27 August 2011.
India needs to examine the evidence provided by the heavy defeats in England and respond accordingly. Pretending it was a bad patch or a cursed tour will merely prolong the agony. Moreover, the scale of the loss does not allow any room for complacency.
It is over. India’s steady rise in the last 15 years or so reached its highest point in 2011 as the team attained top position in the Test rankings and won the World Cup. And then the side fell away so rapidly that it will be hard pressed to retain its position in the top-4 needed to qualify for the inaugural Test championship in 2013. India could even lose in Australia this winter, though its host is enduring complications of its own.
India has an old batting order, an unreliable pace attack, a spinner lacking bite, poor fielding and abject running between wickets. It is hardly a recipe for success.
Clearly the time has come to forget about deeds and debts and champions and crowd pleasers and sentiment and to focus on rebuilding. However, it’s all very well advocating change.
Naming names is another matter. Half the current team has faltered and ought to be replaced. In some cases the newcomers could join the squad, others are required right away.
A possible combination
My team for the next Test starts with Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara. Providing he is fully fit, Sehwag is indispensable. He is capable of dominating an attack from the first ball.
In at 3 and making a welcome return to Yorkshire.
Photo ©: Dave Morton / flickr.com
Burdened with a more modest record, Gautam Gambhir cannot survive recent setbacks. Dropping a player of his calibre is hard, but he needs to wake up.
If Pujara is considered better suited to first wicket down then Rahul Dravid can open. He carried the batting in the Caribbean and England and has earned his place with current deeds, not past heroics.
At present he is India’s best batsman and only his age counts against him. Let challengers shift him. Perhaps they will have better luck than opposing bowlers.
Of course, it’s too early to replace Sachin Tendulkar. It’s not so long ago that his renaissance was the talk of the game. England bowled superbly and like so many comrades Tendulkar looked rusty. He remains a giant and has often been effective in Australia. However, the end is not far away.
Alas V.V.S. Laxman and Suresh Raina cannot be retained. Laxman is a wizard with the willow and has a fine record down under but he looked ponderous in England and is sluggish on the field. Raina still looks shaky on the back foot and fragile early in his innings.
It’s time to give Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli a chance to prove their worth. They can bring the ripeness of youth to a jaded outfit.
Although he played and led poorly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni holds his place. After all he took the team to the top and commands respect.
Amongst the bowlers, Sreesanth, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R.P. Singh and Mishra cannot survive. R.P. Singh was a ridiculous selection. India has put too much faith in dainty left-armers. Praveen did well but lacks the extra pace and penetration needed elsewhere.
Rely on Zaheer, Ishant
India ought to rely on Zaheer and Ishant and add the fastest and strongest young bowlers they can find.
Harbhajan is first choice spinner but needs to recover his zest with bat and ball. His game is built on aggression.
But India also needs to identify and develop a new spinner, one capable of surprising batsmen. Raw speedsters and bemusing tweakers can replace the time servers.
Heavy defeat provides an opportunity to renew. India ought not to waste it. Ruthlessness is required.