A good performance in the Challenger Trophy could still stir the selectors into pushing for a name when they meet to pick the squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan

The Preview by Nagraj Gollapudi in Ahmedabad24-Oct-2007

Parthiv Patel: “It’s a great opportunity for me to carry forward my consistency. Guys like Robin Uthappa were spotted at the Challengers.” © Sidharth Monga
Window of opportunity. That’s what the Challenger Trophy has always been. On the face of it that same spirit should be evident in the latestedition that rolls on for the next four evenings starting on Thursday atMotera. But the wannabes and the been-there-and-wanting-to-be-there-againaiming to get through that window will have to prepare for a crampedsqueeze-in.Unless any player gets injured or the selectors dare to actually phase outthe seniors, not many spots are up for grabs. With majority of theIndian one-day squad making use of the short interval before they returnto the international arena against Pakistan in early November, this edition might just be one for the record.Last time the intensity was apparent with the likes of SouravGanguly fighting to retain his place. The timing was right too: it was the beginning of the season and the international players were fresh from a break, and the challengers had an opportunity to pit themselves against the best. This time, with the first XI being givena break after a packed four-month shift, the event has been robbed of glitter, occasion, and needle.Lalchand Rajput, the coach of the India Red team, and who was the interimmanager for the recently concluded series against Australia, said thatdespite the absence of the top rack, a good performance here could stillstir the selectors into pushing for a name when they meet to pick thesquad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan. “It’s still a platform foryoungsters to perform consistently,” said Rajput, whose squad had a light practice session under lights, along with the India Bluessquad that was overseen by Praveen Amre. The Blues captain Virender Sehwagwas scheduled to arrive later on Wednesday evening.If it was Ganguly’s presence that gave Challenger the edge last time, it may be the turn of Sehwag, Munaf Patel,Piyush Chawla, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel to draw thecrowds in. It’s also a chance forsomeone like Dinesh Karthik, who seems to have lost his way after asparkling Test series against England, to re-estabilishhimself, while others like Ranadeb Bose, Ishant Sharma, YoMahesh, Manoj Tiwary and Subramaniam Badrinath have an opportunity to press their cases too.One of the national selectors told Cricinfo why the tournament, despite its low-star value, was important.”We’ll be looking at the performances of players who are coming out ofinjuries to determine their match fitness. Secondly, also at certainplayers who perfrom consistently.” He said that with India playingconstantly during the season, the selectors’ rotation policy would requirea solid bench-strength.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s one-day captain, had said he was in favourof the rotation policy. “It’s an advantage and you have to keep your outfitfresh.”Parthiv Patel, who has been scoring consistently on the first-class frontover the last year, feels playing the Challengers is “a great opportunityfor me to carry forward my consistency.” Leader of the Indian Green teamwho play their first game on Friday, Parthiv also said that the event isthe best way for the lesser-knowns and the unknowns to make their mark.”Guys like Robin Uthappa were spotted at the Challengers. That is whatChallenger Trophy is all about. It’s a short way of getting recognised.”Pitch reportThe three pitches that will be used for the four games are all, in thecurator’s jargon, surface-free-grass tracks. While there is some grass cover which will help the fast bowlers get bounce and movement, batsmen should relish the opportunity to play their strokes once they’ve settled in.The curator, Dhiraj Parsana, assures it would be a one-day wicket withconsistent bounce. The locals’ prediction of the scoreshovering around the 270-mark is supported by the scorecards in the last fourgames played here during the the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.As for the critical dew factor, that makes the toss that much moreimportant, Parsana feels it could come down to the players’ skills andstrategies to defeat that and force a result. “Teams need to focus ontheir strengths and then choose what is best for them. In the end it’s theteam psychology which will determine the result.”