Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be playing in the second Test in Kanpur. But there is a big question mark about how the bowling line up will shape for India as well as who will partner Muttiah Muralitharan for Sri Lanka.
The Indian captain will have a lot to think about and every decision could prove critical for India’s chances in the Test series as the second Test gets underway in Green Park in Kanpur tomorrow.
Of critical essence is whether the captain has belief enough to pursue with the four bowler attack he did in the first Test in Ahmedabad or if he could like to try a new permutation-combination. A dull pitch like at the Motera will not have given him too many clues where practically all bowlers looked like they could use a shake up. So, it will be an intriguing scenario whether he has faith to pursue with Amit Mishra to partner Harbhajan Singh (there is no case of dropping the latter) or he would like to add Pragyan Ojha to the mix.
But given that the Kanpur pitch is likely to fare differently than it did during South Africa’s tour last year, perhaps it is the fast medium bowlers that Dhoni may be tempted to tinker with. Ishant Sharma is still coming around and Zaheer Khan has come out of injury and neither could be put to the true test in Ahmedabad. Sreesanth may just fancy himself being given a go but at whose expense - batsman or bowler - is the question.
But the turmoil is not restricted to team India. Sri Lanka will also be in a little bit of a quandary in the spin department. Muralitharan did not look frightening in Ahmedabad and it will be interesting whether Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain, would want to unleash Ajantha Mendis in lieu of Rangana Herath, although to be fair, the bowlers on either side, apart from Chanaka Welegedera who performed outstandingly, are yet to be tested on a pitch designed for them. Green Park may just be the answer.
Kanpur Pitch Looks to Bury Memories of Wrath
Broken Nose Not to Come in the Way for Dilshan For Second Test
Sangakkara Magnanimous For Tendulkar
Is This What Shiv Sena Wanted Tendulkar to Be Proud Of?
Sachin Mania Drowns Test Pitch Concerns
Ind SL T 1 Day 5 Stumps: Mindless Run Fest Ends in Predictable Draw
Ind SL T1 Day 4 Stumps: Another Day to Bat Out, Minus Sehwag, Dravid
Ind SL T1 Day 4 Lunch and Tea: Sri Lanka Have a Sizable Lead, Onus on India
Ind SL T1 Day 3 Stumps: Sri Lanka Have Match Control Thanks to 2 X Jayawardene!
How Much of India’s Batting Is an Advantage Over Sri Lanka?
Dhoni’s Century Handy Because Captaincy is not Working!
SA Follow India’s Lead Against UDRS; New Zealand Go Ahead
Ind SL T1 Day 3 Lunch and Tea: Mahela Leads SL with a Century Knock!
Thilan Thushara Ruled Out, Dilhara In for India Tour, Welegedera Finds Time to Shine!
Ind SL T1 Day 2 Stumps: Match Poised Nicely After Dilshan Heroics
Ind SL T1 Day 2 Lunch and Tea: Dilshan Ton Takes Sri Lanka to Good Beginnings
Ind SL T1: Tendulkar’s Hero to Zero is Reflection of Indian Itinerary Chaos
Ind SL T1 Day 1 Stumps: Dravid, Dhoni Centuries Rescue India in Record Style!
Ind SL T 1 Day 1 Tea: India’s Next Dravid- Where Is He?
Ind SL T1 Day 1 Lunch: Reminiscing Guwahati
Anjali Tendulkar Visits Sachin In Ahmedabad
Sri Lanka Have No Practice Before Tests
Lacklustre Batting Display Proved too Costly for India
Vishwanath, Gavaskar Felicitated by Bachchan, Tendulkar
Sahara Sports Awards Saw Some Sizzling Face to Face Encounters
Ind Aus ODI 7 in Limbo: Cyclone Alert in Mumbai Keeps Cricket At Bay, SL v BP XI Also Cancelled
Ind Aus ODI 7 Eve: Unseasonal Rain Descends Upon Mumbai
Shane Watson Should Consider Himself Blessed in India!
Ponting Going For Kill, Aiming for 5-2
Don’t Carry Your Mobile Phone to the Stadium!
