Just a bad tournament……Nothing more to it…. Nothing less…..

Indian cricketers and the English Footballers share a lot in common. They play for a nation that is so obsessed with the sport, that anything less than a victory brings the brick bats out. Let us quickly remind ourselves of 3 important points:

• We only miss out on some extra days of entertainment value in case our team misses out on a quarter final/semi-final spot. On the contrary, the player’s loose out on much more money, the hype and hoopla associated with any win and the sheer excitement of lifting a tournament. Hence, let’s not jump into burning effigies and painting walls black!!!
• Sport is a highly specialized, professional and competitive filed today. None of the top flight sportsman today have alternate professions to fall on. For eg: Most Irish cricketers are electricians, carpenters and so on. That is only because they are not yet a major cricketing force to reckon with, playing 100+ days of international cricket and having multi million dollar lucrative contracts with private clubs. Hence, for them to take things lightly when all they have is 7-8 years of peak earning period is a grave misconception.
o There are exceptions to established players not having alternate professions- But the Tendulkar’s and Ganguly’s of the world own huge chains of hotels and other businesses after years of toying hard.
o There are a few famous exceptions to players who have taken things lightly and found themselves in bewilderment as well. The jumping clown from Kerala is one such example.
• Most importantly, the current Indian team was going through a purple patch that had to end somewhere. With a 70+% winning record, I have no doubt in claiming that the last 18-20 months has seen the most consistent performance from an Indian cricket team. Gone are the days when we switched off the TV sets when Sachin got out or when we followed up some of the finest victories ever with a non-too surprising dismal show. We had 2 bowlers who were asked to bowl till their hands came off and a so-called famous batting order that refused to bat well outside of India.

Hence, a loss is understandable from this highly professional team, the best we have had in 50 years of international cricket. Having said, I must admit that I was surprised at the mistakes we made tactically and as a team from the beginning of the tournament. Dhoni looked extremely tired and less in control than he was ever been before. The poor chap cannot be blamed for “hiding” Sehwag’s injury for anyone would take a risk with a special talent like him and hope against hope that he would roll back into fitness in time. It did not happen and that is something which happens to any team. Who can forget the oxygen room treatment for Beckham and the special treatment for Rooney only for him to be red-carded some 30-minutes into the match. So much for spending hundreds of thousands of Pounds.

Beginning of the tournament:

• The selectors had a choice to make at the beginning of the tournament. Rest cricketers who are half fit/injured or carry them along with the risk of non-performance/non participation
o The Selectors decided to take a cautious approach and take the risk of picking Zaheer and Sehwag. Interestingly, our last T20 win was largely due to the selections we made and the seniors backing out and giving way to a younger team who were more agile in the field. This recent decision seemed to set the tone for our all-too cautious campaign. They always had Nehra to replace Zaheer and a few other options listed below to replace Sehwag. However, stuck to going with Sehwag and Zaheer and I have no issues with that. If these 2 had come off their injuries, they could have turned matches on their own.
• When Sehwag was officially declared unfit and we looked out for a replacement, the selectors came back with Dinesh Karthik. I have no doubt in claiming that he is the next best player outside of the 15. But you don’t make injury replacements with the next best player always. For eg: If Glen Macgrath was injured, Australia would not have replaced him with wicket-keeper Brad Haddin (who for 5-6 years was waiting behind Gillie) for he was the next best player. We need to look at the style of play, importance and the position that needs replacement.
o The more aggressive option would have been to try out Sunny Sohal or Manish Pandey in place of Sehwag as they are both extremely aggressive and natural T20 openers so to say’.
 To ask Rohit Sharma to open on the basis of 2 practice games was not very intelligent, especially considering the fact that he has not yet quite made the transition from an outstanding domestic/IPL player to a consistent international player. The guy has not even opened for an IPL team. Hence, to expect so much of him because he was willing to do the job is a huge mistake we made. Let’s not forget even Maninder Singh wanted to open the batting for India atleast once. I am not for one comparing the skilful bowler of the past with this talented right hander but only putting my point across on willingness and experience being 2 different compartments.
o The more prudent and sensible option would have been to request Sachin (3rd highest Indian scorer in IPL after 2 middle order batsmen- Rohit & Raina and even in the last 2 years- India’s most consistent batsman after Gambhir) to help the team out. He would have inspired the whole lot and guided the team along. A role he has been donning most admirably of late. With Gambhir struggling to get going, a natural opener is what India needed. I don’t buy the point that we could have looked at Yusuf Pathan as well. Again he has not done it and to ask him to do it in a world cup is audacious and pushing the term “bravery” a little too far.

