A Battle For Top Spot

India and South Africa,both cricket teams are fighting for top spot in ICC test ranking in Eden Gardens ,Kolkata.The winner of this test match will earn the coveted spot Currently Indian team is proudly sitting there.But after the diamal performance in previous match, they will have to earn the spot again by winning this match,they can not be satisfied by a draw either.Since the starting of the ICC test Ranking in 2001, the Aussies had continued to be there at the top until their team was hammered by the retirement of some ace players as Hayden,Gilchrist,Warne and McGrath.The departure of all these players from cricket happened at almost no gap of time,leaving their team dangling to retain the prestige they continued to enjoy,and Ponting being the lone survivour from the past.Entire team had to be rejuvenated. Ponting had to put a lot of worries and effort, and he somewhere lost his enviable batting charm in the process.But again that team is showing that they are eager to come there where they were left earlier by the retired player.This is the bench strength of Australia and craving to perform of the young players that has paved the way again for Australia and now Ponting is leading them beautifully to progress to the desired place.

But what about India? First time in the cricket history, India is sitting at the top.But will they able to retain the spot for a long time as Australia did? We have seen in the previous match how our team is dependant on some of its key players, the old legs. Sachin,Dravid,Laxman all have crossed the dangerous 35 mark and we can see their retirements in coming 2-3 years.Sehwag is also of 31.Selectors are also paying no attention in preparing young players to fill the blanks in future.In Bangladesh tour,they could have given a chance to lokes of Raina and Kohli but they refrained form doing any experiment even against Bangladesh. Nad in last match, when 3 key batsmen were injured,they had choosen Wridhiman Saha, a wicketkeeper instead of pure batsman.What was that? A team so strong as South Africa, they are doing experiments with new players,where we needed some solid and promising players to fill the spot.Even Saha himself did not expect his selection at this time.

Well,having said all this,India is in a commanding position and well poised to win this match, and in turn, the No.1 place,thanks to the blistering performance of their "key old players", with no youngster having shown any guts and hope.I can just hope that ALL Izz WELL for India.