Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.
Get your battle fatigues on.…..
Before you read this article I must warn you that you should not expect any comments regarding the 91 run rout at Durban or the mauling in Cape Town. No I haven t got any words for those two matches in my dictionary. It’s the next two I am bothered about.
India is in their favourite position once again. And yes I expect some great things from them in the next two ODIs. You must be thinking that I am talking through my hat. But no. You see the Indian cricket team is cornered again and this is the exact frame of mind they work best in. It has happened before when they were routed on the tour to New Zealand and came out with flying colors in the world cup. So it is actually good Chappell sir that the politicians are talking as they somehow manage to inspire your boys to deliver their best, which you have somehow failed to do in the current series.
Talking about the resources available to the team at the moment and Zimbabwe looks
a much better squad in comparison. Dravid’s injury could not have come at a worse moment and it is up to Sehwag and Sachin now to resurrect the sagging Indian fortunes. But the big question is how long can you rely on Sehwag, if at all. Somebody who has been hiding his poor form under the cover of his “natural game” now finds the reins of the team in his hands. An out of form captain and a team reeling under tremendous pressure reminds us of a year back when Ganguly was forced to relinquish his throne. So again I ask, should Sehwag be the one leading the team at the moment?
Returning to the resources part, VVS Laxman has been sent to reinforce the team in the absence of Dravid and again one can question that logic. Somebody deemed unfit for ODIs is again picked to act as a saviour, and again you could question Greg’s team selection policy during the past year. My sympathies go out to the poor Hyderabadi batsman. In no certain terms am I saying that he should be in the ODI squad (he cant field anywhere except the slips, for god’s sake), my point being that if he is drafted in to the squad and if we lose again which we will, its his head which will roll and that is very unfair to him as a player. But who says Indian cricket is fair? Ask Sourav or even Kumble.
Mention Kumble and we come to bowling department, which surprisingly has done much better than the famed batting line up. Sure the fast bowlers have only fired in spells but they have been good spells. Zaheer is back to his best and Kumble is giving him good support in the middle overs. What they need is for some one else to stand up and be counted. Pathan for example, it has been a long time since he bowled a good spell or two. Harbhajan has looked below par so far but the pitch at Port Elizabeth is drier than even the Cape Town strip so you may never know. Grapevine is that Sreesanth may get a look in which might not be a bad move given that Munaf is injured and Agarkar is back to his getting spanked ways.
Much is not expected from Mongia and Raina even if they play, but Jaffer might get a look in again if the team decides to drop Tendulkar to number 4. This is one move which might just lend the batting the teeth it has been missing so far. All in all here’s hoping for a face saving win. Is that too much to ask? Ok, I will rephrase, guys give us a respectable defeat.
Get your battle fatigues on.…..
Before you read this article I must warn you that you should not expect any comments regarding the 91 run rout at Durban or the mauling in Cape Town. No I haven t got any words for those two matches in my dictionary. It’s the next two I am bothered about.
India is in their favourite position once again. And yes I expect some great things from them in the next two ODIs. You must be thinking that I am talking through my hat. But no. You see the Indian cricket team is cornered again and this is the exact frame of mind they work best in. It has happened before when they were routed on the tour to New Zealand and came out with flying colors in the world cup. So it is actually good Chappell sir that the politicians are talking as they somehow manage to inspire your boys to deliver their best, which you have somehow failed to do in the current series.
Talking about the resources available to the team at the moment and Zimbabwe looks
a much better squad in comparison. Dravid’s injury could not have come at a worse moment and it is up to Sehwag and Sachin now to resurrect the sagging Indian fortunes. But the big question is how long can you rely on Sehwag, if at all. Somebody who has been hiding his poor form under the cover of his “natural game” now finds the reins of the team in his hands. An out of form captain and a team reeling under tremendous pressure reminds us of a year back when Ganguly was forced to relinquish his throne. So again I ask, should Sehwag be the one leading the team at the moment?Returning to the resources part, VVS Laxman has been sent to reinforce the team in the absence of Dravid and again one can question that logic. Somebody deemed unfit for ODIs is again picked to act as a saviour, and again you could question Greg’s team selection policy during the past year. My sympathies go out to the poor Hyderabadi batsman. In no certain terms am I saying that he should be in the ODI squad (he cant field anywhere except the slips, for god’s sake), my point being that if he is drafted in to the squad and if we lose again which we will, its his head which will roll and that is very unfair to him as a player. But who says Indian cricket is fair? Ask Sourav or even Kumble.
Mention Kumble and we come to bowling department, which surprisingly has done much better than the famed batting line up. Sure the fast bowlers have only fired in spells but they have been good spells. Zaheer is back to his best and Kumble is giving him good support in the middle overs. What they need is for some one else to stand up and be counted. Pathan for example, it has been a long time since he bowled a good spell or two. Harbhajan has looked below par so far but the pitch at Port Elizabeth is drier than even the Cape Town strip so you may never know. Grapevine is that Sreesanth may get a look in which might not be a bad move given that Munaf is injured and Agarkar is back to his getting spanked ways.
Much is not expected from Mongia and Raina even if they play, but Jaffer might get a look in again if the team decides to drop Tendulkar to number 4. This is one move which might just lend the batting the teeth it has been missing so far. All in all here’s hoping for a face saving win. Is that too much to ask? Ok, I will rephrase, guys give us a respectable defeat.
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