Jul 21, 2002 10:14 PM
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(Updated Jul 21, 2002 10:54 PM)
Cricket has always been a team game(as if you didn’t know that). It is about winning matches rather than amazing individual stats(no digs at Sachin, have a theory on him, which I shall explain in my long planned review on him). Traditionally, cricket has been a game about talent & sportsmanship(hence called ‘gentleman’s game’). But, modern cricket is more a mind gameplayed with physical fitness, aggression & a burning desire to win.
Last Saturday, the Indian cricket team, for a(welcome) change, grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat by chasing the 2nd highest total in the history of the game unlike their normal way of losing from winning positions(when they reach to a winning position, that is). 2 inexperienced youngsters led the way to a memorable win; the greatest win India had after 1998 when India beat Pak chasing a huge score of 316. Yuvraj, 20, & Kaif, 21, (showing maturity beyond their ages) did it with panache. They kept their cool & capitalised on the platform built by Ganguly & Sehwag. The images of Ganguly removing his shirt(I liked the expression on his face at that time than the act per se) & Ganguly running down the ground & bringing Kaif down hugging, shall remain in my memory for long.
Kudos to the young brigade of Indian cricketers for pulling out a miracle of sorts & conveying to everyone(& to themselves) that Indians can also play modern cricket. The win is a triumph of a new generation of Indian cricketers who can win matches on its own when the old pros have an off day. It signaled the emergence of a new aggressive & passionate breed of cricketers. After eating chicken in their home cage the Indian cubs have grown upto hunt the wolves out in the woods(you bet it’s a Sidhuism). It is not as if Indians have not had memorable wins - 1983 WC, B&H Cup 1985, Sharjah Cup win agnst Pak, wins agnst Pak in the two WCs, Kolkata test(Laxman’s 281) & victory at Dhaka agnst Pak(chasing 316) are some that come to the mind immdtly.
Even before the chase began pundits had written off India’s chances. But what makes this win more impressive is that it came after half the side was out for 146 in the 24th over. The fact that the 5th wicket was of Sachin makes it more significant. Sachin is such a great batsman that his wicket is always psychologically vital both for India & more for the opposition.
The biggest outcome is the emergence of the young brigade. Athleticism, aggression, attitude, confidence, passion – you name it they have it. Basic cricketing skills of talent & temperament are also in abundance. The never-die-spirit could also be due to the fact that they have not been ‘conditioned to failures’ like the old warhorses. They just believed that they could win from any position.
The team has an excellent mix of experience & youth. The average age of the team is 24, which shows that it is a young side. In the likes of Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Kumble, having played across the world in all sorts of conditions & who have'seen it all'(but sadly not'done it all'), lies the best mix of experience.
The team has become a good fielding side(note use of ‘good’) with youngsters hitting the stumps more times in a match than certain old-timers have hit in their career. Sportsmen in general have to be athletic. That is one aspect lacked by the Indians in all team sports. But youngsters like Kaif, Yuvraj, Mongia, Badani are athletic.(Sachin, Dravid, Harbhajan, Agarkar, Sehwag are not natural athletes. Of course when it comes to Ganguly, Kumble, Laxman, Zaheer or Nehra I don’t think we have a debate there). The way the game ended, when Kaif torpedoed into his crease, leapt up off his fours, spun around & sprinted back, picturises the whole thing to perfection.
India's performance also proves the effectiveness of a proper rotation policy for players. We should have a pool of about twenty players & the selection should be based on their current form & not based on averages or past performances. This is the formula of success of teams like Australia & South Africa.
Talking about the drawbacks, the striking one is the lack of penetration in bowling. Indian bowlers are incapable of bowling out a quality opposition. A team is only as weak as its strongest link & as strong as its weakest link(another Sidhuism). The pace quartet of Khan, Nehra, Agarkar & Yohannan are inconsistent with the new ball. Their fitness is always doubtful & their ability to bat down the order is beyond repair. In the spin dept, we have one of the best off & leg spinner each in Harbhajan & Kumble(now don’t go ‘Kumble is not a leg spinner’; that is the category to which he belongs till a new category to fit him is decided upon). However, India should not play both together abroad as the conditions would never suit them. They both too lack in their fielding & batting abilities.
India also lacks a clear strategy on the fifth bowler. They have still not made up their mind on how & when to use Ganguly, Sachin, Yuvraj, Sehwag or Mongia. I also feel that Indian bowlers lack a clear strategy on bowling at death & also in the first fifteen overs(at least they don’t seem to have any contingency plans).
Lack of quality all-roundersis another grey area for some time now in Indian ODI cricket(note use of ‘quality’), somebody of the caliber of a Cairns, Johnson, Kallis, Klusener, etc(I am listing from the current lot & not referring to old legends). Now all who say Agarkar or Sachin are all-rounders, tell me one occasion when they have shown their all round abilities, I will tell ten each done by players like Warne, Pollock, Lee, etc. A bowler who bats in one or two innings(or the other way round) is not an all-rounder. A genuine all-rounder is much beyond that who can single handedly win matches. The advantage he has over a specialist is he gets two chances in a match to have a go at the opposition, while batting & while bowling.
There is also scope for improvement in fielding. Since the old pros are not athletic, at least if they can consistently hit the stumps & give ‘flat-over-the-stumps’ throws from the deep, it will do a world of good.
The point to note is the ‘foreign hand’ behind all this success(do I sound like an opposition party spokesman). The hiring of foreign professionals like coach John Wright, physio Andrew Leipus & trainer Adrian Le Roux, has given the team’s preparation the required direction. Now what the team needs is a foreign sports psychiatrist.
But let us exercise an amount of caution at this stage. Lets not equate greatness to a single performance & forget what happened to Hirwani or Laxman.
- Please read the comments section for the balance of the review(just one more thought on India's chances in WC in the light of this performance)
