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Australia in India 2009-10
Honeymoon's over, the kids need help
The youngsters need to recapture the fearlessness and clear-headedness that drove India to an impressive one-day record over the past two years
Sidharth Monga
November 12, 2009
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The honeymoon is over, MS Dhoni now has some home improvement to do. Not only for himself but for his merry boys who went around playing merry cricket for more than two years. Fearless, for they knew no fear. Clear-minded, for they knew no confusion. Cue two first-round exits in world events and a home series loss to a severely depleted Australia and they are not so sure of themselves. The fear of the bouncer is evident, the fear of missing the length against big hitters is bringing the bowlers down, there is confusion when chasing and consternation when Yuvraj Singh is missing. It is time now for the same youngsters to overcome that fear, to sort out the confusion.
The World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy failures weren't catastrophic; they could be put down to injuries, to a stray off day. Against Australia, in home conditions, in front of fanatical crowds and with one opposition player leaving the country almost every day, with ample opportunity to come back in a long series, they lost even before Cyclone Phyan could intervene. It ought to hurt them, a unit wanting to become the best team in the world.
Because it's not merely the losses but the manner in which they lost that will worry them. At 2-1, after winning in Nagpur and Delhi, India went to Mohali with the momentum, Australia with Murphy's Law running the rule in their camp. To add to it, India finally bowled and fielded well, restricting Australia to 250. At that point, even a 6-1 scoreline in India's favour seemed plausible - more so when Virender Sehwag got them off to a flying start and it was all a matter of batting out 50 overs on a flat pitch. Under pressure, the Aussies lifted their game, India's youngsters faltered and they were bowled out with 24 runs and 20 balls to go.
The critics sharpened their knives - Ravi Shastri wrote of mental strength and Sunil Gavaskar saw a lack of application in how India didn't last 50 overs while the run-rate and the pitch were both manageable. Both are generally thrifty when it comes to criticising the Indian team so their words carried greater resonance. And if Mohali was partially India 1990s redux, Hyderabad was the full Monty.
Big, improbable chase. Tick. Sachin Tendulkar plays a solo masterpiece yet makes the chase look easy. Tick. Tendulkar falls with a handful required. Tick. The rest fold tamely. Tick. "This column has lately been questioning the mental strength of this Indian team. It has now received a fresh coat of scepticism," wrote Shastri.
Dhoni, to his credit, didn't hide behind words after Hyderabad. "I don't think it was the talent part," he said. "I think it was the mental part, where you know you can play a big shot and you back yourself to do that. At times you just go through the motions, you don't know if such a shot is needed or no. I think we lost the mental part more than the cricketing aspect."
Dhoni has himself to blame for it too. Over the past two years he has talked about letting his batting line-up play its "natural game". There hasn't been visible pressure on the youngsters to learn how to build an innings, because perhaps they know if they fail Dhoni is there. And Dhoni usually is there. Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have had a cushy initiation to international cricket. Bouncers in South Africa? No problem, we'll send for Rahul Dravid. Flat pitches? Have fun, you won't be pushed in at No. 3. Result: The fighting, unglamorous innings are missing. Both Raina and Rohit are considered future middle-order mainstays - though Rohit is out of the team right now - and they need to show they don't shy away from gritty efforts.
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Sourav Ganguly, who was supposed to be suspect facing the short ball all his career, had specific advice for Raina. He feels the issue is more mental than technical. In Hyderabad Raina top-edged a bouncer, in Guwahati he played back to a full delivery. Ganguly's advice: He just needs to be clear with what he wants to do when a bowler is running in to bowl at 90 miles an hour, and there are bouncers involved.
India will also rue that Sehwag's longest innings in six efforts lasted 31 balls. In a seven-match series, you expect him to win at least one on his own but it was not to be. It is easy to say that what he played was his natural game but what he plays in Tests is also his natural game. What he played in this series would suit Twenty20 more and, apart from Hyderabad, he was never under pressure to go out seeking adventure.
