Whenever the Indian team is compared to Australia, as the only team that can can take them head on,I feel very queasy and something within me knows that this argument is hollow.This supposition was proved last evening on the final day against the WestIndies.
I felt Lara was quite hollow in not asking India to bat, as a follow on would have demoralised India,as they would have definetely found setting a target above 220 a little tough given the time left in the game and given India's penchant for gifting away games when they are forced to play for a draw.Lara adoped cowardice and went and set India 390 to make sure that the Indians do something extraordinary to win the game.The Indians much contrary to his expectations started off in an extremely positive manner going to Lunch at 109 off 26 overs.Sehwag especially looked in pugnacious form sans a couple of missed chances that seemed to be the only chinks in his armoury of strokes that were unleashed.
283 of 66 overs was by Test match standards a relatively tough task for normal safe playing teams.But given the delirious form Sehwag was in, I thought if Sehwag stayed till Tea,Lara would be forced to eat Humble Pie.But Sehwag's immideate dismissal after Lunch, seemed to make Laxman and Jaffer play with an extra dose of caution that hardly bordered on showing positive intent to win a test Match.It would have been great if Laxman had shown glimpses of his hundreds at Sydney and Eden Gardens.Instead Drab cricket prevailed,much to the delight of Lara..who seemed more than happy to draw the game.
Dravid, Laxman and Jaffer played decent cricket,but slowed down things too much and thats why the final target may have seemed imposing.In the era, where 400 plus totals in ODI's are not safe,India are not playing percentage cricket by confining themselves to the age old belief of not chasing to win on a 5th day wicket.
When the 4th wicket fell in the 71st over India required a 120 runs in about 18 overs which by Recent Indian Limited overs Cricket standards was quite gettable with our stars of the season(Dhoni and Yuvi) batting.Their approach was worse than Laxman and Dravid and made a paltry, niggardly 22 off the last 14 overs, which displayed a total lack of guts and gumption needed to pull of a certain victory.Such tactics are deplorable and would actually not result in any one being axed for lack of attitude becasue this is Test cricket.
A few years back Nayan Mongia and Manoj Prabhakar were accused of slow batting in a one day international at Kanpur,where India needed 50 of 6 overs and it ended up scoring only 10-15 runs in the last 6 overs, including a maiden last over blocked by Mongia.
Conclusions
1) Whatever new or different techniques Chappell may enforce for Team India, unless its gets over the fear of failure, it ishardly going to be a force to reckon with.
2) Virender Sehwag seems the only guy who even thinks about winning test matches.Not even Sachin tries to be positive in the second innings when chasing a total.The team needs more people who think positively and not play selfishly to get into form.
3) Stop respecting spinners like Kumble and Harbhajan, and look at better bowlers who can consistently trouble batsmen like Murali and Warne.
4) Play more common sense Cricket in terms of setting Objectives and look at wriggling out of tough situations than say the cliched line" the Boys did not play well"
5)Thank goodness I have almost stopped watching Cricket after Lunch( 9 30 pm) as these guys dont seem to be gaining in stature over a period of time.
5 comments:
It is not easy as one might think, as even Australia on a first innings first day scenario can manage upto 350 only on a good test wicket. On a test match a ball does not sit up to be hit, like in one dayers, here bowlers call the shots, they can even resort to negative bowling. Sehwag and Dhoni were the only guys who could force a victory and every player is not similar, they need to play to their strengths. Australia has more attacking players by nature but not our guys, I would find fault with them if they had the same nature and did not deliver.
Arun
scratch "the attacking players by nature comment" in my previous comment, it does not hold water, but form of player needs to be considered besides player pitch preferences.
Dear ANON Lets not say that Only Dhoni and Sehwag can do it.There are others in the team who have scored at a fast clip.It is the inherent negativeness that they exude, that seems to get the better of them,proving they have no spine for a challenge.
meine thera kya paap kiya? why no blogroll for me...
cricket?? What's that?? This is football season man!!
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