Your Indian Test squad for South Africa

What do you feel should be India's team composition for the first Test against South Africa?

Name: Gaurav Sharma
Your View: India should undoubtedly go with the two spinners i.e. Harbhajan and Kumble. I also feel that the team management should look to put Dravid at the opener's slot along with Shiv Sundar Das and get Sehwag at number six as his confidence is high and he has had a fair experience of the pitches in South Africa.

The middle order is already settled with Sachin at four followed by Ganguly and Laxman at no.3. Now to the seamers. Well, on present form, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan are automatic choices and given a choice I would go as far as dropping Srinath from the first 11 and, may be, look towards Agarkar as the third seamer if India goes in with three seamers.

Name: Jayaram.B
Your View: S S Das, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, D D Gupta, Harbhajan, Kumble, Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, Z Khan. I think this is a best combination coz we need to strike a balance between the batting department and the bowling department. Many a question may arise as to why Srinath was left out. I don't think he should continue any more. He seems to wear out soon... nevertheless, mentally he is strong. But physical health is a much more important thing when it comes to fielding and pace bowling. Agarkar can do some bit of batting and is obviously better than Srinath. Also, he strikes often, more than Srinath and his selection into the team would be considering the future of Indian cricket... Tell me, was Attapattu dropped for scoring five ducks in his initial phases of his career. Look at what he is today... I think we have to learn from others if we cannot learn on our own.

Name:Anand Vardhan
Your View: Yet another deblace in the final... and yet another avoidable showdown betwwen the selectors and the captain. After the buffoon of Indian cricket administrators was shown the door... it is high time the "bunck of jokers" are taken care of. It is ridiculous that the selectors choose a keeper who has less than three caps at the Ranji level... and justify his stay in South Africa, saying that he will get international experience. First, let him gain experience at the national level !!! Sameer Dhige himself owes his place in the team to 22-odd runs scored against Australia in a so-called "crunch situation".. where Harbhajan went hammer and tongs.. it was crunch situation to this dependable (???) middle order batsman from Mumbai. Deep Das Gupta is an understudy... isn't it a joke? What happens if the think-tank decides to field Deep Das ahead of Sameer Dhige? Can we call it "over" study. The list extends: Nayan Mongia, Saba karim, MSK Prasad, Vijay Yadav (does one remember him...), Vijay Dahiya, Sameer Dhige, Deep Das Gupta, Rahul Dravid (the latest victim)... and yet to come.. Ajay Ratra, Vikram Rathour, Thilak Naidu, Somasekhar Siriguppi, Reuben Paul to be explo(ited)red.

A spinner, who could not win Test matches on his own for the country decides the fate of other spinners. A batsman who does not have a Test century to his credit talks about current batsman lacking the skill to convert good starts to centuries... what an ingnominy... Now.. they want to be paid... if they are to be paid for watching cricket matches... who will pay the Indian public... are they not watching the matches? Are they not supporting the team? Moreover, they are the ones who made the board the richest in the world. To top it all a person who has no cricketing experience, if not cricketing knowledge, is the head of our cricket board, whither Indian Cricket. Just look at other test playing nations.... this will tell us why we are chokers, underachievers, paper tigers, over rated international team. The only way out of this rut is to throw out all the senile people and especially the bunch of jokers.

Name: Suresh
Your View: With the committed, scapegoat Rahul Dravid opening the innings, it's imperative to bolster our bowling with five bowlers. It is also a well-known factor that India has never won with collective efforts. It has won in the past only becoz of individual brilliance, be it bowling or batting. From history it's known that not many-a-time two or more batsmen or bowlers click at the same time and we have been trying this with six batsmen/four bowlers ratio without much success. So why not try out five bowlers? It's sure that batsmen are not going to score more than 250 runs in avg -- be it with six or 11 batsmen. Am I being rude? But isn't the fact!

Thus, to compete, our bowlers have to restrict the opposition around 250 or at the maximum 300. To do this we need five bowlers and we have seen in past it is not possible with four bowlers. Ideally, the fifth one should be a quality allrounder, since we don’t have one at the moment, Why don’t we try this? We have got a two good bowlers in Srinath and Ashish, a good left arm fast in Zaheer (he should fire on all cylinders in RSA, not be being like what he was in his last Test innings).

