From the iSport Cricket Pavilion: The India v Australia test series was touted to be one of the best test match series in recent times before the tour began. The media cashed in and so did the sponsors. Everyone was in anticipation of a great contest, and people believed that this was India's best chance to win a test match series down under. iSporter Aswath B writes on how from 'Thunder Down Under', it turned out to be a meek 'Surrender Down Under'.
The Australian team is undergoing a transition. There were quite a few new faces in the team, some inexperienced ones and a couple of veterans too. Their big guns were not in the greatest of form, and people genuinely believed that this was going to be a close series.
But what people did not see, was the recipe for disaster that the BCCI had prepared. The callous approach of the Indian cricketers towards the game, the inability of the BCCI to phase out the seniors and BCCI's focus on more lucrative formats of the game has led to the downfall of the Indian test side. If you explained to a person who has little knowledge about cricket that this Indian Team was the Number one test side in the world eight months back, chances are that you might be labeled a lunatic.
When questioned about team selection, the selectors have a standard reply. They say that experience is vital to play in overseas conditions. Very true. Then why not arrange more India 'A' tours abroad so that people at the Ranji level itself get acclimatized to the conditions overseas? Why not make fast and bouncy pitches in India and give bowlers a fair chance? These steps would definitely make the Ranji cricketers more seasoned when they tour abroad with the national team or play when they enter the International scene. The gap between Ranji and International cricket is so wide that some of the players who do well at the domestic level look like novices when they play against International sides. The BCCI has enough funds to develop the right talent in the right manner. Instead, a window for the IPL is created and an extravaganza is planned. It is not wrong to host the IPL, but more 'A' tours abroad are definitely required if the quality of your test side needs to be improved.
To look into the batting performance of the famed Indian line up in the recently concluded series will only make things worse. Watching them bat in the series would have felt more painful than getting a root canal done. All this could have been avoided had the seniors been phased out gradually. Rahul Dravid made a few tons last year, he can still get you big runs, but age has caught up with him and its showing. He was getting consistently castled. The selectors could have probably put in a word to him so that a Pujara or a Kohli could have come in earlier, and Dravid could have left on a high. With due respect to him, he must be allowed to leave on his own terms, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere and he must know it too. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane are making tons of runs in Ranji cricket and had to skip the Ranji Semis against Tamil Nadu to be in the Indian squad. An investment that they would have thought was well worth, cost Mumbai dear and they were just carrying towels to the Indian batsmen in the middle who broke no sweat. They were just tourists and did not get a single game in spite of VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir looking as confused as babies in a bar while batting.
Laxman has been in appalling form and has hardly made substantial runs in the last one year. He has done extremely well in Australia in the past, but that is no guarantee for an encore in the future. If these two had opened up two new slots for fresh talent, they could have learnt a few things under the guidance of someone like a Tendulkar, and the situation could have been better after Tendulkar's retirement. Sachin Tendulkar's defensive approach too, at certain points in this series has been unfathomable. For someone who has given Shane Warne nightmares, there was no reason for him to make Nathan Lyon feel like a king. The selectors had a chance to phase out the seniors but now with this performance, it is force that will have to take over from choice. No Indian team has ever done brilliantly overseas alright, but neither has their performance been this spineless.
Pragyan Ojha too, did not get a single game. Playing him at Perth would have added variety to the Indian bowling attack. He could have also played in place of R.Ashwin in the final test, but that was not to be.
The seniors are the first to bear the brunt, but what about the others? M.S. Dhoni has been playing tests for long enough now. The way he bats, he must consider himself very lucky to find a test spot in any team. He is better off playing the more lucrative forms of the game. R.Ashwin was cribbing about the pitches not giving him assistance. Which world is he in? He must realize that he cannot carry dust bowls in his pocket wherever he goes.
At the end of day, it is in the hands of the administrators to get the structure right at the grass root level, schedule tours with care, be more professional in their selection of players and in planning for the future. It is high time that they take more rational decisions and let their emotions take the back seat.
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India Tours
said:
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... We all know better that what is happening in Australia is not the best news for us but all days are not same for everyone. Ups and downs are important part of everyone life but facing or fighting to them is our responsibility. Indian team has forgot that. They all are needs to remember the same. Anyways Gud luck team India. |
krishnan
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... Aswath except kohli in last two tests and Sachin in first two tests no other batsman played well... why blame only dravid and laxman... sachin, sehwag are also to be blamed sachin is more worried about his 100th 100 than anything else... if he had played one dayers against west indies he would have scored a 100 that would have helped him to play better in australia... he has scored only one day international century in australia... now he is playing again to score his 100th lets see what happens... |
Aswath B
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... Sachin does not seem to be worried about his 100; only the people of the nation are ; he is batting fluently and it will come when it has to. He is playing for the love of the game and not running behind any record. Afterall it is just another number in his glittering career. |
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