Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

A lot to worry about……

If they think they have redeemed themselves with the win over Bermuda, then Dravid and company are mistaken. They may have gotten two points and some confidence going but as far as positives are concerned, that’s about it in terms of what we got out of the match. Confidence does play a major role in international cricket and it is good that the team got some before the vital clash against Sri Lanka but as we know things in Indian cricket turn around faster than tides.

Yes we scored the maximum number of runs in an innings in a world cup match. Yes Sehwag stroked to a ton and the rest also came to the party. Yes we scored the highest margin of victory in an ODI ever. But does that really matter? I mean it was against Bermuda who aren’t exactly even the best amongst the minnows. Err, we encountered better ones recently remember?

To drive home my point, we will take the above points into consideration as to why the team management may be making a mistake they got anything else out of this game. Because as far as I am concerned, India is still closer to the exit door rather than the gate to super 8.

It is very difficult to understand what is happening to Virender Sehwag’s career at this stage. Surely as far as the world cup is concerned, he has cemented his place in the side for the rest of the matches (one or more, remains to be seen). But then again he hasn’t proved any of his critics wrong with this knock. Will you bet on him to fire against Sri Lanka or other even better attacks given that the Bermudan bowlers were at best military medium? I won’t, given his tendency to relax until the donkey is on his back again.

Not that this necessarily means he will fail against the Lankans. Sehwag if you plan to, please don’t. And same goes for the others as well. The way they batted is well, like the way they ought to have batted against the Bangladeshis. Not paying much respect to the bowlers. And that is where Sourav Ganguly, in particular, is going wrong. It is one thing when the team management asks you to hold up one end and try to bat out the innings but then it is totally another thing to pay respect to the Bermudans and play 114 balls for 80 odd runs. What are you waiting for Mr. Ganguly? 50 overs to be up? Get a move on with your strike rate sir, because as happened with Bangladesh, so will happen with other teams who surely have better bowling options. They will strangle you for runs and then choke you to death. If our neighbours could do it, surely it can happen again. So Dada, please unleash the stroke maker the world knows you to be. Atleast, in the match against Sri Lankans.

Then again the middle order didn’t get the quality time it needs to play well. Sachin and Yuvraj are proving to be two important cogs in the middle-order wheel no doubt, and their performances will give much heart to the think tank. But Dhoni continues to struggle like he did last on last year’s tour and Dravid hasn’t spent much time either on the field. Another worrying point is Robin Uthappa’s dry run. Surely this will give the management to ponder a lot as to whether or not to include Dinesh Karthik in the eleven on the 23rd.

However these are the least of our worries. If we can’t get Bermuda out cheaply, and have already failed to bowl the Bangladeshis out, then let us be frank, our attack is pedestrian at best. Save for the efforts of Zaheer, this bowling performance will be giving the team management and the fans alike, sleepless nights. Agarkar can’t bowl straight, its either the legs of the batsmen or short of length giving too much room. Munaf is expensive in his second spell. And if Kumble struggles against the batsmen of Bermuda, with Harbhajan not too effective against the Bangladeshis, then we have a serious problem on our hands.

Because we do not have a bowling attack that can defend low totals or bowl out opposition cheaply. The performance in the two matches surely proves the practice matches’ results worth less. If we look at the bowling reserves, we have Sreesanth and Pathan only to look at. Sreesanth has the knack of picking up wickets but his economy rate makes Agarkar look like the world’s best bowler. Plus Pathan isn’t in the right frame of mind as of now. If they play him, will he play as an all-rounder, a bowler or a batsman? Surely nobody is there to explain it to him, as the past suggests. Also there is none to backup the spinners. They are among the best in the world, remember? If they are struggling, what chances do Powar and company have, right? That’s no justification, which means the team balance is questionable. Again Pathan’s form could have been the key. But as some one might say, the selectors’ hands were tied.

The only bowlers who seem to have done well are the part timers. In whatever bowling they have done, Sehwag and Tendulkar have impressed. But they have been brought on very late. Sehwag came on when the Bangladeshis required less than 30 runs to win, but still ended up taking two wickets. Sachin was nearly unplayable yesterday where as the Bermudans played Kumble with aplomb. This in fact questions the attitude of the team. Do they not know the run-rate factor could prove crucial? Then why not show some urgency to bowl out a not-so-decent batting line-up quickly. In the match against our neighbours, the shoulders drooped once they were past 130. I mean do they even have the right attitude to win the world cup? And what was the coach doing cooling off in the pavilion, when he should be sending out messages to get things going.

Even if India qualifies for the super 8, these latter points put a big question mark on the ability and desire to win the cup. I know the team is taking one match at a time and not get ahead of themselves at this time, when it is absolutely necessary to beat Sri Lanka. But even to do that, they need to find some answers. And they need to find them quick.