India v Kenya
Wednesday, October 17, 2001

India's ordinary bowling performance has set the stage for an entertaining second session at Port Elizabeth. The pitch looks a belter, and this should help the Indian batsmen overhaul Kenya's score comfortably.

Among the newcomers on view today, Harvinder Singh showed unmistakable potential in his ability to generate pace. He was quick in the air, and should use this asset more effectively by either bowling a fuller length, like Waqar Younis, or by bowling short of a length and pushing batsmen on their back foot. Harvinder probably isn't aware of his strength, and tries to bowl good length deliveries which reduces his effectiveness considerably and makes him a far easier bowler to tackle.

Reetinder Sodhi's role today was perplexing. He was chosen for the tour as an allrounder, but the fact that he bowled just three overs against a weak outfit like Kenya indicates that Sourav Ganguly doesn't consider him a bowler. That means the youngster would have to be inducted purely as a batsman, a responsibility he is clearly not equipped to handle. Today's performance makes one wonder about his role in the future games.

Venkatesh Prasad staged a comeback after he missed the last two games, but he too was far from impressive. Increasingly, he has looked a bowler who depends entirely on the conditions to make an impression on the batsman. On a flat, hard batting surface like today's, Prasad was hardly a force to reckon with.

Also, any thoughts that Indian coach John Wright may have had of allowing the players a day off would have vanished after their fielding performance today. It was a below-par effort in the field. There were far too many fumbles and overthrows -- a far cry from their recent efforts, when they had shown considerable improvement.

The Kenyan batting again impressed, especially with Ravindu Shah playing a neat knock at the top of the order. He is certainly their second-best batsman, after Steve Tikolo. But for Kenya to compete against international teams, Shah will have to raise his game another couple of notches, and they will have to uncover at least another top-level batsman. It was good to see Shah play with flair and confidence, though the pleased look on his face when he got his half-century indicated that he hadn't set his target any higher. Not surprisingly, he was dismissed almost immediately.

The talking point before the match was the suspension handed out to Kenya's skipper Maurice Odumbe. His tendency to come out with controversial statements has often rubbed cricket officials and opposing captains the wrong way, and the latest incident certainly isn't a surprise. The severity of the sentence was probably too harsh, but it only serves up the need to carefully measure the statements before speaking. Steve Tikolo, with his unflappable temperament, is probably better suited to captaincy.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to S Rajesh.

More Sanjay Manjrekar
The jury is out on the judge

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd