High voltage game on the cards

Hosts India today take on West Indies at the historic Chepauk stadium in a match that may very well decide the fate of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy.

 

If India win the match, it will lessen the pressure on him; but if they do not, not only the captain but the players too will face the wrath of the fans.

For India, this match is a high pressure one and will put to test their ability to withstand it and produce their best. Dhoni has been keeping away from the media and stories about his skirmishes with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) members and chief selector abound.

The only result that the cricket-mad Indian fans will accept is victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

On paper India is stronger than the Windies, but whether they will be the same on the field remains to be seen. The defeat by South Africa has sunk the morale of the team.

Special instructions have been given to players to keep away from the media and Ashish Nehra, who bowled the last over to South Africa, was seen quietly bowling at the nets without speaking to anyone. India's star opener Virender Sehwag is doubtful with an allergic condition in the knee. The debate over the playing eleven echoes everywhere.

The big suspense is whether local boy R. Ashwin will play. For many here, Dhoni is a villain preventing Ashwin's entry into the playing eleven.

Call to WikiLeaks

An SMS doing the round asks: "Can WikiLeaks reveal why Dhoni does not like Ashwin?"

Local dailies have been backing Ashwin. Some have interviewed his parents, who have expressed confidence that their son will play against West Indies. India's middle order batsman Suresh Raina had hinted to some friends he has been asked to be prepared to play. The could imply that Virat Kohli or Yousuf Pathan could be dropped.

The mounting pressure on India is a big advantage for the West Indies. Their star batsman Chris Gayle was seen practising amid rumours he was not fully fit. India rightly fears a whirlwind start from the West Indies. In fact no team fears India's opening bowling attack. The Windies may not have top spinners like India, but they have a balanced attack. Incidentally, it is so very hot in Chennai that organisers have kept the pitch covered. Stage looks set for a gruelling battle and real test of stamina and ability to withstand pressure. Some students from a nearby college who were permitted to watch Sachin Tendulkar train were heard pleading: "Sachin… please hit your hundredth century tomorrow."

Teams

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yousuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (capt), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Kirk Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Devendra Bishoo.

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Simon Taufel (AUS)

TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Match start: 0900GMT