Time to wise up
It’s yet another defeat for the Men in Blue. But there are things to learn from India’s Malaysia stint, particularly from the last game against the Aussies, writes Jaideep Marar
The lessons from Kuala Lumpur are so many that it can form a manual for all Indian conquests in the build-up to the World Cup. Be it the fragility of the high-profile batting, the potency of pace or, simply put, the stomach for a fight, the Indians vaulted between the ordinary and the brilliant.
The encounter against Australia on Friday summarised the Indian ills best. India lost the match not because they were the inferior team, but because they messed things up. No wonder an aggrieved Rahul Dravid was left mumbling ‘‘these are losses that hurt’’.
After the pacers (Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh) and spinner (Harbhajan Singh) had left the Aussie innings in disarray, they were allowed to gain ground. Agreed, part-time spinners Dinesh Mongia and Virender Sehwag weren’t giving away many runs to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and Brad Hogg, but the need of the hour was to go for the kill. Offered a lifeline, the Aussies grew in confidence.
Strangely, even as Haddin went on peppering the advertising boards, the Indian captain was reluctant to bring on the pacers, who had been the most effective. Eventually, they ended up without bowling their full quota. From a hopeless 117-6, the Aussies flourished to log a healthy 213. Contrast this to how Ricky Ponting hammered the nail in the Indian coffin. Even though Andrew Symonds had claimed Harbhajan he was discontinued from that end and Brett Lee brought in to clean-up the tail.
1
st lesson: Crush ’em once you have ’em on the mat
For all his experience and excellence in his art, Harbhajan failed miserably in completing the simple task of taking the bails off while effecting a run out. Haddin, who was the beneficiary of this largesse, cracked 46 runs, which proved decisive.
Twice in the tournament, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played reckless shots, which put paid to his potential and India’s hopes.
Agarkar was also guilty of failing to do justice to his batting abilities on Friday by playing a loose shot. Mongia essayed a fighting knock but he faltered in providing the finishing touch. Having battled the odds, he was the right man to take charge and protect the tail. But he seemed content to do the opposite, which gave the Aussies more than one reason to celebrate. All instances point to application errors which cost India heavily in the final analysis.
2nd lesson: Senior players have a bigger role and responsibility in moments of crisis
The batting problems begin at the top. Dravid’s decision to open may have triggered a debate but it is well-chronicled that if he fires, India win. Since he began opening the innings at Karachi in February early this year, India won every time he crossed the 40s. Whenever he has failed, as in the last six instances, India have won only once. Matters have been compounded in the middle with the repeated failures of Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Thus, with Dravid gone first up, India were without their best man during a crisis, making any target look herculean. The role of Dravid as an opener could do a rethink, especially in the backdrop of a fragile middle-order. Besides, he appears to have hit a rough patch too. The situation isn’t that bad to send an SOS to Sourav Ganguly yet. For starters, they can all bat around a certain Sachin Tendulkar, who seems to be hitting some vintage notes.
3
rd lesson: When in trouble, go for the tried and tested
Patel, Agarkar and RP Singh showed exemplary character by picking up the pieces after the loss to the West Indies. Not only were they disciplined but also stepped up the pace to nail the batsmen. With Harbhajan essaying the role of the senior spinner with telling effect, the results were immensely productive. The fielding was another huge plus, with the exuberant Raina topping the charts.
4th lesson: Persistence pays
The Irfan Pathan case dogs the Indian think-tank no end. While his swing bowling has suffered, his batting continues to thrive. Too good a talent to be left on the sidelines. Maybe, the pitches at home, backed by a roaring crowd during the Champions Trophy, will inject fresh purpose.
5th lesson: Refer to lesson 4
It’s yet another defeat for the Men in Blue. But there are things to learn from India’s Malaysia stint, particularly from the last game against the Aussies, writes Jaideep Marar
The lessons from Kuala Lumpur are so many that it can form a manual for all Indian conquests in the build-up to the World Cup. Be it the fragility of the high-profile batting, the potency of pace or, simply put, the stomach for a fight, the Indians vaulted between the ordinary and the brilliant.
The encounter against Australia on Friday summarised the Indian ills best. India lost the match not because they were the inferior team, but because they messed things up. No wonder an aggrieved Rahul Dravid was left mumbling ‘‘these are losses that hurt’’.
After the pacers (Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh) and spinner (Harbhajan Singh) had left the Aussie innings in disarray, they were allowed to gain ground. Agreed, part-time spinners Dinesh Mongia and Virender Sehwag weren’t giving away many runs to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and Brad Hogg, but the need of the hour was to go for the kill. Offered a lifeline, the Aussies grew in confidence.
Strangely, even as Haddin went on peppering the advertising boards, the Indian captain was reluctant to bring on the pacers, who had been the most effective. Eventually, they ended up without bowling their full quota. From a hopeless 117-6, the Aussies flourished to log a healthy 213. Contrast this to how Ricky Ponting hammered the nail in the Indian coffin. Even though Andrew Symonds had claimed Harbhajan he was discontinued from that end and Brett Lee brought in to clean-up the tail.
1
st lesson: Crush ’em once you have ’em on the mat
For all his experience and excellence in his art, Harbhajan failed miserably in completing the simple task of taking the bails off while effecting a run out. Haddin, who was the beneficiary of this largesse, cracked 46 runs, which proved decisive.
Twice in the tournament, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played reckless shots, which put paid to his potential and India’s hopes.
Agarkar was also guilty of failing to do justice to his batting abilities on Friday by playing a loose shot. Mongia essayed a fighting knock but he faltered in providing the finishing touch. Having battled the odds, he was the right man to take charge and protect the tail. But he seemed content to do the opposite, which gave the Aussies more than one reason to celebrate. All instances point to application errors which cost India heavily in the final analysis.
2nd lesson: Senior players have a bigger role and responsibility in moments of crisis
The batting problems begin at the top. Dravid’s decision to open may have triggered a debate but it is well-chronicled that if he fires, India win. Since he began opening the innings at Karachi in February early this year, India won every time he crossed the 40s. Whenever he has failed, as in the last six instances, India have won only once. Matters have been compounded in the middle with the repeated failures of Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Thus, with Dravid gone first up, India were without their best man during a crisis, making any target look herculean. The role of Dravid as an opener could do a rethink, especially in the backdrop of a fragile middle-order. Besides, he appears to have hit a rough patch too. The situation isn’t that bad to send an SOS to Sourav Ganguly yet. For starters, they can all bat around a certain Sachin Tendulkar, who seems to be hitting some vintage notes.
3
rd lesson: When in trouble, go for the tried and tested
Patel, Agarkar and RP Singh showed exemplary character by picking up the pieces after the loss to the West Indies. Not only were they disciplined but also stepped up the pace to nail the batsmen. With Harbhajan essaying the role of the senior spinner with telling effect, the results were immensely productive. The fielding was another huge plus, with the exuberant Raina topping the charts.
4th lesson: Persistence pays
The Irfan Pathan case dogs the Indian think-tank no end. While his swing bowling has suffered, his batting continues to thrive. Too good a talent to be left on the sidelines. Maybe, the pitches at home, backed by a roaring crowd during the Champions Trophy, will inject fresh purpose.
5th lesson: Refer to lesson 4