Of late, the Team India seems to be intent on pinching that dubious tag of ‘bunch of chokers’ from the South Africans. That said, the Indians going to the World Cup have not only the coveted title to defend but also salvage the pride that they have so timidly surrendered to the opposing teams in recent times.
The Englishmen, teetering on the brink of what should have been an inevitable disaster, pulled a rabbit out of the hat to knock another sucker punch on the drifting Indians. Despite all the optimism that must obtain as patriotic Indians, objectivity paints a dismal picture of the Indian confidence which is anything but in fine fettle.
The problem for the Indians is compounded when attacking batsmen like Dhoni are reduced to grope for defence while the newly-anointed skipper courts providence to lose matches.
This shattering defeat puts paid to Dhoni’s contention that Indians had fatigued after back to back matches and deserved a break if they were expected to perform better. One can only guess what this “break” has done – if it has done any – to buoy the spirit of the struggling Indians. Obviously the popular Team India cry of Yeh Dil Maange More is a cosmetic that has come off. Success seeks more, defeats call for breaks and rests!
Forget peaking, the Indians are carrying their deflated morale into the World Cup. Dhoni’s pre-eminent belief that his mates need to carry momentum in the run up to the World Cup is both esoteric and baffling. If anything, it sounded a desperate attempt to black out the team’s failures in Down Under.
While the Indian batsmen stood up to the pace and sledging of the Aussies manfully, their bowling lacked sting and at no point did the Indian bowlers looked capable of getting the Aussies out twice in the Tests. The one-dayers were a sordid story with three of the four matches lost without any semblance of resistance and one saved due to nature’s face-saving gesture.
Inconsistent batting and charitable bowling has done India in. The fitness level of some cricketers is questionable. Ishant bowled in the nets only to end up wobbling with a swollen left knee while Rohit Sharma – ideally one of their strike batsmen – is left in the dugout to nurse a hamstring. You can be reasonably assured that the others are nursing their bruised egos.
The onus is now on whom it devolves to extricate the team from its deepest morass — Team Director, Coach or the Captain? Dhoni might have plenty of excuses to dole out from his kit, but fans or on the edge and testy.
The reel will get real if and when they extract the Laagan in the most boisterous of ways they have done in the past. (The writer is the News Editor with The Free Press Journal, heading Sports Desk)
