A brave new world?

MS Dhoni, I have a question for you and your rascals. I know you have the bat, Do YOU also have the balls?

South Africa has set you 340 runs to win a Test match in 90 overs. Conventional wisdom (and over 100 years of Test cricket) dictates that it cannot be done in one day, and that too on the 5th day of the Test match. But must we really wallow in the past if we want to proclaim that we represent a New India? Youngistan anyone?

How often will you get a chance to hunt down Sough Africa in South Africa? You have one good day left to do so. Carpe diem!

I have a sinking feeling that your "strategy" is roughly along these lines: Let's bat out the first session. Hopefully, Sehwag will survive that session and bring the target down and then we can attack it if we need to.

I am extremely fearful of that strategy. It just plays into the SAffers hands and you will have to fight for more than two sessions to simply save the Test.

Here's what you should do: re-jig the batting order. The first five batsmen should be Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman, Tendulkar and Dhoni. All five batsmen should play their natural games (not look for anything extravagant or special - you do have 90 overs - and your normal strike rates are such that you will always be on-target). More importantly, all five batsmen should look to win the game. If you do that will full intent Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, including the Test match, and, which is more, you'll be a Man, my son!!

Graeme Smith is cut from the same mould as the rest of the captains in the world. If India gets off to a quick start, he will remove the close-in fielders and place boundary riders. After that it is just a matter of milking the singles until the field comes back in. Repeat, rinse, repeat, rinse. Just like that the South Africans will be in trouble.

The time to save the match and walk away with a 1-1 series draw is beyond us. If you want inspiration, look at this score-card: Australia versus Pakistan at Hobart - 1999. I know I look at it any time I want inspiration that a 4th inning target can be achieved even if the top 5 batsmen are back in the hut with just 126 on the board and 263 runs still to get.