By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Kolkata : Pakistan, battling with injuries to several players including captain Shoaib Malik, are in a must-win situation to keep the series alive on the eve of the second Test against India beginning Friday at the Eden Gardens.
Meanwhile, India — sitting pretty after winning the first Test in Delhi comprehensively — look to wrap up the series with a second win. They come with positive memories of the 197-run win over Pakistan under Inzamam-ul Haq at Kolkata in 2005. If India win, it will be their 10th win over Pakistan.
Anil Kumble’s team has no serious injury worries, and if anybody is dropped from the squad that won by six wickets in Delhi it may be opener Dinesh Karthik.
His failure with the bat in the first Test has brought Yuvraj Singh into the picture again, but the final XI is likely to be known only just before the match.
The Pakistani camp meanwhile has a bunch of worries. Their woes were compounded when minutes after their defeat at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium, captain Shoaib Malik twisted his ankle while playing football and pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar went down with viral fever.
If Malik, already struggling with form, is ruled out of this match, the aggressive vice-captain Younis Khan will lead the team. Unlike Malik, a mild mannered person, Younis is known for his passionate and aggressive way of playing.
Akhtar was admitted to a local hospital after reaching here Tuesday and was discharged late Wednesday evening. It, however, remains to be seen if he has recuperated sufficiently to play at the venue where he bowled Pakistan to victory over India in the 1999 Asian Test Championship.
Fast bowler Umar Gul and solid middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq have also been on the sick list. Gul missed the Delhi Test due to a back problem, while Misbah has chest congestion and fever.
Gul is now fully fit and even bowled full steam at the nets here Wednesday and Thursday, and the team manager said the paceman was “perfectly fit” to play the match. In-form Misbah is also expected to be at peak fitness to carry on the good work.
As for India, if Yuvraj Singh is to be picked it can only be at the expense of Karthik, who failed in both innings in Delhi. And then Yuvraj might have to open the innings with Wasim Jaffer.
When Yuvraj arrived at the airport here from Delhi Wednesday a fan walked up to him and said he hoped he would play the Test. Yuvraj smiled and replied: “I also hope so.”
Meanwhile local fans will also hope for a big innings from elegant left-hander Ganguly, who has never scored a century on his home ground in the seven Tests he has played here, and it could well be the last time he will be playing here.
Teams:
India: Anil Kumble (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vice-captain/wicket-keeper), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik and Munaf Patel.
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal and Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket-keepers), Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman.
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies)
Third umpire: Amiesh Saheba (India)
Fourth umpire: K.G. Laxminarayan (India)