Fumble and Tumble - Lackluster win !!
If someone had suggested last year, that an India Vs Bangladesh ODI match will assume this much of significance, the response would have been 'have your mind examined'; but, after the WC 1st round exit by India (thanks to B'desh) and the new make over, there was some interest to find out what is going to happen. Things started off rather badly - Manoj Tiwary, the one young talent, everyone wanted to test out had injured his shoulder, as soon as the team reached Dhaka and before that media reports had put that the so called camp @ Kolkatta was a swing back to the yesteryears - when the players went thro' motions and a few knocks here and there.
This is obviously not the ideal time to play ODIs with energy sapping conditions but such common sense had long before gone out of the window from the gang which runs the game and counts the bucks. Then, there was the usual DD telecast, where a flickering, faded color image that appeared for the best part of 3-4 balls and over (mind you; there was no flicker in the commercials). One might ask what is new - practically nothing - missed catches, mindless bowling and some new talent pouncing on innocous offerings doled out by Zaheer - things were the same. On a day, when Dinesh Mongia emerges as your best bowler, one wonders whether Indian cricket is going in which direction. B'desh mopped up 250 in 47 thanks to a gift of about 30-40 runs on the field and some useless bowling by Viru, Zaheer and Powar. Indian fielding was atrocious as usual and the ball was routinely escorted to the boundary, perhaps fearing that a 4 is better than allowing B'desh to run 5, in case if the ball is not let go.
When India batted, things were the same - Viru - perhaps not shackled by the omnipresent GC, unleashed a few shots here and there but in no time, India was starring down the barrel with Yuavaraj failing again to lame spinner. Dhoni, hobbling on one leg gutted it out with Karthik but the end result was a painful win that cleared none of the doubts prevailing over the form and class of Indian cricket and cricketers.
This is obviously not the ideal time to play ODIs with energy sapping conditions but such common sense had long before gone out of the window from the gang which runs the game and counts the bucks. Then, there was the usual DD telecast, where a flickering, faded color image that appeared for the best part of 3-4 balls and over (mind you; there was no flicker in the commercials). One might ask what is new - practically nothing - missed catches, mindless bowling and some new talent pouncing on innocous offerings doled out by Zaheer - things were the same. On a day, when Dinesh Mongia emerges as your best bowler, one wonders whether Indian cricket is going in which direction. B'desh mopped up 250 in 47 thanks to a gift of about 30-40 runs on the field and some useless bowling by Viru, Zaheer and Powar. Indian fielding was atrocious as usual and the ball was routinely escorted to the boundary, perhaps fearing that a 4 is better than allowing B'desh to run 5, in case if the ball is not let go.
When India batted, things were the same - Viru - perhaps not shackled by the omnipresent GC, unleashed a few shots here and there but in no time, India was starring down the barrel with Yuavaraj failing again to lame spinner. Dhoni, hobbling on one leg gutted it out with Karthik but the end result was a painful win that cleared none of the doubts prevailing over the form and class of Indian cricket and cricketers.
posted by Crick_Love at 11:44 PM
1 Comments:
All said and done, A Win is a win. What is good about the win is not the opposition but the situation under which this win was achieved.
On a slow low surface, I thought after Bangladesh scoring 250 runs, the odds were against India. To find itself at 130 odd for 5, the odds werent improving. But to win from that situation, is some kind of achievement. The proteas, couldn't do it on a similar surface in WI against Bangaldesh.
Some areas of improvements.
1. The fielding is one area which we will have to work hard. Robin Singh has got his task cut out.
2. Backing up the throws was just not there. So we conceeded too many over throws.
3. Bowling by Zaheer khan especially to Tamim Iqbal should show some improvement. Zaheer hasn't learnd from his mistakes he made in the previous encounter.
4. I would also like to see the keeper standing up to Tamim Iqbal. This is where I feel we will be missing Irfan Pathan. We could well use him as a Vass or a Brackan.
5. The top order needs to convert starts to big scores.
6. Sehwag, playing his natural game, should show some kind of restraint especially with the fact that on paper the batting looks very weak.
On a positive note.
1. I found Rahul's decission to defer the Power play very interesting and fruitful in that situation. The ball was hard and Tamim was enjoying the pace on the ball. RSD decided not to take the powerplay and introduced spinners which frustrated Tamim and resulted in his wicket.
2. RSD's decission to take Munaf from the attack after the later conceeded over 14 runs in his 7th over was a brave and sensible one. To give any kind of pace on the ball on a slow wicket is a crime.
3. Yuvraj comming out to run for Dhoni was again a very good decission. Ideally it should have been Dinesh Mongia. However this is where I felt that Ravi Shastri might have come in to the picture. He, with the decission to send Yuvraj has sent a clear message. "No Seniors / Juniors in the team. If one is best suited for the situation he will be having the task". Which was a very good move.
Hope the team works on the above mentioned concern areas and produce more results like the one achieved yesterday.
Cheers
PG
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