Richard Boock
at the World Cup
SOUTHAMPTON - Chris Cairns wouldn't be Chris Cairns if he wasn't worrying about some facet of his game, and right now he's in a minor tizz over his bowling.
The man who delighted the English on Friday by twice lifting Shane Warne out of the Sophia Gardens, has found much better form with the bat than the ball since arriving here fresh from a six-week injury lay-off.
His personal contribution of 60 towards the record fifth- wicket partnership of 148 with Roger Twose at Cardiff had even the Australians talking about him afterwards, although it should be noted that they were speaking only about his batting.
Cairns took three for 19 in the first match against Bangladesh without really impressing, and conceded 44 off seven overs on Friday - while being driven both sides of the wicket, a sure sign that he is struggling for rhythm at the bowling crease.
"I'm trying to play catch-up with my bowling," he said after practice yesterday. "I've missed so much cricket, and it doesn't matter how much you bowl in the nets it isn't the same as being in the middle.
"Something's not right. I'm not sure what it is, but I know there's such a small margin of error with bowling that it's probably just one small thing. The hard part is trying to find it - once you've identified it, things usually just click."
Cairns' innings against Australia was notable for its composure and the way in which he paced himself, although the English are still talking about the power of his hitting.
"It suits me to play fairly cautiously at the start - in fact, I really struggle to get the ball away early in my innings," he said. "But I know I can hit the ball to and over the boundary once I'm in, so I can sort of make up for lost time.
"I like the slowish pitches over here - they suit they way I play. And I really like the short, straight boundaries as well. I just know on these grounds that, no matter who the spinner is, even a three-quarter hit will carry."
He is naturally hoping to retain his touch for tonight's match against the West Indies, and to tighten his line at the bowling crease.
"Everyone's been doing so well in the field; all the bowlers have really performed, and I want to pull my weight with the ball too."
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Mohammad Azharuddin might want to register for the Witness Relocation Scheme over here if his team fails to qualify for the second round of the World Cup.
The Indian captain has already had to cope with fans stoning his house after previous failed World Cup attempts, but it seems that the obligatory false beard and dark glasses will not be enough this time.
India's losses to South Africa and Zimbabwe have plunged the sub-continent nation into a rare depression, exacerbated by the loss of star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who returned home after the death of his father.
About the only piece of good news Azharuddin has had lately is that Tendulkar was back in England for India's game against Kenya this morning at Bristol.
Elsewhere, the news has not been quite as positive. About every newspaper in India has been baying for his blood - metaphorically - while a growing percentage of the public have been baying for it literally.
An angry mob in Calcutta staged a mock funeral for the Indian captain at the weekend, while others burned an effigy of him. Even Imran Khan, former captain of India's arch-rivals Pakistan, has felt the need to add his few pence worth, telling reporters he thought Azha's body language was "terribly negative."
After this morning's match against Kenya, India square off against fellow strugglers Sri Lanka before ending their first round at Edgbaston against England, who yesterday crashed to an ignominious loss at the hands of South Africa.
The South Africans also won the tee-shirt war the day before the game, turning up to practice sporting the slogan 'I Back South Africa, 2006' in reference to the discussion on where the 2006 Soccer World Cup will be staged.
As soon as the English cricketers heard about the propaganda stunt, they asked for their own T-shirts carrying their own pro-England slogans, which duly arrived four hours later.