Unbeleivable !! But, true !! 1-4 score line

If anyone who had followed the WI team in the last few years through their horror run, would have told you that they will beat India 4-1 before the series began, people would have simply asked ' what are you smoking'?; but, long time, seasoned India watchers like me know that this will come to a finish line like this. I predicted most of the happenings in my preview- Munaf Patel's failures, Sarwan/Lara feasting on Indian attack along with Chris Gayle's likening for the dollies from Indian pace but even I could not predict such a free fall for Indian team.
4th ODI : In a make or break game, Indian batting messed up thoroughly. Every batsmen (including Dhoni) played as if they had molten lead in their hands and ran as if they had stuffed concrete in their feet. Gayle and Samuels, who again dominated the Indians with their fastish off breaks, applied the brakes and it was a horrible site to see the Indian batsmen push and plod against some straight forward attack. With all these owes, 216 was the score at the end of 50 overs and even WI batting could hit such a low score, especially after some horrendous bowling by Pathan and a lacklusture effort in fielding.
5th ODI : It was turn of the bowlers to let the team down but before everything else, Dhoni spilled a sitter off Gayle and it was all downhill from there. I was thoroughly impressed with Bravo. He not only thumped the ball with vigour but ran with such assurance that he took on for 2s when others would have just run 1. His first few 2s set the tone and there was no looking back from there on. I wish that India has a strong middle order bat like him. The likes of Rao, Kaif and even Raina to some extent are not the sort, who will inspire confidence match after match. With Dhoni misfiring and Yuvaraj being inconsistent, India's woes were complete.
When India batted, it was the familar story of mismanaged chase through poor shot selection, run outs and lack of responsible top order batting. Viru found his touch but it was trifle late in the series.
Conclusion : Over the years, I have watched India to sink to some abysmal depth but this is one shock indeed and it was primarily due to :
- lack of penetration in bowling (other than Agarkar, the rest did not look like taking a single wicket). Pathan was totally off color, Srisanth was expensive, Bajji was uninspiring and Muanf was a complete disaster.
- Dhoni and Raina would have realized that success is not easy to repeat series after series but hopefully, they would have learnt their lessons.
- Inconsistent batting coupled with lack of confidence in running between the wickets or being aggressive while chasing. Once Dravid was out early, there was no solidity in batting.
- Over confidence after the first ODI win especially during the 2nd ODI, which was a series turning point.

Rao and Run outs kill India

Viru was just getting back his old touch, Kaif was batting wonderfully and scampering between wickets in the usual hussle-bustle fashion and Edwards was bowling atleast 1 wide per over - all this pointed to a 300+ total but enter Rao, the misfit in any ODI team (who BTW single handedly wrecked the A team ODI series as well) and all the woes began. Rao was hesitant and his shaky 2 of 9 balls forced Kaif to accept the call for a non-existent run, which resulted in a needless run out. Most Aus batsmen, who get themselves involved in such mishaps ensure that they stay and contribute heavily to make for their goof. But, Rao is no Aussie; infact, he is not even the go getter like Raina. His timid, shaky, hesitant persona makes him a misfit in any team but in the ODI team, he deserves absolutely no place. The lower middle order and the tail folded all too easily and a match which should have been won with ease was gift wrapped by Rao and the runouts (Kaif and Dhoni especially).
Dravid, who failed with the bat and also did a couple of crucial misfields, had got his selection wrong (Uthappa should have replaced Yuvi and not Rao. Rao is best to do the towel duty in my opinion) and India finds itself against the wall. I had predicted that India has the ability to make things tough for themselves, even when dealing from a point of strength and that is precisely what had happened.

Chase run snapped !!

