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| April 19, 2002 | Friday | Safar 5, 1423 |
Ganguly likely to bat lower down in second Test
PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), April 18: Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly is likely to bat at his normal number-five spot in the second cricket Test against the West Indies, starting at Queen’s Park Oval here Friday.
Ganguly batted at number three in the drawn, rain-hit opening Test at Georgetown, but could contribute just five before being caught hooking awkwardly off paceman Mervyn Dillon.
“Rahul Dravid might bat at his normal number three spot and I at number five,” said Ganguly Thursday.
Dravid excelled even at number five in the Georgetown Test, smashing an unbeaten 144 to help his team avoid follow-on.
India, needing 302 to make the West Indies bat again, were struggling at 275-7 before Dravid came to his team’s rescue with a record 120-run stand for the unbroken eighth wicket with tail-ender Sarandeep Singh (39 not out).
India scored 395-7 in reply to the West Indies’ first-innings total of 501.
On the eve of the match the tourists struggled to find an opening partner for Shiv Das. Deep Dasgupta flopped both as an opener and a wicket-keeper in the first Test, scoring nought and then dropping West Indies skipper Carl Hooper first bato score a superb 233 to help his team post a big total.
“Sanjay Bangar can open if we include wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra. As of now, all options are open. We’ll take the final decision before the start of the match.
“We want to have one more look at the pitch before deciding our playing 11. We are keen to maintain our good record at this venue.”
India have won just two of their 34 matches in the West Indies, with both of the victories coming at Port-of-Spain. In 1970-71 India won by seven wickets and by six wickets in 1975-76 when they scored 406-4, the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test.
India were also contemplating a new partner for paceman Javagal Srinath as left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan failed to find his rhythm sending down 14 no-balls and one wide.
The West Indies, meanwhile, have included leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine as cover for Mahendra Nagamootoo, suffering from a hamstring injury.
India are likely to go into the Test with a first-choice attack as top off-spinner Harbhajan Singh h