21 October 2011.
Victory will go to the boldest and the best-organised outfit.
India has every right to be delighted by its performances in the One-Day Internationals. By no means can the trouncing of England be taken lightly. In a trice M.S. Dhoni’s side has stopped its run of defeats, doused English ardour and restored hope that better days might lie ahead.
Moreover, India is fielding a supposedly threadbare side. On paper India has a stronger team off the field than on it. Only four of the 2011 World Cup winners are taking part. The entire CWC attack has been dismantled. Several great players are absent, and also the country’s leading spinner and pace bowlers. And still India prevailed? Perhaps the outlook is not as bleak as it had seemed.
Not that 50-over matches offer a foolproof guide to prospects in longer formats. In ODIs it is not necessary to take 10 wickets let alone 20 – and India’s bowling remains a worry. Moreover, back foot games are not examined. In that regard, Suresh Raina has previously been found wanting, as has J.P. Duminy. Still, the mood of the matches and the buoyancy of the Indians bode well. Clearly the younger element is not scared to be left to carry the flag. Evidently it has been itching for the opportunity.
Virat Kohli batting for India against United Arab Emirates during their 2015 Cricket World Cup match at the WACA Ground in Perth, Australia.
Photo ©: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Responsibility factor
Responsibility can make or break a sportsman. By the look of things, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli are ready to meet the challenge. Rahane averages 69 in first class cricket, an exceptional return indicating he is a run-maker not a mere flash in the pan. Kohli has been around so long it’s easy to forget he is only 22, and can be forgiven the errors of youth. Anyhow youngsters need a bit of pickle in them.
Ravindra Jadeja (23) has also played with gusto. After a lull, left-arm tweakers are returning to the game. It’s not so much that fashions change as batsmen become unfamiliar with styles of bowling. Consigned to its grave a decade ago, unless accompanied by a doosra, finger spin is back.
Of course Jadeja bats as well as he bowls and in that regard resembles Stephen O’Keefe and Samit Patel. But their rise reinforces the old adage about picking good cricketers. Dilip Doshis are few and far between these days.
Like the Aussies, the Indians have been rejuvenated by the fearlessness and energy of youth. In both cases the talent seems to be genuine. It’s not enough to be young and spasmodically dazzling.
Next task
India’s next task is to bring some of these emerging players to Australia this winter. Indians tend to be more sentimental than Aussies. By and large it’s a mistake.
Not that all the ageing champions ought to be immediately ejected, especially from the Test team. But tough decisions are needed or tomorrow will be painful. Difficult issues need to be addressed. Is Harbhajan still a threat?
Can Zaheer last a Test let alone a tour? How many of the veterans will be around for the next World Cup?
Australia, India, South Africa and England are breaking away from the pack. Hereafter these powerhouses can be expected to dominate. None of them has the incisive attack that helped the West Indies and Australia to dictate for 15 years. Accordingly fortunes will ebb and flow.
A lot will depend on the other aspects of cricket teams, namely balance, fitness, stamina, leadership, governance, selection and spirit. Victory will go to the boldest and the best-organised outfit.
Oh, and another quality will be required; astute planning.