Then comes the interesting point of fielding two terrific spinners. It's amazing why even experts are not pointing this out. Harbajan is successful only when he has quality attack from other side (With Australia it was Sachin in his ominous spinning mood; in Zimbawe, it was only when Ashish and Zaheer were in prime form. He lacked that in later part of Zimbawe and whole tour of Sri Lanka. It is also seen in the recently ended one-day series, that whenever he bowled in tandem with Kumble, note: another quality bowler, he reaped wickets and when he bowled with mediocre bowlers he could only beat the bat or restrict runs. With other three bowlers' form tend to swing even between sessions, it's essential to field Kumble who will be at the least restrictive.

Thus, it's essential to field both the quality spinners and allow them to bowl in tandem to reap a good harvest. It should also be noted that Australia won in South Africa with the help of spin wizard Shane Warne and not it's pace bowling.

Name:Govind Kumar
Your View: India should play five batsmen and five bowlers.This would leave a long tail beginning with the keeper but I do not believe that an extra batsman (at the expense of the fifth bowler) would add much value considering the strength of our middle order (well, on paper at least!) with Laxman, Tendulkar and Ganguly. The absence of the fifth bowler was acutely felt, both in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and, in any case, you need to take 20 opposition wickets to win a Test and if the top five cannot score enough runs there is little likelihood that a sixth will. It is time our much-vaunted middle order delivered consistently. The weak links are obvious - the opening slot, the lack of a world class bowling allrounder and a wicketkeeper who cannot bat (or catch, for that matter).

In the absence of Ramesh, I would open with Dravid and Das rather than pitchfork the new lad Williams into battle. Granted, he has been chosen as a specialist opener, but might just be out of his depth on the quick bouncy tracks in South Africa. I would play both Harbhajan and Kumble regardless of the nature of the track. The South Africans were unconvincing against the spinners in the triseries and with the advantage of bowling to attacking fields, they would be our best bet. The role of the pacemen would be, at the very minimum, to lend support by keeping it tight. I would play both the left armers while Srinath would just pip Agarkar for the fifth bowler's spot, based on his experience of local conditions on two earlier tours.

My team in batting order : Das, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dighe, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Kumble, Srinath, Nehra.

Now for a more defensive alternative combination - Sehwag to open with Das, with Dravid batting at six and Nehra sitting out.

Name:Jeet
Your View: My team for the first Test. Playing a selector has never been easy. But, nevertheless, let me take a shot at it. The only plus point from the Sri Lankan tour was the success of the opening pair. Unfortunately, due to the injury of Ramesh, we need to have a new pair. South Africa and Australia is not the ideal place to introduce a rookie opener. And with no play possible in the three-day match, the team management probably lost the opportunity to judge Connor Williams on the bouncy wickets of South Africa (although one innings against a provincial side doesn't mean anything). Hence, the opening remains the biggest worry. And if we don't get a good opening, the middle order is bound to feel the pressure, doesn't matter even if we have the BIG three along with Laxman in the middle.

I'd like to see a stronger top order. Should Williams be given a chance in the first Test and if he fails, then we can look for an alternative? The answer is a BIG NO. You don't want to lose the first Test of a three-Test series. So the only solution that I can see is to move someone from the middle order to do the opener's job. Here the only name that even remotely seems to fit the bill is Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid. He has the right technique and temperament. He seems to be just perfect to walk out with Shiv Das to open the innings. In one down, I'll have Laxman. He has been successful against Australia in that position. So no need to change his position. However, he seems to lack a bit of match practice at the international level at the moment due to his injury. Hopefully, he'll get some batting practice in the remaining days of the tour match.

Also, you don't want to take too many gambles in a Test match. So let's not experiment with Laxman. Sachin and Sourav obviously occupy No. 4 and #No. 5 respectively. At No. 6, I want to do a nice experiment by bringing in Virendra Sehwag. He has been in South Africa for the past few weeks, has been reasonably successful with the bat, plus he can bowl a few overs too. So at this point, I am going to bank on Sehwag at No. 6 than on Williams at No. 2. The wicketkeeper's slot will go to Dighe, no matter whatever I think. He has been selected along with Dasgupta for the Test series; also Dasgupta had to sit out for the last two one-dayers. That's a clear signal that Dighe is the first choice of the team management. However, if Dighe fails in the first Test, I'll like to see him kicked out of the team as hard as Yuvraj Singh had hit that ball in a tour match prior to the tri-series and almost killed the local bowler.