Mumbai ODI Without Zing as Selectors Pick Test Squad
Sangakkara Feels Sri Lanka Have Less Pressure Than India
Shane Warne Picks on Dhoni for Lack of Aggressiveness
T20 Burst Worried Ponting About Australian Youngsters
Dhoni Reprimands Batsmen for Series Loss
Ponting Feels Winning in India is Like Winning the World Cup!
Did you see this? Check This Out!
Ind Aus ODI 6: Australia Complete Formalities, Corner Series Win Over Hapless India
Ind Aus ODI 6 Half Time:Guwahati Horrors for Team India
Australia Struggle For Spinner Even as Warne Seeks Replacement
Jadeja Speaks Out About that Untimely Run Out
Ricky Ponting’s Pep Talk Behind Australia Withstanding Tendulkar Assault
Ind Aus ODI 6 Guwahati Preview: India Have a Do or Die on Their Hands
Was Sachin To Blame for India’s Loss in Hyderabad?
Javed Miandad Believes Tendulkar Is Exemplary for Future Cricketers
Dhoni Thinks India Lost the Match Mentally Despite Tendulkar’s Knock!
Ponting Praises Tendulkar, Watson and Marsh
Sachin Speaks Out About Pressure, Planning and Disappointment
Ind Aus ODI 5: Heartbroken Tendulkar Despite his Heroics
Ind Aus ODI 27th Over: Indian Innings Gathers Force Around Tendulkar Special 45!
Siddle, Nielsen Target Schedules for Injury Casualties
Ind Aus ODI 5 Half Time: Australia Raise Highest Total in India!
Moises Henriques - The Latest on the Injury List
We are in for some terrific cricket over the next few days!
Siddle Joins Hopes on Flight Back Home
Ind Aus ODI 4: India Miss a Golden Chance to Go 3-1 Up!
Ind Aus ODI 4 Half Time: Nehra, Run Outs See Australia Falter
Plotting, Planning or Playing - India No. 1 at Mohali?
Sachin Tendulkar - A Grandfather?
Players Break Security Cordon, Live Ammunition Found
Ind Aus ODI 4: India On Field First At Mohali
Karthik To Stand By for Gambhir, Sehwag Injuries
Ind Aus ODI 3: Dhoni, Yuvraj Star in Indian Win
Ind Aus ODI 3 Half Time: Aussie Target - Par for the Course?
Brett Lee’s Injury Rules Him Out of Series
If Dhoni is Batting Higher Up, What are the Other Batsmen Doing?
Was Ponting’s Pitch Complaints Justified? Was Dhoni’s Joke in Good Humour?
Ind Aus ODI 3: Ponting Should be Happy to Win Toss
Harbhajan Singh Turned to Hirwani
When in India, do what the BCCI does
Beat Indians on the Field, Not Off It!
Hate Wars or Racism: India Australia Thick in It
McCullum Not Quitting, Racism Didn’t Happen, No Match Fixing and No Dada?
Morne’s Racial Abuse Deftly Handed; SA All Praises
Brett Lee Nows a News Anchor in Hindi?
Brett Lee’s Infidelity Woes, Indifference, and Now Injury
Brett Lee: All in the Attempt to Preserve ‘the Brand’
Team India Fields Same Faces for the Next Two ODIs
More Pain for Australia with No Paine
Manou’s Test Debut in Ashes T 3 Day 1 Stumps: Watson Drives Away the Blues
Ind Aus ODI 2: The Zing Is Back!
Ind Aus ODI 2 Half Time: Dhoni Mania Hits Nagpur
Tendulkar Takes on Umpires for Referral System
Ind Aus ODI 2: Sunny’s Imposition for Sachin Tendulkar, Ind 67/2 in 10.1
Nagpur ODI Preview: India Have a Chance!
Law Intervenes, Venkatesh Prasad Disappointed
Ponting Has Reasons to Fume as Australia Loses Battle for the Spearheads
Kapil Dev Asks - Why is BCCI Not Accountable?
Ponting Expresses Anger at CL T20 Final Delaying Personnel Matters
No Hopes, Lee and Johnson Under Scanner
Ind Aus ODI 1: Bhajji, Praveen Take India Within Four Runs of Impossible Win
Ind Aus Honour Series ODI 1 Half Time: Australia Chalk up 292 at Vadodara!
India-Australia ODI Series - Results, Dates, Venues and News in the Run Up!
