Former India star Abbas Ali Baig, who was in the city on Saturday to receive a Lifetime Achievement award from Rotary Club of Madras East, is disappointed the way the Indians are faring in the ongoing series in New Zealand.

The former all-rounder, who played 10 Test matches from 1959-69 and forged a famous friendship with the late MAK Pataudi and ML Jaisimha, is unhappy with the application showed by the batsmen, the skipper’s selection of spinners although he thinks the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have it in them to turn the corner. It’s on these two that Baig is pinning hopes for the future.

“I think along with Pujara, Kohli is the best man for the job. Kohli to me is the biggest asset that Indian cricket has. He can change the complexion of the game single-handedly. So if he puts his head down and spends time in the middle, it will of great help to the team,” said Baid, who was known for his classy right-handed stroke-play.

“I think Pujara will be the key man. He has a penchant for big scores, possesses a good technique and also has the ability to play a wide range of shots. Pujara will have a big role to play,” said Baig, who scored a century on Test debut against England in Manchester in 1959.

On the other hand, Baig agreed with former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe  that India should have fielded off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin instead of left-armer Ravindra Jadeja.

“I agree with Crowe, an off-spinner would have been a better choice when you have a couple of left-handers in the opposition. Ashwin was down a bit in the ODIs and I guess that’s why he was not picked.”

Baig was not very hopeful of India’s chances of saving the first Test in Auckland, although he said there is a chance if they can build partnerships. They still have a lot of runs to score. Overall, the performance has been disappointing. It will be interesting to see how they approach the game. Yes, they need big partnerships.”

Skipper MS Dhoni is an excellent finisher but has not been able to play that role in the ODI series. Is his match-winning ability on the wane? “He is still capable of saving the side and play a long innings as he has done in past. In the last two or three games he has not been able to live up to that expectation.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cricket> News / by Ashok Venugopal / ENS – Chennai / February 09th, 2014