Ashish Nehra brought a sense of purpose to the bowling and was Dhoni's go-to man in the Powerplays but lacked support. Harbhajan Singh slowly turned around a poor start from Mohali, moving off-wards and slowing down his pace. As a unit, going at 5.3 an over through the series was par for the course but Ishant Sharma continues to be a worry.
Through all the high-decibel chatter that is Indian television, one channel stumbled upon something close to the truth. Running a loop of the shots from the Guwahati collapse, it proclaimed that it was not the bowlers who lost the series. The voiceover was stinging in criticism: "Mr Sehwag, will you keep hitting wide ones for sixes, and leave the gate open for incoming deliveries?" "Look, he [Yuvraj] has no shame, he is laughing on his way back." Yuvraj rightfully had a bemused expression on his face after being dismissed in freak manner. Every batsman was panned, some unfairly so, but when it came to Tendulkar, the anchor said, "So after Hyderabad did the other batsmen expect the Little Master to score all the runs again?"
Lazy stuff, yes, but also pointing to the nineties when, more often than not, one man used to be the team. Dhoni's team has worked hard for the last two years to not become such a unit, instead be one that gets the job done, that finishes off matches. He wouldn't want three ordinary series to undo that effort.
Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo
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No offence gnat9, our first XI is in hospital! Our lads must be exhausted! South Africa, England, Champions Trophy and India! Wait... now a domestic series with the WIndies and Pakistan! I've always been an advocate of Ian Chappell's comments of bringing 'sanity to the schedule'. Otherwise, resting and rotating players will be the rule rather than the exception. The reason why Australia won is twofold... First, is 'bench strength'. Talented second and third-string players to take their places. But secondly (and more importantly), is pride in the 'baggy green'. For us it has honour and tradition. Once a player gets that mantle for playing for Australia, the legacy of those who have come before (Bradman, Lillee, Marsh, Waugh, Warne to name but five) is enough motivation to do one's best...
Posted by frozeninusa on (November 13 2009, 16:02 PM GMT)If I have to point out one name for this loss, it would be Sehwag. Had he played one good innings, the series would be tied. Every other top order batsman had at least one good contribution. Sehwag's one day record is not very good for an opener. His attitude of wham bam every ball all the time is not going to work on a consistent basis. We don't have enough batting depth given the lack of all rounders in the team to be able to afford losing an early wicket all the time. May be Sehwag can bat at number 7 but I am not sure he is suited for that spot when we are batting second. India need to seriously re-consider if they want to go to the world cup with Sehwag as the opener.
Posted by prasad1436 on (November 13 2009, 12:31 PM GMT)I think rotation policy is the best possible solutions. Selection commitee should get back dravid as a regular member of team. Sachin anounces that he will play 2011 wc, so players like sachin, dravid should play selective matches. We can achive two goals with this idea: 1.young or new comers will get enough time to settle into team and 2. bench strength gets increased. Player like dravid is always played a anchor role for side on any kind of pitches.His role is to come at no.3 and should be there upto 35 overs. But why selection commetee is ignoring him? As we all saw in last 3 tournaments, batsman with better techniques only scored runs consistently (no sehwag, no gambhir no yuvraj), so batsman like dravid is better choice for all pitches. Also comitee should choose 6-7 bowlers and keep rotating them.
Posted by whizkid_no1 on (November 13 2009, 11:39 AM GMT)We have to ask how much difference RAHUL DRAVID would have made in the close matches...especially when all were hell bent on committing hara kiri. Hey and how come players and captain get the criticism but selectors are not blamed?
Posted by jeevan on (November 13 2009, 10:11 AM GMT)Oneday cricket is second tier of international cricket, where youngsters can get experiance and learn their trade along with providing entertainment to the fans and making millions for the board. Test cricket is the true challenge for the players and the team and as long as India do well in that format, I dont care whether they lose in mickey mouse tournaments.
