"All the players are eager to play for the country. Some might get a few chances less than others because we are looking for a particular combination for a particular match," Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "But we need to be patient and support them when they are not in the playing XI, so that they can come and play well when the opportunity is given to them," he added.

That opportunity was given to three players — Rohit Sharma, S Sreesanth and Praveen Kumar — in the final one-dayer against Pakistan on Sunday, and the trio grabbed the chances with glee.

Sharma might have spent countless frustrating moments in the dressing room, watching his team-mates taking the field with unbridled enthusiasm. Not short of talent, the Mumbai lad could not find a place in the playing eleven due to external issues like team composition in the first four matches of the five-match series. He had figured in only one match of the seven-match series against Australia last month.

"Rohit is a good player, and he has been with the team for the last 5-6 months. It is a bit of hard luck that somebody like him is not getting a good run. But I am sure he will grab his chances in the future," cricket manager Lachand Rajput had said.

Fine style
Sharma did that job in fine style, cracking a fine half-century in Jaipur. The youngster came to the crease at a time when India were in deep trouble after losing four of their frontline batsmen early. Besides, the hosts were also chasing a formidable total. But Sharma didn't show any nerves and played with a great degree of comfort in the company of Yuvraj Singh.

The highlight of his innings came when he shimmied down the track and hoisted paceman Rao Iftikar Anjum over long-off for maximum. It was a daredevil shot from the youngster with a burning desire to excel at the highest level.

The task of taking India to victory was always going to be a tough one on the day, but we just might have witnessed the birth of a potential match-winner.

"Rohit came at a difficult period, but he played well. It is always tough to come and play straightaway after a gap some 7-8 matches, and that too against a good Pakistan attack. I am happy for him that he made the most of the chance," Dhoni said.

As for Sreesanth, his temperament and economy rate in ODIs are often under scrutiny, forcing him to sit out, more because of the latter. In the last few months, right from the Twenty20 World Cup, he had played only a handful of ODIs.

The Kerala paceman had started Sunday's game in familiar fashion, mixing unplayable deliveries with loose ones.
His first spell, 3-0-20-0, had indicated another bad day in the office. But Sreesanth displayed enough determination not to squander a chance to impress the mandarins while picking up three quick wickets.

The performance should spur his confidence ahead of the Test series, beginning in two days time in New Delhi.

Surprise
Praveen, the debutant for India, might have been surprised for a moment when Dhoni handed him the new ball and asked to bowl the first over. The Uttar Pradesh pacer made a bright start to his international career with a maiden over to Salman Butt. It showed that the young bowler has the nerves and skill to survive at the highest level. He suffered some punishment in the subsequent overs, but the enthusiasm with which he continued to run in and bowl was impressive.

The trio's performance might have come as a timely assurance for the team management that the cupboard is not entirely empty.