As India eked out a hard-fought four-wicket victory over West Indies on a fast-paced and bouncy WACA pitch at Perth, Australia, one could not help but wonder whether this wasn’t an extremely timely wake-up call.
For the first time in the World Cup, the much-vaunted Indian batting order came up against quality pace on a pitch which is known for its hostile speed and steepling bounce. Team India did not crumble altogether, but there was enough on display to give the jitters to the most ardent fan till Dhoni decided to play a cautious captain’s knock to guide the team through to a hard-earned victory.
5. Be prepared for the short ball
Till now, India has played Pakistan, South Africa and UAE on wickets tailor-made for high scores, and the top order functioned brilliantly. But on a fast WACA pitch, when the Windies pace battery started to fork out the short pitched stuff, the chinks were immediately visible.
Kohli was snared by a carefully laid trap, and Raina was so peppered with the fast and short ones that he could never settle down, trying to hit his way out by blindly attacking every ball. His stay was short-lived. Even the talented Jadeja fell prey to a well-directed short ball as he holed out in the outfield to Marlon Samuels.
Other teams are watching and taking note. Team India would do well to start thinking through its short-ball strategy
4. Don’t miss those catches
West Indies may have put only 182 runs on the board, but that scorecard could have been even more modest had it not been for the utterly insipid catching display by Team India. There were four catches dropped, and though Shami could be forgiven for dropping a really tough chance, the other three ought to have been taken quite easily.
Against top opposition from the quarter-finals onwards, dropped catches might prove far costlier. This young Indian team is known for its sharp fielding and catching, and one hopes the game against the West Indies was an aberration. Some counseling from the team psychologist and a few extra rounds of catching drills would also be in order.
3. Don’t depend on the top order alone
This one is tricky. When the Indian top order clicks and puts up massive scores, those batting later barely get a chance to get their eye in, which is all very well when India wins. But the last game was another story, with the top six seen off cheaply, Dhoni’s innings was critical. And while it is great to see the captain back in some sort of form, Raina, Rahane and Jadeja will need to be prepared for a day when they have to contribute similarly to ensure victory.
Luckily, India’s next two matches are against Ireland and Zimbabwe. While these are no easy pickings, perhaps the order could be tweaked to give the middle order some much-needed batting opportunity.
2. Keep trusting Captain Cool
He’s delivered in some pretty tight corners before and he can still stand up and be counted. As India wobbled at 130/6, Mr Ice stood up to the Windies pace attack, ably supported by an Ashwin cameo, taking India to victory without having to expose the tailenders. A resolute knock without the flashy brilliance and the helicopter shots that we are so used to, this was a timely pick-me-up for the Indian skipper which will do wonders for his self confidence. And a confident Dhoni is an exceedingly dangerous Dhoni, as we all know!
1. Keep the bowlers happy. And fit
And finally, as Mohd Shami picked up the Player of the Match award for another strong bowling performance, a word of advice for India’s coaching staff. Keep the bowlers in good shape and handle them with kid gloves!
India’s traditional weakness, the fast bowling has been such a positive revelation so far in this tournament that one cannot but fear that a bad performance might be just around the corner. Let’s just hope that Shami, Mohit and Umesh stay fit and healthy and keep on delivering those tidy spells again and again. As a commentator said, it isn’t every day that a fit new ball swing exponent like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar finds it impossible to break into the playing eleven.
Rathindra Basu lives, breathes, sleeps sports and is forever waiting for the next Indian sporting triumph. Since this usually takes much time and infinite patience he also listens to music, reads voraciously and eats almost anything that moves!
For the first time in the World Cup, the much-vaunted Indian batting order came up against quality pace on a pitch which is known for its hostile speed and steepling bounce. Team India did not crumble altogether, but there was enough on display to give the jitters to the most ardent fan till Dhoni decided to play a cautious captain’s knock to guide the team through to a hard-earned victory.
5. Be prepared for the short ball
Till now, India has played Pakistan, South Africa and UAE on wickets tailor-made for high scores, and the top order functioned brilliantly. But on a fast WACA pitch, when the Windies pace battery started to fork out the short pitched stuff, the chinks were immediately visible.
Kohli was snared by a carefully laid trap, and Raina was so peppered with the fast and short ones that he could never settle down, trying to hit his way out by blindly attacking every ball. His stay was short-lived. Even the talented Jadeja fell prey to a well-directed short ball as he holed out in the outfield to Marlon Samuels.
Other teams are watching and taking note. Team India would do well to start thinking through its short-ball strategy
4. Don’t miss those catches
West Indies may have put only 182 runs on the board, but that scorecard could have been even more modest had it not been for the utterly insipid catching display by Team India. There were four catches dropped, and though Shami could be forgiven for dropping a really tough chance, the other three ought to have been taken quite easily.
Against top opposition from the quarter-finals onwards, dropped catches might prove far costlier. This young Indian team is known for its sharp fielding and catching, and one hopes the game against the West Indies was an aberration. Some counseling from the team psychologist and a few extra rounds of catching drills would also be in order.
3. Don’t depend on the top order alone
This one is tricky. When the Indian top order clicks and puts up massive scores, those batting later barely get a chance to get their eye in, which is all very well when India wins. But the last game was another story, with the top six seen off cheaply, Dhoni’s innings was critical. And while it is great to see the captain back in some sort of form, Raina, Rahane and Jadeja will need to be prepared for a day when they have to contribute similarly to ensure victory.
Luckily, India’s next two matches are against Ireland and Zimbabwe. While these are no easy pickings, perhaps the order could be tweaked to give the middle order some much-needed batting opportunity.
2. Keep trusting Captain Cool
He’s delivered in some pretty tight corners before and he can still stand up and be counted. As India wobbled at 130/6, Mr Ice stood up to the Windies pace attack, ably supported by an Ashwin cameo, taking India to victory without having to expose the tailenders. A resolute knock without the flashy brilliance and the helicopter shots that we are so used to, this was a timely pick-me-up for the Indian skipper which will do wonders for his self confidence. And a confident Dhoni is an exceedingly dangerous Dhoni, as we all know!
1. Keep the bowlers happy. And fit
And finally, as Mohd Shami picked up the Player of the Match award for another strong bowling performance, a word of advice for India’s coaching staff. Keep the bowlers in good shape and handle them with kid gloves!
India’s traditional weakness, the fast bowling has been such a positive revelation so far in this tournament that one cannot but fear that a bad performance might be just around the corner. Let’s just hope that Shami, Mohit and Umesh stay fit and healthy and keep on delivering those tidy spells again and again. As a commentator said, it isn’t every day that a fit new ball swing exponent like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar finds it impossible to break into the playing eleven.
Rathindra Basu lives, breathes, sleeps sports and is forever waiting for the next Indian sporting triumph. Since this usually takes much time and infinite patience he also listens to music, reads voraciously and eats almost anything that moves!
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