India ponder Test selection dilemmas

Calculations aplenty precede the second Test at Port of Spain. India won two Tests here in 1971 and 1976, but this time around, the wicket looks different, and there are too many permutations in the Indian dressing room.

Problem one: Will Sourav Ganguly come in at number three, or will Rahul Dravid be back there? Dravid once again laid claim to the slot with his match-saving hundred, while Ganguly, playing poorly, has been the target of the experts present here. The captain is yet to decide, but it is likely that he will go back to number five.

Problem two: Will the team management continue with Deep Dasgupta at the top of the order? And more importantly, will he keep wicket once again?

India have plenty of options here. There is a faction in favour of opening with Sanjay Bangar, but the failure of the Railways cricketer to score runs may count against him. It would be little surprise to see both Dasgupta and Bangar dropped for the second Test. Ajay Ratra and Wasim Jaffer could replace them. The Mumbai man scored four, six, 13 and 23 in his previous two Tests in India as opener, but some of those concerned feel he should get a break as the opening specialist.

Problem three: Should India play two spinners and two seamers, or three seamers and a spinner? If India choose to play with only one spinner, they may not take the initiative to tell Anil Kumble to sit out the Test, although his performances abroad are no more than ordinary. If the nature of the wicket forces the team management to play with three seamers in Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra and Tinu Yohannan, the team management may even inform the media that Harbhajan Singh is yet attain Test match fitness.