*Will India win World Cup-Indian Perspective?
*There is many a slip twixt. That is why all the teams in the Super Eight for the world Cup can slip in the 45 days of this sporting extravaganza which makes millions of Indians go mad. The slip can also take place in the final hurdle as the World Champions Australia learnt against a resurgent England in Commonwealth Bank Series & got backwashed by the Black Caps.
What holds with Cricket does not hold with many other games because Cricket is a funny game and only the day matters when it comes to One day Cricket. The First advice from this one in Million to Team India is to take every game at a time and take small steps until the cup reaches the lip.
Since there is fairly very little to choose between India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand, all these teams have equal chances of reaching the semi final and clash with the Titans Australia. Since beleaguered Aussies have shot themselves on foot, they will be all the more cautious and aggressive in dealing with lesser teams from now.
The Team has been knit by the selectors and each member of the Team has specific jobs and roles to play in this team game. Responsibility and Focus is the key to getting the threads tight in every aspect of the game.
Batting-You can’t bet on paper Tigers
The much talked about Indian batting line up is as consistent as our Sensex. It roars like a lion and meows like a Cat. Batting in One day Cricket is more like a Chess game comprising of Opening, Middle Game and End Game especially on Windies Wickets.
Opening-Solidity and Power is the key.(1-20 overs)
*Extended Power play of 20 overs means enough opportunity to bulldoze the Innings upfront. A Team can score just 20 runs in first five overs and still score above 125 in power play. This has been the biggest fumble for India largely due to the vulnerability of Sehwag. Sehwag’s uni-dimensional Game and Pre meditated shot selection has been his nemesis (Last 13 Innings- 9, 8, 1, 10, 9, 17, 65, 0, 18, 11, 19, 12, 46) and when he gets out he clips the wings of a Flight which is taking off. He is unlikely to succeed in the middle game as well because of his poor running between wkts, older ball and spread field. The only factor weighing for him is his Half spinning Tweakers in a 6-1-4 scenario.
Robin Uthappa and Ganguly need to open the Innings and if the Team does not loose wkts in first 10 overs, the ploy of sending Sehwag one down will work (if chosen). Else Dravid has to play One down at the fall of quick first wkt. The left right combination is much needed these days to upset the rhythm of opening bowlers. The wkts are placid enough in Windies not to cause undue damage if caution is adopted in first five overs.
Middle Game-the Key to setting a good Platform.(21-40 overs)*
Rahul Dravid and Sachin tendulkar are ideally suited to play this mind game and with their technique, they can draw enough lines on the canvas to keep the score board ticking. Tendulkar’s reflexes and balance has changed in the last two years to an extent to push him at no 4 in present scenario where he will be the most important heart of this Engine.
Dinesh Karthick for one looks like the guy who has adapted so well to this type of “keeping the score board ticking mould” with his lovely temperament. Yuvaraj Singh finding his form (like the last game-being a rhythm player) is very vital to the cog of Indian Batting wheel during the world Cup. His game is best suited for the 31-50 slot.
End Game-We choke our chickens (41-50)*
Remember the good old days-India had fantastic players like Kapil Dev, Shastri, Sandeep Patil, Kriti Azad, Kirmani, Jadeja etc when the One day game was evolving. India’s end game has been all choke out because of the chickens from 7-11.Dhoni for one and Yuvaraj if he is striking, remain the only force to reckon for the End Game. Two recent choke outs are worth mentioning.
Chennai ODI-India against west Indies 232-3-34.3 overs to 268 all out-48 overs. The chickens-Agarkar, Powar, Kumble Sreesanth. India lost.
Rajkot ODI-India against SL-India 235-5, 23 runs required off 27 balls, Karthick gets out, Chickens-Harbhajan, Kumble, Munaf, Sreesanth
One of the top six batsmen has to put their legs down and stay till the end. Else India will not reach semifinal, For the other end Pathan, Agarkar, Zaheer and Harbhajan looks a better line up to offer more resistance than the above lot. Pathan’s role and utilization has been futile with his sagging form as well.
Bowling-Fire without Flame*
Indian Bowling attack looks multi dimensional more than many other teams as long as the Bowlers fire the right line and length. Apart from Zaheer Khan, none of the bowlers seem to be consistent nor have the flame in them for the Country. Sreesanth has all the flame but is firing on wrong cylinders for one day game. Pathan seems to have lost his magical swing. ( need to bowl first up with Zaheer for couple of matches).
Harbhajan looks like better first option than Kumble because of his fielding and batting while Kumble seems to be all at sea and sorted out on docile pitches.
Injury will be the big problem India will face with speedsters in World Cup.
The Teams which will be most successful in the world Cup on Windies soil will be the ones which strike blows during the 30-45 overs stage and the pitches there dictate more stinging the foot kind of bowlers like Gayle, Samuels, Jayasurya, Afridi, Shaoib Malik & Symonds. India lacks poorly in this dept & Tendulkar, Sehwag and Yuvaraj will have to play a big part.
Fielding –All Fat and no bones*
One of the white Commentators mentioned during India-West Indies match that Romesh Powar resembles Gundappa Viswanath. Vishy (Its not the name) in his early playing days was tiny and not fat and was a class act in Indian Test team. He has scored Test Centuries during most difficult times for India and there was not much of One Day Cricket then. The Game has changed so much since then that Fielding has become the tool to separate Winner and Looser because the better fielding side have that extra 40 runs in their kitty in terms of Exit load to the opposition.
Any Batsman can bet and run for two when hit to Munaf. They can also play the pinch shots safely with the kind of out fielders we have. The in field is again going to be weak with Kaif and Raina missing the line up and the total Bank is on Yuvaraj and Karthick at the moment. Raina and Kaif who are both outstanding fielders cannot be selected purely on fielding merit because even the finest Rhodes was not selected on that basis. The old Horses cannot be counted on anymore.
Cont'd in comments . . . .
