The second warm-up game has just gotten underway, and the Board President’s XI are quickly on top with England reeling at 76/4 after 23 overs (England won the toss). The Board President’s XI is a formidable side, far better than the one that played the first warm-up match in Mumbai. Several of these players have played Test cricket, and the rest are top claimants for a Test spot. Munaf Patel and VRV Singh, the much touted pacemen, get to show just how fast and good they are. Jaffer and Gambhir are in a tussle for the opening slot in the senior team. It’s probably safe to say that the better of the two in this game will most likely open with Sehwag in the first Test on March 1st. The middle-order batsmen Raina and Rao were both given a few ODI games recently, and the selectors will be watching them closely. Powar, the all-rounder, also gets to play this game. Other players to watch out for are Jadhav and Paul. That leaves Badrinath, who I know nothing about, and Karthik (the wicket-keeper), who won’t be in the Indian side anytime soon no matter what he does in this game (thanks to Dhoni).
