test series is between the No.2 and No. 3 sides as per the ICC Test rankings. And the No.2 side is England. They defeated the No.1 side, Australia, to lift the Ashes recently. So they must still be a good side with a capacity to take the injuries and pull outs in their stride.
What about India?
Aren’t they without the greatest-ever Bengali batsman, Sourav Ganguly, to plug the holes in the middle order?
Didn’t India miss Yuvraj Singh in the first Test at Nagpur? Didn’t Virender Sehwag lose wickets cheaply in his first three innings in the series to render India a 10-man army? Didn’t India leave out VVS Laxman from Mohali Test?
All such stuff happens in the game.
What makes you a winner is how you manage the given variables to the best effect. India faltered in Nagpur but hit back in Mohali to stun Andrew Flintoff and company.
It was one the greatest Indian Test wins in the recent times. I will list my reasons.
India went into the Mohali match under pressure, having conceded England the first innings lead in Nagpur.
On paper, England’s seam attack looked much sharper than India’s.
Indian captain Dravid lost the toss, which would have been crucial, since everyone expected the pitch to deteriorate as the match progressed. India lost the opportunity to bat first.
Bad weather and rain robbed crucial time and the first innings of the Test was completed only on the third day.
India was one batsman less – VVS Laxman left out—and again there was the familiar middle order collapse. Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh fell cheaply.
The poor form of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

But skipper Dravid overcame all these hurdles. He held the Indian first innings together with a great, disciplined effort of 95, without which hosts would have been dismissed for less than 200. He virtually had to switch on to the role of an opener, and unsure of support till Irfan Pathan came along.
Dravid’s decision to play five bowlers finally paid the dividends as seamer Munaf Patel struck vital blows in each stage of the England innings.
Dravid is a great fan of Anil Kumble and it does not come as a surprise that leg-spinner responds to skipper’s request with a bagful of wickets in crisis.
To skipper’s credit, it should be mentioned that he gave unstinting support to Harbhajan Singh by giving the bowler extended spells in England second innings, letting him grab a wicket.
And finally look at the victory margin. A win by nine wickets is worth cherishing for a long time. Mind you it came without any powerhouse performance from the usual match-winners—Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag and Harbhajn.