Posted by gnat9 on (November 13 2009, 10:05 AM GMT)Some people here suggest that India is doing badly because we are playing too much cricket. That is rubbish! Look at Australia's schedule for the past one year. They have almost been continously on tour, first in South Africa, then England, then South Africa again for the Champions trophy and then in India. If Indian cricketeers had played like that, they would all be in hospital! We must just accept the simple fact that barring one or two players, India is a mediocre team and is incapable of playing well. Everyone is in it just for the money and nothing else.
Posted by sray23 on (November 13 2009, 09:36 AM GMT)I think the Indian team is playing too much cricket, and what's worse, they're playing too much meaningless cricket. Apart from the series win in a heated summer in Australia full of fire and tension between the two sides in Australia in 2007-08, all other series have either been played against sub-standard opposition such as Windies and NZ, or been in a meaningless context such as the series in SL. The Indian team has looked burnt out in the big world events which is reasonable as it is just not possible to play in top gear 100% of the time. Compare that with the Pakistani team and they have looked a lot fresher in the big events as they don't play a lot of cricket these days and hence every game is meaningful. Aussies have been on a run in 2009 but who's to say they won't come grinding to a halt soon? The Indian board and all the boards need to be sensible about scheduling, not only for players, but also for spectators like me an India loss doesn't hurt as much any more. Its a shame.
Posted by mrgupta on (November 13 2009, 09:28 AM GMT)For "@Paullie", Why is it that everytime India loose people start calling for Sachin's head? You think Sachin should retire? If you access Statsguru you shud check that since last 2 years He has the 2nd best batting Avg and strike rate of 90+ in ODIs along with 4 (Highest) centuries, all in important matches. In some of the important matches won by India (CB Series in Aus, Tri Nation Cup in Sri-Lanka) He was the one who won us the Finals. If Sachin only did his Magic in One match in Hyd than Atleast he took us to a winning position from hopeless one. What did Sehwag, Yuvi, Gambhir and Raina did in the entire series? Atleast Sachin performed once when it was most needed. In Tests too he is 3rd on the list of batting avg in last 2 years and his Centuries (5, Highest)) have been again match winning ones. Remember 102* when chasing 387 and 160 in NZ both were the match winning innings. Please name a few guys who are ready to take up his position based on their and his current form.
Posted by brlara on (November 13 2009, 08:36 AM GMT)Dear Sidharth and fellow comment adders, Are we angry or dejected or feeling sympathy on our Indian side, we the Indians have a great heart to forgive whatever worst happens to us even it is from any Government who rules us. Do we still have a pain what we suffered after the early exit of 2007 world cup? If Dhoni's team are going to have a merry round time with Srilanka and wins the series, Wow, we will forget this three or four months poor time what our team had. But above all, None of our team players are slow runners in wickets, none of them are poor fielders, none of them are poor cricketers,so we all have to wait for them to come back, remember winning one day series in Australia, Test series in Newzealand won't happen that frequently to any best side in the world. Even this slump happened to Australia where they lost test series at home and against England as well. Even Ponting had a week rest in his tight schedule. Don't we need to feel proud of our injury free man Dhoni?
Posted by AsifRathod on (November 13 2009, 06:58 AM GMT)It's very strange that, many of the Indian players have performed well in a match or two, but still not managing the series win. When u see the statistics u'll find, All of them have performed not that bad. Sachin scored nearly 300 runs, Dhoni scores 200+, Yuvraj played one or two handy innings, Shehwag had few brisk innings, Gambhir scored two half centuries, Raina also scored some handy runs for retaining his spot, Nehra,PK,Bhajji,Ishant,Jadeja bowled very well in a match or two. Hey guys but the real fact is this is one of the worst performance by Indian team. All the players have failed. Sachin failed in 5 matches, scored one big one, and he is hero?? Gambhir need some rest, Yuvraj, is one or two innings wonder, Raina must be replaced, give chance to Badrinath or someone else. We can't drop Sehwag he might won us one match, let's hope it happen in future series. Bowling was not that bad, to be frank.. Nehra,Kumar,Jadeja bowled well. Selectors plz, take some strict steps.