I think India can go in with only two fast bowlers with either Pathan or Balaji joining Agarkar with Kumble being the lead in the spin department. They can consider the choice of using both Badani and Rohan Gavaskar in the squad as both of them are not only good batsmen but also handy left arm spinners not to forget their good fielding abilities. India can manage to bowl the 20 overs from Gavaskar, Badani, Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Yuvraj. This would help us reducing the tail with Agarkar slated to come in at No.9.
Your report does not use facts to support an argument. Frankly we were never in a winning position against Australia in the ODI. Our run rate was always behind and wickets were falling at regular intervals. We needed less than 6 runs per over to win in 50 overs. By the time Ganguly was run out the run rate needed was above 6 per over. How do you expect the tail to score faster than the mighty batsmen? Ganguly finds it convenient to pass the buck to the bowlers. Why don't our batsmen stay till the last over and score the winning runs? Can they not bat for 50 overs without exposing the tail? Ganguly should stop his tantrums and concentrate on improving his batting esp. his running between wickets. He cannot blame any batsman because all others are performing better than he. We are strangely quiet when it comes to the bowling prowess of our batsmen. Can't they bowl 10 decent overs between them which is about two overs each? Blame the bowlers for everything and give credit to the batsmen even if they can't survive for 50 overs. Of course ODIs are a batsmen's game.
We boast of our mighty batsmen who cannot win matches when it matters and they need the bowlers to score the winning runs !!! How generous !!! Our bowlers cannot score faster than our batsmen !!! In the ODI vs Australia we needed to score at less than 6 runs per over for 50 overs. Our batsmen folded up and the run rate required was more than 6 per over when the tailenders were at the crease. We blame our bowlers for not scoring those runs !!! Let us fix the blame where it is due. Of course Dravid said that the tailenders are trying hard to improve and given time they will come good. Cannot our mighty batsmen play 50 overs without exposing the tail?? Probably that is too much to ask of our mighty batsmen.
Ganguly seems to be overly critical about tailenders not being able to score runs. He got out irresponsibly (albeit Bangar should've sacrificed his wicket but the mistake was Ganguly's) and then we collapsed. Its not the tailender's job to finish the match, its the top 6's job. He should realize that bat more responsibly. Somehow, he and some others in the team seem to be content with scoring runs and don't realize that runs without a victory doesn't mean anything for the country. At times, they don't even score runs but thats off the topic. Tailenders contribution is primarily on the bowling side, any batting contribution is just "nice to have". Having said that, someone like Kumble with over 100outings must learn to do some decent batting. He is just pathetic.
The Tailenders should come out and bat fluently in the first 15 overs not worrying about the wickets and attacking all the time.. Ajit Agarkar and Sehwag should open the batting and hit the bowlers out of the ground.. Followed by Rohan Gavaskar and then the famed indian middle order should come in.. If the openers get the ball rolling.. The middle order can take the game beyond the zimbabveans and even the aussies.. Lets give them a huge surprise..
Of-course, this would require some bold initiative from the Team Management.. The Team management should be flexible as far as the batting order goes..
Also India should go in with a batting centric attack.. With Agarkar, Pathan and Kumble being the regular bowlers.. Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Sehwag, Badani/bangar can fill in the rest two bowlers slot.. Show some imagination and catch your opponents off-guard.. The worst thing you could do is lose the match.. But isn't that whats going to happen anyways?? Atleast you've shown a desire to experiment..