Although we are playing in South Africa and I know that Sourav Ganguly's recent mantra has been to go with three pacers, but I personally think we should play with two spinners if we want to challenge the South Africans. One can see that the South Africans were a doubtful lot against the spin of Kumble and Harbhajan even in the one-dayers. We need to seize this opportunity and put more pressure on them. If Harbhajan plays, then his batting slot should be just after Dighe. Since I have picked two spinners, there is room for two pace bowlers, plus the back up from Ganguly. My vote for these two slots will go to Zaheer and Nehra. Zaheer has already proved that he is India's best fast bowler now. So he gets in without any doubt. For the second slot, I have opted for Nehra ahead of Srinath and Agarkar because he bowled beautifully in Zimbabwe. However, since he's coming back after a long lay off, I am a bit doubtful about whether he'll be able to reach his peak form in the first Test (again hoping that he along with Zaheer get some match practice before the first Test). We have seen the recent performances of both Srinath and Agarkar. They have been very inconsistent to say the least.

Hence I have left them out. But knowing the Indian team management, I am certain at least one of them, if not both, is going to play. So my team is as follows (in terms of their batting order): 1) Shiv Sundar Das 2) Rahul Dravid 3) V.V.S. Laxman 4) Sachin Tendulkar 5) Sourav Ganguly 6) Virendra Sehwag 7) Sameer Dighe 8) Harbhajan Singh 9) Zaheer Khan 10) Anil Kumble 11) Ashish Nehra

Name: Gopalan K.
Your Views: Time and again our opening batsmen have failed to get us a good start and we have had our backs to the wall right from the start. We need a strong opening partnership. Dravid is the best candidate to partner Das. He is in good nick, has the right temparament to stick out there for a 'looong' time. If Dravid and Das see off the new ball and the first session, I think half the battle is won and India has a good chance in the test. Laxman, Sachin and Ganguly pick themselves automatically for the other batting slots. One could argue that Dighe has the right attitude and better batting skills than Dasgupta. I would counter that with 'Catches win matches' and we need somebody behind the wickets who will not let the bowlers down. Moreover if the top five batsmen don't produce Dighe can't do much all by himself anyways.

Now for the bowlers. Harbajan and Kumble are automatic picks. Spin is our strength and let us use it to the maximum. The strategy would call for Bhaaji to attack and Kumble to bottle up the other end. I would pick Khan and Nehra as the other front line bowlers. They have amply demonstrated their ability in Zimbabwe and I believe they have the discipline to bowl the right length and line on seamer friendly wickets. I agonized quite a bit on whether to pick Srinath or Prasad. Srinath has the pace but Prasad has the smarts. I would go with Srinath for his pace 'might' get a few wickets in the initial overs. I would have a word or two with him before the match reminding him of his role and the need to stay and calm and not get over excited with the bouncy wickets. I would also let him know that he needs to deliver or else he gets the golden hand shake from Dungarpur!

Here is my team for the first Test: Das, Dravid, Laxman, Sachin, Ganguly, Dasgupta, Harbajan, Kumble, Khan, Nehra, Srinath.

Name: Ravi Kanth Kondapalli
Your Views: The blame for India's pathetic show against SA in the final should be placed squarely on the shoulders of Sachin, Sourav, Laxman and Dravid. Inspite of playing in so many matches these guys don't stick to the basic principle of putting a premium on their wickets and hanging around in a crucial match. I am sure any of these four have the capacity to bat out all the 50 overs. Here is where some planning would have helped. I dont know what value a "foreign" coach is adding to the team when it is very obvious that there is no plan among the top four as to how to build the innings.

The decision to play Rahul Dravid as a keeper was the most foolish decision ever taken. If your top five batsman are incapable of doing the job it is sinful to expect the lower half to build the innings and stack the side with batsman. It is high time we bid farewell to non-performers like Yuvraj and even Laxman from the one-day team. We cannot wait 15 matches for one magical innings. We would rather settle for 10 par innings from these guys.