Yesterday’s match

• Toss- I had this sinking feeling inside me that we will over-compensate the West Indies loss and choose bowling first on winning the toss. Dhoni remarked that, “Chasing is our strength.” We chase better today but it is no secret that India as a nation has never chased well. Flash back to last times T 20 World Cup- the win against England, Australia, South Africa & Pakistan were all achieved batting first. We definitely missed a trick of setting a target as against chasing when we knew that there was very little due on the ground or change that would be there in the pitch. In such circumstances the golden rule- “Put the total on board” should have been followed.
• Team- I was very happy with the selection of Jadeja. Though I am of the opinion that Ojha is our # spinner and not Bhajji anymore, I was fine with him being replaced as Jadeja is a decent bowler. However, I would have replaced a struggling Ishant with RP Singh. In effect replacing a promising but struggling Ishant and adding one more batsman to our team. Irfan is not great bowler these days but when thrown a choice between 2 out of form bowlers, I would any day pick the one with a better batting record.
• Bowling- Barring Ishant & Zaheer (in parts), we bowled really well as a team and 153 was a good score considering the fact the England did not have spinners to stifle teams out like Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Having said that, Indians do thrive on spin and hence the case could have been different had England played Adil Rasheed as Ryan Sidebottom looked like a man possessed last night and bowled really well to the plan
• Fielding: Our fielding was woeful. Even someone like Yuvraj looked out of sorts. Zaheer and Ishant were clear liabilities (Not the professional team we are used to outside of this tournament). Field positions could have clearly been better. 2 clear mistakes
o Late down the order, batsmen tend to edge more. We should have had the fine leg and third man finer
o Point for the spinners should have been closer as short extra cover was some way back. Batsman constantly took singles by playing it straight to point.
• Batting order- If we wanted to play the short ball well, then we should have sent Dhoni up the order. In his own un-orthodox way he would have handled the initial overs and yet kept the scoring rating going. Sending Raina at # 3 is fine and players do un-earth weaknesses in their game from time to time and the best ride over them. Let’s see how Raina goes in the days to come
• Jadeja has shown in IPL and the practice matches as well that he is at best a run-a-ball player at this level and is better of late down the order for a couple of big hits but sending him at #4 on such a big night was so tough on the kid who looked like a lone fish in a sea let alone a pond
o Jadeja and Gambhir are milkers and to have them together was a huge mistake. Further, we had 2 left handers at the crease at the same time. (Something Dhoni never does- He shuffles between him/Yuvraj and Raina based on whether Sehwag or Gambhir get out). This let the bowlers settle down and bowl a constant back of a length line outside off stump. Interestingly no Indian batsman tried the upper cut against the short ball. They were bent on pulling across the line and for an ardent cricket fan the technique and approach left a lot to be desired
o Sending Irfan Pathan as an opener would have been a great option with Rohit coming down the order as a middle order batsman. He has done in the past and seems a better bet than Yusuf or Rohit. We should have ensured that Yuvraj was in after the 6 overs so that he had an innings to build. My order would have been Irfan, Gambhir, Rohit, Raina/Yuvraj (based on the overs and run rate). Dhoni would have been my floater in the form of a calming influence when things are not going so well. Yusuf and Jadeja would have been used down the order with no more than 5-6 overs to go.

Dhoni looked jaded and tired after a long season and that is understandable and definitely pardonable. But, our coach was on a long vacation during the IPL Tamasha. Wonder why he did not give some of the more basic inputs.

Let our boys take some much needed rest and I am sure the professional unit that they are, would come roaring back with clearer minds. My only disappointment is with the Coach and the Selection committee. The players are understandably tired and this is the time they needed someone from the outside to feedback into them and I have no qualms in claiming based on the facts listed above that they did not help our boys through this phase….