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Jadeja to lead India

V V S Laxman is likely to replace Mohammad Azharuddin in the Indian lineup as it readies to take on Kenya in the day-night Coca Cola Cup fixture at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Azharuddin is away in England, attending the meeting of international cricket captains under the aegis of the ICC.

The team management is also expected to give chances to younger players, given that with Kenya having lost to Bangladesh the other day, the game on Wednesday is not too crucial for the home side.

Kenyan skipper Asif Karim however insisted that his team, though down, was by no means out. "We will go back to basics and not repeat the mistake of bowling badly and conceeding too many extras, as we did against Bangladesh," Karim said.

Kenya conceeded 39 extras in its previous game, against Bangladesh.

Kenya, who raised many eyebrows by handing out a shocking defeat to the West Indies in teh 1996 World Cup, are seen as a side capable of putting it all together and upsetting higher-ranked applecarts on their day, and Karim hopes that tomorrow will be one such occasion.

India will be led by Ajay Jadeja, in Azhar's absence.

Curator Kasturirangan claimed the pitch would be batsmen-friendly and full of runs. However, public response has been very poor, despite schools being closed for summer vacation. Apparently, there is not much interest in seeing an Indian side -- one, what is more, shorn of local stars Srinath, Kumble and Prasad not to mention master blaster Sachin Tendulkar -- take on one of the minnows of the cricketing fraternity.

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad also pointed out that it would be an opportunity for the youngsters to show their mettle. It is also expected to help India build a team for the next World Cup. The final eleven is expected to be decided by the selectors later tonight, and announced just before start of play tomorrow.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Indians as they have won six out of eight encounters, including the historic win in the quarterfinals over arch rivals Pakistan in the 1996 World Cup.

Ajay Jadeja, who blasted Pakistani speedster Waqar Younis in the slog overs of the match, is hoping that he would be able to repeat the performance as captain of the team. India has a strong batting line up in openers Sourav Ganguly and Gagan Khoda. Rahul Dravid, who was a failure in the first game, will probably relish the opportunity to come good on his home ground. Laxman is another reliable batsman, and India will be further assisted by in form allrounders Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Robin Singh.

The new ball will be shared by Ajit Agarkar and either Harvinder Singh or Debashish Mohanty. Spin remains in the hands of leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule and left arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi. Wicketkeeper M S K Prasad, who received accolades for his performance during the India A tour of Pakistan recently, gets one more chance to prove his skills and cement his place in the side.

The toss may not play a vital role as the weatherman has predicted no rain for tomorrow. Though it is expected to be partly cloudy, not much assistance is expected for seam bowlers. The city has seen a few showers in recent days.