As far as the first Test is concerned, I feel India should go in with 5 specialist bowlers including Srinath, Zaheer, Nehra, Bajju and Kumble, 5 specialist batsman in Dravid, Das, Laxman, Tendulkar and Ganguly. No point in exposing green horns to the SA quicks. You can guess how they would fare. New players should be first baptised on home soil before being sent for sterner tests abroad. Sachin be ready to score at least two centuries and inch towards Sunny's record. This is your chance to prove that you are a matchwinner apart from being a world class batsman.

Name: Himanshu Jha
Your Views: I think that India should not play without two spinners coz these were the only bowlers who could put something to think in front of the South African batsmen in the recently-concluded one-day series. Moreover, Test cricket is more suited to both of them as Harbhajan can really turn the tide in India’s favour with his subtle variety. His straighter one was not readable by anybody, not even Jonty Rhodes, who has the best reputation to play spin bowling. To start with, we must play Srinath and Nehra in the opening game as two main strike bowlers as Nehra can move the ball either way and pitches it more further up in the longer version of the game than anybody else, and Srinath has many a time proved himself in the Tests as match-winner. How can we forget Daryl Cullinan fighting against Srinath when rain came to his and SA's rescue in the unforgettable third Test of the 1996-97 series at Jo’berg? Zaheer Khan should be the third seamer with his lethal yorkers and aggression that he possesses. So this is the team as far as the bowlers are concerned.

As far as the wicketkeeper is concerned, Sameer Dighe is the best available out there, simply because of the experience and the attitude he has as a team member. Batsmen will have to play out of their skin to put up a decent fight against the ruthless South African attack. Start will hold the key. Nobody to ensure a better start than Rahul, the wall, himself. He can go at the start with the diminutive Das and can really graft his innings, while Das has to make sure that he plays the short ball well. Nobody is better equipped than VVS Laxman to come at No: 3. He must be told that he holds the key between Indian batting doing well and doing average, for he is the kind of batsman who can really murder the attack on a given day with his wide-ranged strokeplay. Laxman should be followed by little master Sachin Tendulkar as he will put his head down and concentrate hard if wickets have fallen pretty cheaply. Saurav should follow, as he has the ability to really pace his innings well. Not to forget the form he is in and the dent he has already created in the psyche of SA captain and the strike bowlers. This is my idea of the team which is going to take field in the first Test of one of the most tough tours of recent times and hold your breath we might be surprised by the performance they put up for they are as good as anybody.

My team in the order of batting: Shiv Sunder Das, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Sameer Dighe, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra.

Name: Bhaskara C S
Your Views: The main problem faced by the Indians during the recent times has been the lack of sting in their bowling attack. Save Harbhajan Singh, nobody ever seems to possess the guile and, more importantly, the heart to win a match for India. Srinath, with his vast experience, could not trouble even batsmen like Gibbs. Here I am not talking lowly about Gibbs, but how often haven't we seen people like Afridi, Jayasuriya, Gibbs, Gilchrist et al, smash Srinath to all parts of the park. The problem with Srinath is his defeatist attitude. Coming to Agarkar, he is the most unpredicatable youngster who always tries to give his 100 per cent but still fails. The problem is not with his attitude, but with his limitations. Looking at him, you can't expect him to go full fiery at the batsmen all the time. He is good; at least he has the heart. Let me ask you one simple question! How many runs has Kumble contributed with the bat in the recently concluded one-day series? You may argue, he is a bowler, but I have a strong feel that on the even bouncy wickets in SA he will be played all ease in the world by the batsmen.

Moving on to batsmen, the SA game plan would most predictable hinge around demolishing the captain's armour. And Ganguly is quite susceptible too. Ask him to win one match for India in SA, the game plan will change. It all depends on the captain's courage. Seriously speaking, it is all the Pollosk vs. Ganguly battle going on. And I come to this conclusion, just afterlooking at the expression of triumph on the face of Pollock after taking the wicket of Saurav in the final. So, Mr.Ganguly, you are going to have hard days ahead. Time is going to tell, who is going to win the battle.

My ideal line-up would be: (In the order of batting) S S Das, V Sehwag, R Dravid, S Tendulkar, V V S Laxman, S Ganguly, S Dighe, A Agarkar, H Singh (Not Harvinder, you must be joking!!) Z Khan, A. Nehra, A Kumble (12th man). This team truly has the potential to win matches for India. Thank you. Chandra Sekhar Bhaskara.