Well the first week of CT has seen some pretty good and unpredictable cricket. SA has been knocked out and SL is on the brink (two of the pre-tournament favorites). England coming after the 6-1 mauling at the hand of Aussies, have done very well while NZ is also a strong contender to get to semis.
Coming to the Indian team (and it is rather painful to talk about it), we are all but out of the tournament. Theoretically speaking, India does have a decent chance but practically speaking those chances are very slim. And with the current form and talent, we do not deserve to get into semis either. So I would be mighty surprised if we manage to get there.
The problems with the Indian team start with the bowling itself. RP is kind of one dimensional bowler (at least presently) and Ishant Sharma is very low on confidence and form (I am being very generous here). And Bhajji Singh is still basking in the glory of his last fiver which he took in the Compaq Cup final. These bowlers were responsible for Pakistan being able to post 303 and things did not look too good when we were playing Australia today. Overall the standard of bowling is something that makes you cry as an Indian supporter (I am sure I would have been a better bowler had I decided to pursue a career in cricket). The only positive was to see Nehra bowling a good line and getting among wickets and Amit Mishra’s leg spin bowling. The whole bowling department needs a revamp and I think RP and Ishant are going back to domestic cricket for some time now. Sreesanth and Balaji would be making their comebacks (and may be Munaf) against the Aussies when India play them, I believe.
However, the Indian batting which has traditionally been very strong also failed in the game against Pakistan and I doubt whether we would have flourished against Aussies as well. Sachin did little justice to his experience and talent when he fulfilled a 17 year old fast bowler’s wish and Kohli sa’ab was not just up to the task. Dhoni was trapped leg before while he was strolling on the pitch and Yousuf Pathan continues to prove that he just lacks the intent and the determination needed to succeed at international level. Gambhir batted in a beautiful manner and made me feel that atleast there is something to cheer about and so did Dravid and Raina. It was good to see that Dravid knew exactly what his role was and did that to near perfection. Had Raina stayed there for a bit more, things may have been different but who knows. And we also boast of a tail where atleast three batsmen (RP, Nehra and Ishant) do not even know how to hold a bat properly. Of course, the team was handicapped by the absence of Viru and Yuvi but we simply cannot claim to be #1 if we are to depend on a couple of players.
Indian selectors must realise that we need to develop a pool of players who are fit and strong enough to play international cricket. Just think over this, we all know that Yousuf Pathan would most likely not fire under pressure and still he plays in the team. In a country where you have more than 110 crore people, a huge cricket fan base and having IPL like talent finder events, it is shameful that we are struggling to get into semis (we are not getting there). There should be a strict policy of perform or perish and there should be strong competition for even seniors to get into the team. They should be constantly challenged by the younger lot and nobody should take his place for granted.
I wish the selection committee led by Kris Srikanth takes some bold decisions when they pick the team for the next series against Australia (which I doubt).
A little mention for Graeme Smith and his lion-hearted innings against England, something which will be etched in my mind for quite some time. He batted like a champion and perhaps deserves all the applause especially for a team which has crashed out of CT.
Stay tuned for the rest of CT and I would love to see someone like England or NZ to lift the cup. England have played beautifully for the first two matches and let’s see if they can carry the same momentum forward. Pakistan may just do what they have been uttering in their press conferences while Aussies are always a force to reckon.
I would love to be proved wrong in my predictions and would even offer an apology to my team if something contrary to what I have said does happen, but I doubt if that will happen.May the best team win !!
Coming to the Indian team (and it is rather painful to talk about it), we are all but out of the tournament. Theoretically speaking, India does have a decent chance but practically speaking those chances are very slim. And with the current form and talent, we do not deserve to get into semis either. So I would be mighty surprised if we manage to get there.
The problems with the Indian team start with the bowling itself. RP is kind of one dimensional bowler (at least presently) and Ishant Sharma is very low on confidence and form (I am being very generous here). And Bhajji Singh is still basking in the glory of his last fiver which he took in the Compaq Cup final. These bowlers were responsible for Pakistan being able to post 303 and things did not look too good when we were playing Australia today. Overall the standard of bowling is something that makes you cry as an Indian supporter (I am sure I would have been a better bowler had I decided to pursue a career in cricket). The only positive was to see Nehra bowling a good line and getting among wickets and Amit Mishra’s leg spin bowling. The whole bowling department needs a revamp and I think RP and Ishant are going back to domestic cricket for some time now. Sreesanth and Balaji would be making their comebacks (and may be Munaf) against the Aussies when India play them, I believe.
However, the Indian batting which has traditionally been very strong also failed in the game against Pakistan and I doubt whether we would have flourished against Aussies as well. Sachin did little justice to his experience and talent when he fulfilled a 17 year old fast bowler’s wish and Kohli sa’ab was not just up to the task. Dhoni was trapped leg before while he was strolling on the pitch and Yousuf Pathan continues to prove that he just lacks the intent and the determination needed to succeed at international level. Gambhir batted in a beautiful manner and made me feel that atleast there is something to cheer about and so did Dravid and Raina. It was good to see that Dravid knew exactly what his role was and did that to near perfection. Had Raina stayed there for a bit more, things may have been different but who knows. And we also boast of a tail where atleast three batsmen (RP, Nehra and Ishant) do not even know how to hold a bat properly. Of course, the team was handicapped by the absence of Viru and Yuvi but we simply cannot claim to be #1 if we are to depend on a couple of players.
Indian selectors must realise that we need to develop a pool of players who are fit and strong enough to play international cricket. Just think over this, we all know that Yousuf Pathan would most likely not fire under pressure and still he plays in the team. In a country where you have more than 110 crore people, a huge cricket fan base and having IPL like talent finder events, it is shameful that we are struggling to get into semis (we are not getting there). There should be a strict policy of perform or perish and there should be strong competition for even seniors to get into the team. They should be constantly challenged by the younger lot and nobody should take his place for granted.
I wish the selection committee led by Kris Srikanth takes some bold decisions when they pick the team for the next series against Australia (which I doubt).
A little mention for Graeme Smith and his lion-hearted innings against England, something which will be etched in my mind for quite some time. He batted like a champion and perhaps deserves all the applause especially for a team which has crashed out of CT.
Stay tuned for the rest of CT and I would love to see someone like England or NZ to lift the cup. England have played beautifully for the first two matches and let’s see if they can carry the same momentum forward. Pakistan may just do what they have been uttering in their press conferences while Aussies are always a force to reckon.
I would love to be proved wrong in my predictions and would even offer an apology to my team if something contrary to what I have said does happen, but I doubt if that will happen.May the best team win !!
Where is that cash rich baron - Lalit Modi??? He throws money at players who wag their tails and gleefully accept it. I strongly believe the fitness problems for Sehwag/Zaheer/Yuvi arise because of IPL. Tournaments such as these should be banned, if the players are to be grommed for the more traditional forms of cricket - Tests and ODI. Only a miracle can now see India to semis.
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