Cricket: Indians lose gear and Zaheer

By RICHARD BOOCK

India's hopes for a smooth start to their test series received something of a setback yesterday when they not only lost most of their gear en route to Napier, but also the services of left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan.

Having dispensed with the hit-and-giggle contest in Christchurch, the tourists arrived in sunny Hawkes Bay yesterday afternoon to find their training gear had not been as successful, and that their scheduled practice session had been cancelled as a result.

To make matters worse, Zaheer, who suffered a heavy blow on the knee while fielding on Wednesday night, was ruled out of the three-day match against Central Districts starting today, leaving him seriously underdone for next week's first test in Wellington.

Considered the quickest of a pace attack that is likely to include Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer was rested for India's seven one-day internationals against the West Indies, and has not played since the second test in Chennai, at the start of last month.

His absence will mean an opportunity today for back-up paceman Tinu Yohannan, in an otherwise test-strength combination that features star batsmen Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

Captain Ganguly was first back to the hotel yesterday afternoon after commandeering the team bus for himself, his wife, their maid and the baby, and leaving the rest of the tour party stranded at the airport.

Although the squad finally made it to the hotel, their training gear was held up in the South Island, apparently caught out by a combination of the Wellington Airport closures and the sheer weight of the payload.

Say what you like about the Indian cricketers, they do not go without when it comes to packing their bags. Their gear weighed in at 2775kg, half a tonne more than the previous record set by last summer's English side.

What they expect from New Zealand's pace attack is not known, but they all seem to have at least eight bats. When Harbhajan Singh opened his bags at Auckland Airport on Monday, he had a cache of boots that would have turned former Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos green with envy.

As for Central Districts, they completed their preparations for the match with a minimum of fuss and bother, although coach Mark Greatbatch said it was not surprising because there was plenty of incentive for his players, particularly with the first test just round the corner.

Among the fringe contenders are Mathew Sinclair and Jacob Oram, who could possibly force their way directly into the test team should they excel against top company in the next three days.

Because of the abbreviated build-up for the New Zealand players, Greatbatch suggested, form could play an even bigger part in selection than normal.

He said India had played a lot of cricket at home and abroad and were match-hardened. Playing them would be tough without in-form players ready to front up for five days.

India: Sanjay Bangar, Virender Sewhwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (capt), VVS Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Tinu Yohannan, Ashish Nehra, Murali Kartik (one to be omitted).

Central Districts: Craig Spearman, Peter Ingram, Mathew Sinclair, Glenn Sulzberger, Jacob Oram (capt), Jamie How, Bevan Griggs, Martyn Sigley, Michael Mason, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford.