India Win T20I Cricket Series Against England: Reversing The Syndrome And On With Experiments!

Thanks to India’s non-stop experimentation we got to see a brand new opening partner, none other than India captain Virat Kohli, with Rohit Sharma, and the duo treated us to one of the most exhilarating batting displays in recent times. Rohit was the dominant partner hitting the ball all around the park in his cracker of an innings of 64 runs off 34 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours while Kohli played the sheet anchor role perfectly, allowing Rohit go berserk. They piled up 94 runs in just the ninth over, and the momentum thus built never slowed down as Suryakumar Yadav, the sensation of the 4^th T20I match, came in at no.3 and made a quickfire 32 in 17 balls. And then, the run-feast was left open to Kohli and Hardik Pandya both of whom played some incredible hits over the fence to post India’s highest ever T20 total against England, 225 runs to win for the demoralized visitors.

 

The match was almost sealed in favour of India, although England did try putting up a brave front with Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan hitting wild to keep up with the asking rate. However, losing the in-form Jason Roy in the very first over was a huge blow and it was too much for the duo and the following batsmen to sustain the very long chase, and they called it a day at 188/9. India won the match by 36 runs and the Paytm T20 International Cricket Series by 3-2. The highlight of India’s bowling attack was Bhubaneshwar Kumar who crafted an incredible performance of 2/15 in 4 overs with as many as 17 dot balls, and he was the rightful man-of-the-match in a game dominated by batsmen.   

 

We mentioned in our earlier piece about the win-toss-win-match syndrome that seemed to upset India’s cart as Kohli kept on losing the toss. However, in the crucial 4^thT20I match India, after being put into bat, managed to post a competitive target of 186 runs and thanks to some inspired bowling by pacer Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya and a surprise inclusion of spinner Rahul Chahar England failed to chase successfully despite the dew factor that continued to torment the hosts. Therefore, the syndrome was neutralized by India and the Series was leveled. In the 5^th and the decider T20I match last night Kohli lost the toss yet again, and this time it proved to be a good toss to lose because the pitch that was hard and seemed to be full of runs did prove to be so, and the rest is history.

 

Team India had apparently taken this series as an exercise to prepare for the T20 World Cup-2021, because throughout the five games the experiments never stopped: reserve players were tried and allowed to debut, but the respective performances never meant anything for the team management. Ishan Kishan, tried as an opener, registered a brilliant knock on debut in the second match that India won; but he was pushed to no.3 in the 3^rd and dropped from the 4^th match onwards. Suryakumar Yadav was also allowed to debut in the 2^nd game, dropped in the 3^rd and fortunately, allowed to play at no.3 position in the 4^th and 5^th games. However, the KL Rahul-restoration project that was a contradiction in this experimentation scheme continued unabated till the 4^th match when its failure was confirmed. In view of this maze of experimentation it can also be said that India never really cared if they won or lost games/series. For example, in the 4^th crunch game that could have cost them the series India kept on with Rahul, dropped Ishan Kishan and drafted in Rahul Chahar for the first time in the series.

 

Now that India have won the Series all actions seem justified. However, when the team has time-tested openers why should it be necessary to keep trying new options. Shikhar Dhawan played only once and then dismissed; Ishan Kishan played well and dismissed; and now Kohli has an exciting story to tell about opening partnership. Finally, who are going to open in the World Cup? Rohit-Dhawan or Rohit-Ishan or Rohit-Rahul or Rohit-Kohli? Or what about the opening pair in the three-match one-day international series that starts in Pune from March 23, 2021? Similar experiments done in the almost two-year countdown to the World Cup-2019 focused on an enigmatic no.4 position in the batting order cost India the Cup. 

Asia Cup Cricket: What A Relief, India In Super Four!

Yes, it is indeed a huge relief that India have reached the Super Four stage of the Unimoni Asia Cup-2018 and that they are going to play Pakistan at least two times, the big one coming up tomorrow in Dubai. Because, Team Hong Kong has suffered two losses--one at the hands of Pakistan and the other to India tonight, the latter being a most unwelcome thriller for Indian fans. This sense of relief owes its origins to two basic reasons, like it or not.

First, after the ODI series loss and the Test series disaster in England Team India has suffered a telling loss of credibility. There, only captain Virat Kohli played with some of the bowlers in tandem, and now here in UAE even the captain is missing with the one day specialists brought in again. Therefore, you never know who in Team India will play and who will play how. Upsets are common in tournaments, and last night Afghanistan eliminated Sri Lanka, one of the main contenders for the Cup despite everything. Tonight's match was almost another upset with India winning narrowly by 26 runs. The noisy celebration of the Indian fans expressed the same sense of huge relief. With Rashid and other spinners Afghanistan is going to be a challenge for any team in Super Four.

Second and most importantly, India seems to be continuing relentlessly with its selection blues. This was India’s first match and the crucial start of the Asia Cup campaign. And yet, India have begun their campaign with experimentation. They have given debut to one and took in a few others in lieu of experienced cricketers who were available, sitting resting or whatever in the  dressing room. Selection of Dinesh Karthik is also to be questioned, because he was taken in only in the third and final ODI against England where he couldn’t do anything special. So, why select him adding one more wicket-keeper to the team? Team management defends it thus—resting important players from the sapping heat. Well, do they play the IPL during the great Indian winter back home? Of course, there is one more defense still—the uncanny schedule giving India two back to back matches. However, such games do help players warming up well for bigger games.

The basic point is that team management has deprived their most experienced players of precious match practice just a day before the all-important encounter with Pakistan. It is to be noted that Pakistan had fielded their full-strength team in their first match against Hong Kong. Pakistan have already been playing mind games, openly relishing the idea of Virat-less India, and now the Indian Experiment would further embolden their approach. After the Indian batting and bowling displayed tonight there will be more questions regarding selection in the Pakistan match.

India failed to reach the 300 mark against a team playing a major international tournament for the first time making just 48 runs in the last ten overs losing five wickets. Except for the Shikhar Dhawan century, a bright starter from Rohit Sharma and a good effort by Ambati Rayadu there was hardly any major score from anybody including the crucial factor of MS Dhoni. Of course, Dhoni is here to stay, but will they drop all others who were only experimented with? How would the selectors ensure that the experienced players to be taken in now will deliver in the very first match? What would they do with Kedar Jadhav? Get rid of him after this solitary chance? We watched tonight Hong Kong tackling Indian pacers most efficiently scoring more than 50 runs in the first 10 overs without loss, and keeping up the momentum overcoming the Indian spinners too till the match was nearly sealed by them. Would the strike bowlers to be taken in strike indeed in the very first outing?

Therefore, this profound sense of relief! Whatever happens in the next match, India will be one of the top two teams from Group A and will continue to play the Super Four matches including a second encounter with Pakistan from 21^st September onwards.

Hope Team India rebuilding happens quick and fast, and the liabilities both in the team and in team management removed faster. Some sort of a ‘problem of plenty’ is setting in ominously for the Indian cricket management. With the ICC World Cup-2019 round the corner India cannot afford to go on with its mindless experimentation killing players’ spirit and confidence in the process. Identify your best 15, make them bind into a team, give them trust and confidence and give them a run till the World Cup so that they can fight single-mindedly to win it. This Team-15 is for the one day format, and ideally for all the formats with the barest minimum of ‘specialist’ interchanging.

A Tale of Two Teams!

There are two Teams you know all about. One Team lacked its usual stalwarts and was happy to get what it achieved. Maybe a little more effort, a little more risk. But the team leader did not even come out to take charge.

The other Team had all its stalwarts, but still did want to achieve what it could have achieved. A few points would illustrate this further:

• If someone does excellent in the job assigned to him, you are very right to promote him. But after promoting him you certainly do not want to deprive him of the job itself. Maybe you want him to excel in another important job, but at the same time you must give him time to finish the first one satisfactorily. 

• If somebody is corrupt, he will be at it whatever job you assign. First you must make sure that he had given up corruption permanently. So, it does not make any logic to put him out of one job and assign another. Better put him out permanently of any job.

• If you have to bow to pressure, you must do so consistently too. In one case you punish someone for being insensitive. But in another you bow to the dictates of the culprit's mentor. Means X is provided by Y and you punish X for his wrongdoing despite Y's protests. But then you take in Z who is again proved by Y. So, you remain Y's servant.

• Yes, old members are always powerful and they always resist change. But if you basically want to change your Team you must bring in the new young elements boldly. Otherwise what do you achieve out of all your efforts? 

Well, what is common to both the Teams?  Both do not want to take risk at all. And, both want to safely maintain the status quo.  

If you want to build your team make sure first what you want!