Wow !! what a game it turned out to be. I am sure that the 2nd ODI will be often retelecast in all the sports channels in the next few years, under the category of 'ODI thrillers'. It really went to the wire but Yuvaraj tried to do much to a yorker, when the match was almost in the bag and paid the price for it.
In the morning, there was an improved display of bowling and Agarkar was given the new ball by Dravid, therby ensuring that the 'senior most' bowler gets to contribute soon. Pathan and Agarkar bowled at the right pace and swung enough to confuse the batsmen. WI should have collapesed but the usual gifts in the slips (Raina , the culprit - BTW, when is India ever going to find a slip fielder, other than Dravid) and missed run outs (Yuvaraj). Sarwan was slow to start with but with wickets falling steadily, he decided to play till the end and this proved to be vital, in the ultimate analysis.
The target was not threatening but with the horror run of Sehwag and out of form players like Kaif, India was bound to struggle, if Dravid gets out early. Raina did his part but the middle order played too many lofted shots and in the end paid the price. With 2 required of 3 balls, I felt that Yuvaraj should have ensured a tie first or atleast not swung blindly at a yorker that was also on the slower side. With this one run defeat, the great Chase run is snapped and I hope that the wrong selection by all the Indian batsmen have not gone unnoticed by the coach and players.

India stutters to a win, inspite of Kaif !!

Crickinfo predicted that the match won't even start due to the quantum of rain and they extended this gloom not only the 1st ODI but the 2nd too but with hardly 10 overs lost, the match will go as testimony to the new drainage system in place at Sabena Park. It was one of those chases where you wished that Kaif will get out but as expected, he dragged his feet forever and somehow India stuttered to a win inspite of his presence. Dravid played a masterly knock but we are so much used to his steady hand that I am not sure what will happen, if he fails in the odd game. The rest of the game went into the predictable lines. Viru’s flop show (absolutely nothing new here), the flop parade by bowlers (RPS, Pathan and Munaf were way below par and Pathan beginning with a forgettable opening over and opening spell as well). Chris Gayle’s hammering of the bowlers was also predicted y’day. The match would have been totally out of India’s hand but for Agarkar and Bhajji. WI somehow seemed to forget that it is a 45 over match and scored some 30 runs below than where they should have been and somehow India scrapped through thanks to the countless dropped catches, misfields, throws to wrong end etc by WI fielders and of course Kaif, who ground out a nervous, fidgeting innings that made the spectator cringe and almost made the win impossible.

Amidst Calypso drum and Jamaican Rum !!

Well !! Another cricket tour is all set to begin for the men in blue in the islands of West Indies with Calypso music and Jamican rum but this one has began with an injury (Ramesh Powar) even before ball 1 is hurled in. WI, who had fallen to absymal depths over the years is on a slow path of desperate redemption. With the world cup round the corner and with woes of inadequate infrastructure, gross negligence, cement shortage, stadiums half built, slow pitches, spectator neglect and more Calypso variety troubles like intra-insland rivalry, protesting players, low morale - all around, WI board somehow managed to appoint Lara as captain. That is a master stroke considering the amount of negativity which surrounds WI cricket but with Edwards and Taylor bowling decently, India might suddenly discover some resurgence from WI. India should have a walk in the park in theory but over the years, I know how Indian side is a terrible let down, when they tour abroad especially outside the sub-continent. They have had their moments like loosing to Zimbawe in a test and somehow picking unimpressive wins over Zimbabwe/Kenya in ODIs, loosing to B'desh in a ODI etc. I can also remember a team that had Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly and Lakshman failing to get 100+ in the 4th inning chase in a test in WI. Having seen all this, I won't be surprised if India manages to make things hot for themselves , even against such weakened outfits like WI.
I don't want to read too much in the practice match against Jamaican 2nd rung outfit or WI's sound thrashing of Zim but there are some hard realities, which can not be ignored. Sehwag is totally out of form and he will find life difficult against Edwards and Taylor. Kaif as well as Rao do not deserve a spot in the ODI side (Kaif because of his form and Rao because of his horrible, selfish, below par show in the ODI A series matches) in my opinion but I guess they will continue to be around and hamper India's progress when they bat first and will help in increasing the required run rate (and blood pressure of fans) during run chases. With Srisanth and Powar out, bowling looks terribly anemic and bowling in the death is going to be a mess against the likes of Lara, Sarwan, Chandrapual, who are waiting to feast on India and revive their shambolic run of the last few years. Chris Gayle is also a seasoned hand, when it comes to thrashing Indian attacks and he must be waiting to lay his hands on the dollies of Munafs and Agarkars. All in all I think, India will display another episode of letting their fanbase down but in the end might just about scrap through (weather permitting !!)