Steve Waugh unfazed as ever

By Malcolm Conn

CALCUTTA, MARCH 9. Steve Waugh is on the verge of climbing his greatest mountain as captain but remains unsure who will make the climb with him after Damien Fleming needed treatment at training for a shoulder strain.

Victory in the second Test against India at Eden Gardens, beginning here on Sunday will give the Australian captain a cherished series triumph in cricket's most difficult theatre of war and his mind set has been to use three fast bowlers as the main strike force.

However Fleming's nagging injury problem and a hard, grassless wicket which already has hairline cracks that are expected to dig up with wear gives Waugh another variable to ponder.

As usual Waugh was unfazed by what he saw.

``I don't care what we play on,'' he said, reflecting the confidence of a captain aiming for 17 consecutive victories.

A logical option is to include off-spinner Colin Miller given that the pitch is expected to take turn from mid match but uncertainty over Fleming has left the door ajar for Michael Kasprowicz to make yet another Test comeback.

The Queensland paceman bowled with bounce and vigor on a flat Delhi wicket during the recent tour match and was twice unlucky not to have Indian captain Sourav Ganguly caught in the slips sliding reverse swinging deliveries across the left hander.

But Kasprowicz lacks consistency and one thing Fleming offers, apart from the ability to bowl the ball of the match as he did in the first Test to have Rahul Dravid caught behind, is to dry up a batsman and help create pressure, as he also did in Mumbai.

Fleming bowled just 10 overs last Wednesday during the recent tour match dominated by Australia's batsmen and felt tightness in the shoulder joint a day later.

Alcott believes it is related to a strengthening exercise which Fleming needs to maintain the shoulder following a reconstruction in 1995.

``He felt tender but I think he'll be fine,'' Alcott said following an hour of treatment. ``We've restricted him to light training as a precaution.''

Better news is that first Test hero Adam Gilchrist has been passed fit following a slight hip strain and will play after completing the full three-hour session. Stand-in Brad Haddin will remain for the Test as insurance.

While Miller may reasonably expect some sort of look- in touring a country renowned for spin bowling, particularly given that he was the popular choice as Australia's Test player of the year only a month ago, his chances appear slim.

That is partly due to Waugh's pace first policy and partly due to Mark Waugh's encouraging form with his off-breaks.

Although he may have been lucky to claim the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in the second innings of the Test, when a fierce pull rebounded off Justin Langer at short leg to be beautifully caught by Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh still finished with the pick of the figures in the second innings - three for 40 from 15 overs.

He backed that up in the recent tour match with two for 14 from seven overs, including the only wicket that mattered - Ganguly bowled charging.

With Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne all coming off a rest the bowling is a potent unit but the top- order batting remains a little uncertain with both Michael Slater and Justin Langer struggling.

Steve Waugh dismissed Slater's disappointing form on tour and said the first Test run-in he had with umpire Venkat and Dravid was now history.

``He's a big game player with 14 Test centuries,'' Waugh said of Slater.

Unfortunately a spirited training session was soured by an unsavoury outburst from the joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal, Mr. U.N. Banerjee, who shocked Australian officials with his yelling and screaming.

The Australian media, frustrated at needing yet another pass to attend a cricket match in India when official BCCI passes were issued at the beginning of the tour, were directed to Mr. Banerjee for assistance but he was dismissive in the extreme.

An argument ensued and when a local journalist intervened a ranting Mr. Banerjee attempted to throw him out before common sense prevailed.

The Australian media has been overwhelmed by the hospitality and friendly, helpful nature of almost all those they have encountered on tour but Friday was an unfortunate exception.

There is also constant amazement at the layers of bureaucracy and number of pieces of paper that are often needed to get things done in this country. In that regard Friday was no exception at all.

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Section  : Sport
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