Opener's slot continues to plague Indians

It might just be a hair-raising experience for the Indians as they open their one-day campaign against the Kiwis at Colombo without the services of Sachin Tendulkar, sidelined due to a hairline fracture on his big toe.
Much has been said about an Indian side without Sachin. Sensing drooping shoulders all round, skipper Ganguly was forced to say that the Indian team would have to learn to play without Sachin Tendulkar.Brave words that, but the fact remains that Sachin''s absence will not only tell on Indian batting but will also make the opposition grin with confidence.
It is no fluke that the Lankan skipper Jayasuriya, now considers the Kiwis as the main danger and not the Indians. Sri Lanka will remember how they crushed the Indians at Sharjah when they dismissed India for their lowest-ever total of 54 to run out comfortable winners.
The Lankans beat the Indians three times when they last met at Sharjah in October, including in the final. Ganguly going through a lean patch seems to applying himself as was evident from his 74 off 52 balls (5 sixes and a boundary) against the Sri Lanka A side.
The knock helped the Indians beat Lanka A by three wickets. Ganguly came to the wicket with his team in trouble at 138 for four in the 32nd over in reply to the home team''s total of 261 for eight. After coming to the crease, he saw Hemang Badani, Virender Sheweg and Sameer Dighe depart quickly. Reetinder Sodhi stuck around and the pair took India to victory.
The Indian team management is once again perplexed with the opener''s slot. In the match against the Sri Lankan A side, Ganguly experimented with Yuvraj Singh and Amay Khurasiya in the top order. Though Khurasiya made 34, the move did not click well. Ganguly on the other hand, dropping himself in the order prospered.
The memory of the defeat to New Zealand in the finals of the ICC Trophy in Nairobi must be still fresh in Ganguly''s mind. It is to be seen whether the Indians can show the same fighting spirit and the commitment displayed in Zimbabwe. It will be also be interesting to see whether Ashish Nehra can be as effective as he was in ideal conditions in Zimbabwe.
Harbhajan Singh, though, must be itching to get going. The wickets at Zimbabwe offered little purchase for the lion hearted Harbhajan. But in the subcontinent, Harbhajan is sure to pose problems for the Kiwi batsmen.
For this series India has made three changes from the side that took the field in Zimbabwe. Amay Khurasiya replaces Tendulkar. In come the talented Yuvraj Singh and Delhi spinner Rahul Sanghvi. The Kiwis also have made changes in the squad. Daniel Vettori who bowled very well against the Lankans is back and so is all-rounder Dion Nash.
In fact the Kiwi side has seven all-rounders in the side. After being comprehensively beaten by the Lankans in the first match,
New Zealand will be looking to strike it rich against the Indians. Captain Stephen Fleming said his side''s batting had let them down in their 16-run defeat by Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
In the first match of the triangular one-day tournament also involving India. The Kiwis restricted Sri Lanka to 220 but managed only 204 for nine in reply. Fleming also took his bowlers to task for conceding 29 extras.