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| June 17, 2006 | Saturday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1427 |
India missed extra bowler: Gavaskar
NEW DELHI, June 16: Former batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Friday blamed India's team selection for missing out on two successive Test victories on their tour of the West Indies.
“India missed the extra bowler for the second consecutive match. Hopefully, it's not for a personal reason, but a cricketing one,” former India captain Gavaskar wrote in his column in the Hindustan Times.
India had to settle for draws from a position of strength in the first two matches of the current four-Test series while playing with four bowlers.
India went into the matches with three seamers and one spinner, only to fall one wicket short of victory in the opening Test at Antigua and three short in the rain-hit second game at St Lucia on Wednesday.
The West Indies finished at 298-9 while chasing 392 in the first Test and were 294-7 in the second match after conceding a 373-run lead.
“Rahul Dravid will know more than anyone else that in both the Tests he has been thwarted by the lack of an extra bowler who could have turned the tide for India,” said Gavaskar.
He felt off-spinner Harbhajan Singh could have made the difference.
“True, Virender Sehwag has done an admirable job with his off-spinners but if he is causing problems, then just imagine how much Harbhajan could trouble the many left-handers in the West Indies side,” he said.—AFP
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