MOHALI CONQUEST AND THEREAFTER..

The OZ humbled by 320 runs. What would be tormenting Ponting, apart from the huge margin, is that fact that they conceded session after session to Dhoni’s Indians through out the five days. It was surprising that Indians could outplay the OZ even in fielding. No wonder, Ponting conceded that Indians outplayed OZ in all departments. Aussies mighty batting line-up was punctured twice and it’s bleeding. Aussies bowlers were hammered to submission and were made to look lifeless. I am sure the fear has set in among OZ.

Aussies strange strategy probably hurried them towards this pitiable situation. The bowlers’ and fielders’ defensive plot can be understood as Mcgrath and Warne’s retirement has dented their bowling sting. What was surprising is the defensive strategy by batsmen as well. The OZ mostly scored at sub 3 runs per over through two tests which is quite less than their winning strategy for so long; more than 300 runs in a day. One reason could be that the aggression of OZ batsmen comes from bowlers’ performance and that Ponting and his batsmen were waiting for their bowlers to fire. But, is it time for OZ batsmen to reciprocate their bowlers with batting prowess and aggression? Can OZ bowlers be resuscitated that easily? The answer to this series lies here!

Indians, though, are sitting pretty! .. or are they? Amit Mishra’s fifer in first innings was the difference between win and draw…or we can even say win and loss! Now with Kumble fit, the captain is under pressure. Who should make way for Kumble? If Mishra is dropped and India loses Delhi test, then the captain would be a laughing stock! A captain whose team leads 1-0, and with fear set in opposition, is still under pressure! It can happen only to Indian team! So what’s that captain is going to dish out? If he is going to play five bowlers, then it should be a strategy rather than a means to alleviate pressure temporarily! And if he is going to drop Mishra, then his other bowlers have to prove they are adequate!

They Play Old School Of Cricket..!

Ponting said these words on Indian test team at the start of the series. The Indian Team which has the fab four: so many test matches of experience, so many tons of runs between them! The Indian Team which has Kumble and Zaheer; the veteran of so many test matches, so many wickets between them! Is Ponting joking? Of Is there any wisdom in his talk?

Records and history both would be on Ponting’s side! The Indians have played more number of draws in the last few decades than any other! The percentage of draws this Indian team achieve is equal to percentage of draws in test matches played in pre-90 era, which is two decades ago!

The first test at Bangalore isn’t different from this trend! Ponting was quite generous when he set 299 in 83 overs at 3.6 runs per over for India. But what happened after this is testimony to Ponting’s statement! It was alright…everyone knew only one team was playing for victory. But, Ponting had a fielder at third man and cover-point throughout 5th day. He had many fielders spread to restrict singles. Ponting was wary of the target! Only one team playing for victory and only one team playing to avoid defeat! The Indians were like blind-men rowing boat; at their own pace waiting for boat to hit bottom. It’s a pity to see aussies, the champion side, play this Indian team, a brand of old school of cricket-Draw the Match!

DEBATE ON INDIAN TEST TEAM

To win everything, you first need a good team and then a good captain. Aussies ruled the roost for a long time because they had both of them. Importantly, for aussies, good captain and good team are complementary. Its like- “good player makes a good captain and the good captain plays good players”. In India’s case, the test captains and players of few decades; sachin, dravid, gangly and kumble have probably played most drawn test matches than any other players during this period. So we can comfortably say- “These are not good captains.” But, even a mediocre captain would find it difficult not to win so many matches if he had a good team. “Not a good captain and not a good team.”

Can India arrive at good captain-good players complementing each other? Can Dhoni be the good captain who plays good players? The answer, I am afraid, is “No”! So what’s wrong with Dhoni; after all his team has won T20 WC and the Down Under Tri series? Did he play the best players? Yusuf Pathan literally warmed the benches throughout T20 WC. But, few months later and in the next big T20 (IPL), Yusuf was one of the hot contenders of Most Valuable Player. How Shane Warne could find the player in him? Dhoni didn’t play shewag in finals of Down Under Tri series. Many would ask, “So what.. Dhoni’s team won T20 WC and tri series even without these good players and doesn’t it reflect his credentials?” To me, a captain who does not field best players and manages to win would still be a mediocre captain and his team is going nowhere.

We have a tradition in Indian cricket. We easily compliment orthodox players and easily lament unorthodox players. Kapil despite his 175 in WC and despite his 6,6,6,6 against hemmings when 24 were needed to avoid follow on, never played as a specialist batsman. But Shastri did play as one. We easily sing praises on techniques of dravids and gangulys. We lament shewags and yuvrajs for lack of footwork. But, what is technique that can’t fetch you a boundary? What is technique that can’t let you score runs on onside?

Its time we have a broad vision! The vision that aussies display. Orthodox or unorthodox, its runs and effect that these runs produce determine who plays for Australia. Clark, symonds, Hussey, Jaques would hardly come under ambit of orthodox batsmen but they are played by Ricky Ponting for the runs and the effect that they make. India’s recent performances in test matches are better; they have fewer drawn matches and some good wins overseas. Players like shewag, gambhir, ishant sharma, RP singh have played vital parts in most of them. Can we give them support by playing more players whose runs have good effect? My test team would be:-

Shewag (Vice Captain), Gambhir, Rohit sharma, Yuvraj (Captain), Yusuf Pathan/ Suresh Raina/ Virat Kohli, Dhoni, Harbhajan, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, RP Singh (12th man)