Ganguly to open with Tendulkar

Despite Virender Sehwag excelling each time he has come as an opener in a one-day international, it would still be skipper Sourav Ganguly who will open the innings with Sachin Tendulkar when India take on England in the fifth match in Delhi on Thursday.

Ganguly was on Wednesday flooded with questions about the possibility of Sehwag replacing him as a regular opener, but the captain asserted that he himself will open.

"I will open with Sachin," he said, after the team's practice session at the Palam ground.

Ganguly and Tendulkar form the most successful opening pair in the history of the one-day game, with a record 15-century partnerships. On the other hand, Sehwag has one century and two fifties from the three innings he has played in as an opener, which has made him a powerful claimant to the opening slot.

However, as India go into tomorrow's game, the question uppermost in everyone's mind is not who will open the innings but whether the hosts would be able to continue with the momentum gained from that emphatic eight-wicket win in Kanpur on Monday.

Keeping in mind India's track-record in consistency, the answer can be anyone's guess. But more than ever before the team needs to prove it is not a one-match wonder which flatters only to deceive.

If Kanpur was an appropriate answer to those who were dissatisfied with the unconvincing nature of the home team's two earlier victories in this six-match series, similar performances in the remaining two matches can be a fine rebuff to England captain Nasser Hussain, who has been talking about India's vulnerability in pressure situations.

England obviously feel the series, at present tilted 3-1 in favour of India, can still end in a draw. Fast bowler Darren Gough on Tuesday said it was probably rubbish to suggest India were a superior side compared to England and that the result of the Kanpur match could have been very different had a debatable umpiring decision not gone in favour of Tendulkar who went on to score a majestic unbeaten 87.

It is now up to the hosts to stamp their superiority on England by winning the next two matches, and the series, without being over-dependant on one individual.

In fact, team effort was the key to India's victory in Kanpur. There were useful contributions from a number of players in the team and not just from one or two individuals.

The dazzling performance of Sehwag obviously hogged the limelight but the contributions of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath with the ball were equally significant, not to speak of the all-round performance of skipper Ganguly who had the most economical figures among the bowlers before chipping in with an aggressive 26-run knock.

However, a comprehensive victory need not always be achieved in a flashy manner and the Indians would do well not to be carried away by their performance two days back. It would be wrong to expect Tendulkar or Sehwag to indulge in similar strokeplay or for any other to try to match their pyrotechnics.

"The series is not yet decided. We cannot be complacent and allow England to come back and level the series. We don't want that to happen," Ganguly said.

"We would like to carry on to Bombay," he said.

India are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination unless they decide to give opportunities to those who have only served as reserves in this series, now that there is no fear of losing the series.

Ganguly said all the selectors were are to arrive and he did not want to "jump the gun" by announcing the composition of the team for tomorrow.

Asked whether left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan could be included in the final eleven, he said, "Everybody stands a chance of playing tomorrow."

Coach John Wright hinted that it would be more or less the same side that played the match in Kanpur. "Don't anticipate the balance of the side to be much different," he said.

Ganguly was satisfied with his own show in the series.

"I have been hitting the ball well though I realise I need a big score."

The Indian team had a nearly three-hour practice session at the Palam grounds in South Delhi. Star batsman Tendulkar was, however, conspicous by his absence, having left for Bangalore last night to attend a memorial service for his marketing agent Mark Mascarenhas, who died in a road accident on Sunday.

Tendulkar will join the team tonight.

After nets, the team left for the Ferozshah Kotla ground, venue for tomorrow's match, and had a good look at the wicket.

There was good news for the English team, who practised at the Kotla, with their regular wicketkeeper James Foster expected to be back after missing the Kanpur match due to a stomach upset.

However, all rounder Craig White, who had joined the squad only for the last two one-dayers, said he will not play tomorrow. White had been named in the squad for the one-day series against India and New Zealand but stayed back in England to have his knee operated.

He said he has not recovered fully from the operation and thus would not play tomorrow.

Teams (from):

India: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Mongia, Mohd Kaif, Hemang Badani, Virender Sehwag, Ajay Ratra, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath, Sarandeep Singh, Sanjay Bangar, Zaheer Khan.

England: Nasser Hussain (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Ben Hollioake, Graham Thorpe, Jeremy Snape, James Foster, Andrew Flintoff, Mathew Hoggard, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough.

Umpires: S K Porel and A Bhattacharya. Third Umpire: B K Sadashiv. Match-referee: Denis Lindsay.

England's tour of India : Complete coverage

Mail Cricket Editor