India had a traumatic beginning to the three-match ODI series against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this week crashing to an agonising 10-wicket defeat.
Anticipating a thrilling encounter from two of the strongest sides in the world, and particularly expecting a stellar performance from India, the stadium was packed to the gills. By the time the match ended, the Wankhede was enveloped in disbelieving silence.
To be beaten is one thing. In limited overs cricket there are no draws, so one team has to lose. But to be vanquished by such a huge margin can have serious consequences. It can leave the team scarred and demoralised.
In batting, bowling and fielding, the Indians lagged way behind their opponents. Barring the phase when Shikhar Dhawan and K L Rahul were putting together a century partnership for the second wicket, the Australians were always in control of the match.
Even Dhawan and Rahul, perhaps conscious of the fact that till this match they were actually competing for the same spot in the playing XI, were measured in their batting. On a plumb, flat pitch, there was a case to be more adventurous, as indeed David Warner and Aaron Finch were when chasing the modest target.
All told, it was a hugely disappointing display by the home team, currently ranked number 2 by ICC, two places ahead of Australia. Rankings, however, are not foolproof and don’t always reflect a team’s true strength. Tuesday’s match was a good example of that.
About the only worthwhile Indian performance that evening came from Virat Kohli in his post-match press conference. The captain spoke with candour, admitting the team’s utter failure. He made no excuses, did not assign blame on one or few players as some in his position would be prone to do.
If anything, Kohli turned the blame on himself, accepting that perhaps the decision to bat at No. 4 was ill-founded. “Once in a while I am allowed to make mistakes and fail,’’ he said, bringing some levity to an otherwise grim evening.
Kohli’s batting position in this match obviously came under harsh scrutiny. His greatness as an ODI batsman has been defined by the runs Kohli has scored at No. 3 over the past decade, so the decision to drop himself a notch lower was not just a surprise, but also contentious.
In Kohli’s mind, this was necessitated by the current form of K L Rahul, as well as to allow Shikhar Dhawan, who was returning from injury, to resettle himself in the side. Both Rahul and Dhawan being opening batsmen, Kohli thought of playing Rahul at No. 3 in case India lost an early wicket.
As it happened, Rohit Sharma fell early and Rahul walked out to bat one drop instead of Kohli. While the two put up a fine partnership, they did not quite take complete control of the proceedings, which meant other batsmen had to escalate the momentum by taking greater risks.
Kohli fell in trying to do just that and suddenly the Indian team hit a crisis from which it could not quite extricate itself. Without taking anything away from the sterling bowling of the Australians, the lack of an assertive approach at the top cost the team quite heavily.
In any case, I think Kohli not batting at his usual position sends out signals of uncertainty and vulnerability. When he walks out at No. 3 with his characteristic swagger, Kohli bespeaks the world’s best batsman. At number 4, he reflects a captain burdened with a dilemma.
Chastened after the setback at Mumbai, Kohli said that he would have to reconsider his batting position in the next two games. That he is proactive and not stodgy and adamant in his thinking is welcome. But that itself may not be remedy to ensuring victory for India.
This Australia side has looked strong in all departments of the game and intent on success. There was an air of uncertainty about it even during the World Cup, what with David Warner and Steve Smith having just returned after a year in cold storage because of the ban.
After a rousing home season in which they hammered both Pakistan and New Zealand, Australia are looking like world beaters. Getting the better of India in Indian conditions is thought to be the biggest challenge for touring teams, but this Australia side seems to have the wherewithal and ambition to manage it.
Indeed, the pressure now is entirely on India: not merely to make a comeback in the series, but prevent a 0-3 rout, so superior did Australia appear at Mumbai. “We were outplayed and overrun by the Aussies,’’ confessed chief coach Ravi Shastri when I spoke to him a day after the match.
“But you must also consider how consistently well the team has performed over the past couple of years. This was a bad day in the office and we will recover,’’ he added. These are soothing words, and not bereft of sporting logic either.
But, to use a cliché, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Kohli and Co have a daunting challenge on hand.
The writer is a senior journalist who has been writing on the sport for over 40 years.
