ATTACK IS THE BEST DEFENCE

Are the Indian batsmen thinking of adopting an aggressive approach to combat Sri Lanka's spinners in the second Test? Tuesday saw most of the top-order batsmen trying to hit the ball out of the Galle International Stadium, but it remains to be seen if they can implement the approach on a pitch which is expected to be yet another vicious turner.
‘‘We are not going to tell you guys about our tactics for sure, but we have surely planned something for the match,'' India's fielding coach Robin Singh told reporters.
‘‘The players were feeling really low after the defeat in Colombo but now they are in better shape mentally. They have picked themselves up for the match and there is no reason to worry. They are all aware of their responsibilities,'' Singh said.
Sources said the batsmen are planning to avoid getting bogged down against the spinners by combining caution with aggression, rotating the strike, getting to the pitch of the ball and occasionally frustrating the Muralitharan-Mendis duo by playing some aggressive shots if the ball is in the slot.
Singh admitted that getting decent partnerships going would be the key, and added: ‘‘Everyone is preparing for the match in their own ways. We need one person to go out there and play well and at the same time show it to the other members of the team.''
That one person night well be Sachin Tendulkar, who is the team's guiding force. He needs another 133 runs to surpass Brian Lara's record and become the highest Test scorer, and the team, like always, is banking on him to lead the way with some individual brilliance. One big problem area is the fielding, which was below average in the first Test. Singh, however, sounded optimistic. ‘‘We are doing well on that front. Gambhir is working hard on close catches. Dinesh Karthik is also working hard. He dropped a few catches behind the stumps but it's not easy to come in and do well when you are not playing at this level on a regular basis. Dinesh had a bad game and there were a couple of lapses in the match. But now he is working hard and will surely do well.''