England was on fire, in more senses than one, this week. Like fans are left praying for weather gods to interfere when Indian team faces defeat, this time one was almost hoping that the riots would spread and the tour would be called off. Alas that didn’t happen and yet another thorough rout followed.
In either innings, the team couldn’t collectively manage to score as much as one English batsman – Alistair Cook. Watching him bat, one couldn’t figure out how he would ever lose his wicket – his footwork was precise, he was smothering swing very well, his placements were impeccable, he had all the time in the world to compile his runs and he had a hapless bowling and fielding side at his mercy.
Praveen and Ishant did bowl their heart out – they would at best be 1st change bowlers for other test sides. Without Zaheer, the bowling side is clearly out of its depth. Sreesanth’s antics, are intolerable even when he’s in prime form. They get deplorably irritating when he bowls those half-trackers and gets smacked around. Can’t bowl, can’t field and can’t bat, that’s his updated Resume.
Is it talent that’s in short supply? On the evidence one has seen, one has to say ‘Yes’. The Fab 3 – Dravid, Sachin & Laxman, have definitely been better than the others, but definitely way below par when compared to their own prowess. Dhoni had said he would prefer Sehwag in the side even if he could barely walk. Sehwag walked in and out twice and didn’t actually give anyone time to comment on his fitness. He’s too good to miss out for too long, but openers who take the long flight out to join a team seldom seem to do well – remember Siddhu in ’91-92 against Australia? Gambhir seems ill-equipped to handle swing and bounce. Mukund / Vijay would not have faced such bowling and are too loose in their stroke play to qualify at the top at this level. Raina, Yuvi and Virat are good stroke players when the ball does nothing, but in these conditions, they simply aren’t good enough to inspire any confidence. You look around and find that if the Fab 3 retire, as they must very soon, the middle order would be barren and one would wager any leading bowling side to slice through even in slightly helpful conditions. The tail is too long and that finishes the batting line up.
Zaheer is 32 and is not getting younger, Munaf, Ishant, Sreesanth and the others we’ve seen of late like Unadkhat, Mithun are hardly test-class. Bhajji seems to be have lost his off spin and is struggling. Mishra, Chawla and Pragyan have done nothing to prove that they can bowl well to good batsmen; taking wickets is another matter altogether. If these are not helpful conditions for bowling and our bowlers can’t take wickets in these conditions, then things don’t seem too bright.
Talent is, however, only half the problem. In England, it’s been intent. In fact one has to go back a few weeks and see the way they finished off the Caribbean tour. After being in wonderful position to win the last 2 test matches, they squandered the advantage and actually chose not to chase victory in a ludicrous, safety-firt, move in the last Test. I think the slide began there. Fortune favours the brave, and it must be said, punishes the coward. Dhoni has now got punished enough for that decision.
Going by the magnitude of the English onslaught, it may be some time yet before one sees a strong Indian side emerging victorious on foreign soil. One only hopes that a conscious effort is made in the interim to bolster the bench-strength and youngsters learn how to play the real game, Test Cricket. If we continue to applaud the slog over third man or the swing around the cow-corner, Indian Cricket would continue to experience the slide.
2 comments:
India have always faced test sides in sub continent or lower responsive pitches where Fab 3 have flourished. Now you see the real vaccum which Fab 3 will create upon their exit, with too much of Cricket being played and so much money everywhere, this was expected and India actually didnt put up a fight to this mighty English team. In their conditions, they were too good to handle, but given the current Australian team or take even Sri Lankan team who visited England, they played better cricket than what India has done, goes to show no sincerity and interest among the members. With youngsters getting money in T20, test cricket is surely going to be a herculean task to generate interest amongst the youngsters, it is always better to have separate test and one day/ T 20 sides now in India.
Would think that the problem appears to be the opening batting where we were 1 down for almost nothing in all the matches. We didnt bat on 2nd and 3rd days - the best days for batting. VVS was found wanting against the swinging new ball. Dravid got almost unplayable deliveries. Tendulkar was either too aggressive or too passive.
The team is filled with stroke players which is a risk if you are playing in England. The bowling attack needs some more venom and needs a spinner/pacer to get the breakthroughs. Unadkat would have been a good asset for this tour is what I feel. We have too many people who bowl the same 130s which is not adding any variety.
All said and done, a dismal tour which we avidly looked forward to and the expectation vs return was close to NIL
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