Spinners may play major role

On the subcontinental pitches, normally spin bolwers prosper. Stats has it that three spinners in 1987 and four in 1996, finished amongst top six bowlers in WCs. Kumble, the leg spinner, was the most successful bowler in 1996, with 15 wickets.

Ranatunga used spin effectively in the 1996 final, restricting the Aussies to 241, using his spinners, Murali, Dharmasena, Jayasuria and A De Silva.

In the 1996 semi final, WI were 165-2, comfortably placed, needing just 208 to win. Then Shane Warne bowled Aussies to victory, with a great spell of 4/36 in just nine great overs !

Talented Shakib Al Hasan and Abdul Razaak, the BD spinners, may also play pivotal roles in this WC, along with H Singh of India, Swann of England, Vettori of NZ and Ajmal of Pak.

Murali, the only 1996 WC player in the SL team, has won many a victory with his superb off spin bowling ! He quit Test with a bag of over 800 wikets and is also the leading wicket taker in ODIs.

No wonder the Indian selectors selected three main spinners, along with the allrounders Pathan, Sehwag, Raina and Yuvraj.

Murali is the best offie at the moment. He has a deceptive doosra which turns away from the right hander and bamboozles him, when he is looking for a conventional offbreak.

Harbhajan also has proved that he is a difficult bowler to get away in the subcontinental conditions, with a tidy length, which can reign in batsmen in the middle overs. He is likely to be the only main spinner in the Indian team, with part time spinners, Pathan, Sehwag and Yuvraj.

Swann is another dangerous offie. Did he not take 15 wickets Down Under ?

Bedi rates Swann as an excellent bowler. "Swann is an outstanding bowler. He is the best off-spinner at the moment."

"The fact that he attacks makes him extraordinary. He has a nice, clean action and I think he should do really well. His performance in the Ashes should boost his confidence."

Vettori is the leading bowler in ICC Rankings in ODIs. He can be dangerous on the subcontinental spinning tracks. Saeed Ajman knows no introduction. He can also be dangerous on the s c pitches !