With Harbhajan Singh having been declared a starter for the second Test against West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval on Friday, the remainder of Sarandeep Singh's rather unexpected Caribbean tour hangs in balance. As things stand, Sarandeep, who made a crucial and unyielding 39 not out at Bourda on Sunday - but managed only one wicket and went for almost four runs an over - will be with the team for the second Test, informed tour manager Gautam Dasgupta. A final decision is to be taken after consulting Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary, Niranjan Shah, who is currently in London. Sarandeep himself said he'd be "disappointed" if he were to go back now, but "I haven't heard of any such talk yet."

Sarandeep has actually been in good batting nick. Less than a week before getting an SOS from Guyana because of Harbhajan's shoulder injury, he struck 94 in an inter-zonal first-class match. His coach, Bhandari Lal, had been talking to him about developing a second skill, with particular emphasis on playing straight to fast bowling, as he is likely to encounter the second new ball from his position in the order.

Sarandeep did fine - he hung about with centurion Rahul Dravid to add 120 unbeaten runs for the eighth wicket and saved India the potentially perilous follow-on. Eventually of course, the weather, once again, had the final say at Bourda. "I knew Rahul Dravid was there and I had to give him support. He kept talking to me and I just played accordingly. I knew I had not taken wickets even though I bowled all right. So I just concentrated really hard when I batted."

Sarandeep had travelled for more than 24 hours and reached Guyana barely a day and a half before the first Test. "I was mentally prepared to play. It would have been strange to not have played after all that effort." Now, it would be strange if he has to go back after all this effort.

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com India. His reports will appear here throughout the Test series.

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