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Will the fearless Yuvraj pass the Test?

S. Dinakar

Indian team practises at Chepauk under tight security

— Photo: K. Pichumani

GETTING BATTLE FIT: The Indian team went through its paces at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai under the watchful eyes of the securitymen.

Chennai: Yuvraj Singh did not have to look far for inspiration. Batting in the adjoining nets at Chepauk was his inspiration, Sachin Tendulkar.

The sweet sound of the middle of the willow making contact with the ball filled the air. Yuvraj stole an occasional glance, admiring the maestro.

A natural galloping on his ability, Yuvraj faces searching questions of temperament and technique in Test match cricket. His quest in Tests arrives at a time when international cricket in the country faces a challenge of another kind.

Even as the Indian cricketers practised here on Monday, personnel from the Rapid Action Force guarded the ground, looking into the largely empty stands in the stadium; only a bunch of presspersons followed the action from the area below the media box.

Security ahead of the first India-England Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium was predictably tight; the match commences on December 11. There will be no dearth of commandos or policmen in plain clothes.

The Indian cricketers — Harbhajan Singh will join the team on Tuesday after attending a family function — appeared relaxed during the practice session. They were surrounded by strong men with guns.

Giant nets loomed in the background, ready to cover the stands at the slightest notice. These are very different times.

While the ECB and the England cricketers have made a brave call on the security front, the in-form Yuvraj could still haunt the Englishmen on the ground.

The left-hander will, rightly, be batting in the middle-order. Yuvraj can be a little heavy-footed at the beginning of his innings and a top-order slot is no place for him. A brief experiment in the opening slot in 2004, driven by the compulsions of selecting the eleven, set back Yuvraj’s career.

Yuvraj’s high back-lift and the glorious follow through underline his batting. His down swing is quick, reflecting Yuvraj’s bat speed.

A crucial change in his batting technique during the Greg Chappell era made Yuvraj a more complete batsman. Earlier, his legs were too wide apart in his stance and he was getting planted at his crease. In his new stance, his legs were closer.

According the Chappell, Yuvraj was able to use the ground forces better. With this stance, he moved forward in a fluent motion, and looked for the full ball rather than staying rooted at the crease. Resultantly, he was also striking the ball straighter.

Slump in form

Following an extremely rewarding period in Pakistan in 2006, Yuvraj’s form slumped again. His methods and footwork were better against the pacemen but his initial play against the spinners was still tentative. Did he possess the confidence to excel against the better spinners? He needed to read the hand, than play off the pitch.

Brad Hogg troubled him in Australia last season and then he was bamboozled by the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis in Sri Lanka.

In his favour, Yuvraj has hardly received an extended run in Test cricket. He stressed this point in a conversation with this correspondent during the IPL.

His Test record, actually, is not to be scoffed at. Yuvraj has 1050 runs in 23 Tests at 32.81. The left-hander has three Test hundreds, all against Pakistan. But then, given his ability, he has clearly under-achieved in Tests.

Yuvraj is fearless and can disrupt the rhythm of an attack. Will this match-winner make a new beginning in Tests?

Duel with Monty

His duel with left-arm spinner Monty Panesar could make compelling viewing. The southpaws have a natural advantage against left-arm spinners, but Panesar could test Yuvraj with the delivery that straightens from round-the-wicket.

The weather on the Monday evening here was distinctly murky. If rain stays away, Chepauk could bask under sunshine and Yuvraj.

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