Slings, arrows and the short stuff
India's seniors try and console the young players who are copping the flak for the team's debacle
Dileep Premachandran at Centurion
02-Dec-2006
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India's cricketers practised in the tranquil surroundings of the outdoor
nets at Centurion, and after a tour thus far characterised by dismal
failures, there was a spring in a few steps after the Pro20 victory.
Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag were first into the nets,
and most eyes were on Laxman as he settled down for the only practice
he'll get before Sunday's game.
Ian Frazer was chucking them down to Tendulkar from 15 yards, trying to
emulate the angle and the steepling bounce that Makhaya Ntini generates
from wide of the stumps. Tendulkar got hit once, but also crunched some
pleasing drives as he discussed with Frazer how the South African pace
battery could be handled.
Laxman eased into his drives straightaway, upright and elegant in his
full-sleeved shirt. Along with the strokeplay, there were enough occasions
when he let the ball dart past the off stump. On pitches of this kind,
leaving the ball is as much an art as picking the right one to hit.
It was also sobering to watch the body language and demeanour of those
players who will be heading home on Monday. Dinesh Mongia looked fairly
relaxed, perhaps a result of his near-matchwinning hand on Friday, but
Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif looked a little lost. Raina bowled some
innocuous offspin in the nets, and Kaif was seen telling a reporter how
life is all about ups and downs, and how he just had to concentrate on the
Ranji games that will come around as soon as he lands back in India.
Raina's plight evoked a passionate response from one of his seniors.
Clearly smarting from the criticism directed the team's way, he said: "I
find it astonishing that so much of the anger and ridicule is directed at
the junior players. It's the big boys who win you games. And when they're
not performing, why pick on these boys?"
He was right too. South Africa have been bailed out in successive games by
three of their one-day stalwarts - Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp and
Herschelle Gibbs. Kemp may only have played around 50 games, but he's been
around the block long enough to know the score. And, unlike Raina, he's not
20 years old.
"This is a boy who helped win you games in Pune [against Sri Lanka],
Pakistan and on a very tricky pitch at Faridabad [against England]," he
continued. "And now I hear that he's completely useless. I guess you
expect it in India, where we tend to have very little perspective."
Those called up for the Tests have been imbued with the qualities that
only messiahs possess, and this player could only laugh when asked about the
clamour for change. "What are our options? Which players have been so
outstanding in domestic cricket to demand a place? Those returning have
been tried before. It's not like it's their first chance.
"When a player is out of the team, I hear of him having qualities that we
were never aware of before. It was the same with me and several others
when we were dropped. One minute, we're the worst thing to happen to
Indian cricket, and when we're out of the side there's a huge sympathy
wave to bring us back."
As for Raina, the battle is clearly lost for the moment. "Some of us have
tried to keep his [Raina's] confidence up," the player said. "But it's reached a
stage where we could destroy the kid if we played him any further. It's
just a shame."
Dileep Premachandran is features editor of Cricinfo