'India need to attack in final Test': Cricketnext

New Delhi: Will India change it this time? Can India go all the way or will it be the same old story of seizing the initiative only to give up the lead later?

This are queries disturbing fans ahead of the third and final Test at the Oval with the team leading 1-0 against England. But what is it that India need to do to avoid the usual debacle?

According to former India players, a positive frame of mind is a must and "play to win" should be the motto for Rahul Dravid and company.

As Kirti Azad and Chetan Chauhan pointed out, "the moment the players think that they can play for a draw, they will be in trouble. They should go for the attack. In fact, this is a great opportunity as Flintoff, Harmison, Hoggard and Jones are not there."

Former India paceman Atul Wassan agreed, "If India go with a mentality to play for a draw, they are surely going to lose the game," he said.

India won the second Test at Trent Bridge against the hosts, with man-of-the-match Zaheer Khan single-handedly snatching away the match from England with a nine-wicket haul. And with the batsmen doing their work to perfection, India deserved every bit of the victory.

However, there are certainly some areas of concern and the fact that India got lucky at Lord’s when rains intervened to save them from imminent defeat, the team management would surely be a little worried about fixing up the shortcomings before the final Test.

"The teams are at par. In the second Test, it was basically Zaheer’s performance that made the difference. But you cannot expect the same kind of show from Zaheer in every match. Even R P Singh has his own limitations, he cannot run through sides. Moreover, as we are playing only four bowlers, all of them have to be in the best of shape," said Chauhan, known for his fine opening partnerships with Sunil Gavaskar in the 1970s.

"In this warm-up match, Sreesanth should have played so that all the fast bowlers could have been measured and compared. And whosoever is the best should have played in the final Test," said Chauhan.

Azad too felt the Kerala paceman, who was in the news for bowling beamers and deliberate no-balls rather than for his bowling, should have been played in the practice game.

"Sreesanth should have played against Sri Lanka A to get his rhythm back. But now India will have to take a decision whether to drop him and go with Ranadeb Bose, who performed well in the game. In the second Test, it was basically Zaheer's brilliance but Sreesanth was no good. And India need a bowler who can maintain the right line and length and play a supportive role if not the leading role," said Azad, an off-spinning all-rounder who was a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team.

So, now the challenges that India face are huge and with some of the big names missing from the England team, there is all the more pressure on the visitors to live up to expectations and wrap up the series.

But besides taking care of their own faults, India will also have to focus on the opposition as well, who can be expected to strike back hard in a bid to level the series.

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"The Oval is a good batting pitch, yet, in all probability England would go for a grassy track and bouncy wicket, even though the decision can backfire with Zaheer and company in such good form. They are likely to take the chance as it doesn't matter whether they lose 1-0 or 2-0," warned Chauhan.

Wassan, who was also of the same view, added that Michael Vaughan would be spending sleepless nights and the pressure would be more as they are playing in their own backyard.

It is expected that in the final match, both the teams would go for the kill and hence the players will have to deal with a raging pressure. And after the amount of aggression that the players demonstrated at Trent Bridge, the captains would have the additional responsibility to keep a check on their respective players.

"At times it is frustrating. When you are trying hard but not getting the desired results, these things happen. And as you are playing for your country, a little bit of disappointment is justified. You want to unsettle the batsmen, hence you tend to do things, go ahead and talk. You get it, you just give it back - but verbally. Cricket is not a contact game so one must stay within limits," Azad opined.

"Sledging is part and parcel of the game but foreign objects being thrown on the wicket is unfair. And the players involved should be penalised for this kind of behaviour," said Chauhan about the jelly bean incident.

But all said and done, nothing less than a win will satisfy Indian fans. For the team, it would not just be a big achievement in itself but will also prepare them for the gruelling and long season ahead.

"If India are able to break the trend by winning this series, it would be a great morale booster," insisted Wassan.

Azad added, "This series win would prepare them for the series in Australia where the conditions are going to be much tougher. The ball would be kicking up a lot on the good, fast and bouncy tracks. And if they manage to win there, it's surely going to have a good psychological bearing on the team.”

As for Team India members, they know that they will have to deliver this time, especially against a depleted England side and after already having an upper hand in the series. Besides, it is the last time the big guns of Indian cricket can make it memorable for themselves in England.

The team members also know that they will have to get back the faith and the confidence of their fans after the World Cup debacle.

So, a lot is at stake for the players. It is time they delivered.

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