Only on rare occasions in cricket do you come across a side that delivers victory after victory by dint of a seamless team effort rather than standout performances by individuals. The Steve Waugh- and Ricky Ponting-led Australians were the gold standard with a tremendous run starting with the 1999 England World Cup and continuing well after their 2003 Cup triumph in South Africa.
The team had great batsmen, world class bowlers and quality all-rounders, ably led on the field by charismatic and tactically proficient captains who could ensure that great efforts came from all quarters in every match. Such was their dominance that they pulverised all opposition at home and away and made winning a habit.
As India clinically destroyed Bangladesh with a 109 -run victory, they displayed a similar cohesive strength that could well be their ticket to greatness if they continue in this vein in the next two matches in this tournament.
All-round, not individual excellence
Consider the statistics. No Indian features among the top four run-getters in this World Cup (Kumar Sangakkara reigns supreme with a mindblowing 541 runs). No Indian features in the top five individual scores (Chris Gayle leads that table with his amazing 215). And, you guessed it, there are no Indians among the top four bowling performances, although Mohammed Shami tops the overall tally with his haul of 17 wickets.
So what’s making Team India mesmerise opponents and win match after match? Yes – the fast bowlers have really come to the party and taken all 70 wickets on offer till date, and R Ashwin has suddenly discovered his mojo in the difficult middle overs after having a very ordinary run at the beginning of the year.
Yes – the captain has been inspirational and the fielding looks like Team India are channelling their inner Johnty Rhodes. But for me, the true reason lies hidden in India’s awesome batting machinery which is purring so smoothly that opposition teams have no clue which individual batsman to target. India has played seven matches in the Cup and the batting line-up has stayed largely undisturbed. And if you look closely you can see three distinct hunter packs operating in tandem.
The first batting pack
First - the two openers – Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. In three matches where India batted first, Dhawan scored 73, 137 and 30. When Dhawan went cheaply, Sharma batted fluently at the other end in the company of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
When India batted second in the four remaining matches, Dhawan scored 100 and Rohit also chipped in with two 50-plus scores, albeit against non-Test opposition. A rare failure was the low scoring Windies encounter on a pacy WACA pitch at Perth. But on good batting wickets, such was their dominance that invariably Team India had a fantastic foundation while setting a target or chasing one.
The second and third batting packs
Then it’s the turn of Virat Kohli and Jinks Rahane. These two stalwarts have been the gatekeepers of the middle overs almost till the Batting Power Play. Kohli has scored 107, 46, 33, 44 and 38, which emphasise the key role he has played in building the Indian innings after the initial flurry from the openers. Rahane has a 79 and a 33, but with Kohli he brings a steadiness to the middle order which is critical.
And finally, the third element of this unnerving juggernaut - Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and captain Dhoni. These players are rarely seen in action before the 30th over and sometimes even after the 40th. But Raina has already racked up scores of 74, 110 and 65, while Dhoni has chipped in on a few occasions with an 85 being his highest contribution till now. True, they have had limited opportunities to showcase their full range of strokes, but in reality their very presence down the order lets the top four play freely.
Together, these three units have ensured Team India’s aura of indomitability. Each knows its role in each game. And if one fails, the next in line smoothly moves in and the juggernaut rumbles on.
Of course, they could still feel the heat in the semifinals and final, as they come up against truly superior bowling attacks. So the three hunting packs need to keep it together. If the batting remains as seamless as it is now, it will be next to impossible to contain the world champions.
The team had great batsmen, world class bowlers and quality all-rounders, ably led on the field by charismatic and tactically proficient captains who could ensure that great efforts came from all quarters in every match. Such was their dominance that they pulverised all opposition at home and away and made winning a habit.
As India clinically destroyed Bangladesh with a 109 -run victory, they displayed a similar cohesive strength that could well be their ticket to greatness if they continue in this vein in the next two matches in this tournament.
All-round, not individual excellence
Consider the statistics. No Indian features among the top four run-getters in this World Cup (Kumar Sangakkara reigns supreme with a mindblowing 541 runs). No Indian features in the top five individual scores (Chris Gayle leads that table with his amazing 215). And, you guessed it, there are no Indians among the top four bowling performances, although Mohammed Shami tops the overall tally with his haul of 17 wickets.
So what’s making Team India mesmerise opponents and win match after match? Yes – the fast bowlers have really come to the party and taken all 70 wickets on offer till date, and R Ashwin has suddenly discovered his mojo in the difficult middle overs after having a very ordinary run at the beginning of the year.
Yes – the captain has been inspirational and the fielding looks like Team India are channelling their inner Johnty Rhodes. But for me, the true reason lies hidden in India’s awesome batting machinery which is purring so smoothly that opposition teams have no clue which individual batsman to target. India has played seven matches in the Cup and the batting line-up has stayed largely undisturbed. And if you look closely you can see three distinct hunter packs operating in tandem.
The first batting pack
First - the two openers – Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. In three matches where India batted first, Dhawan scored 73, 137 and 30. When Dhawan went cheaply, Sharma batted fluently at the other end in the company of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
When India batted second in the four remaining matches, Dhawan scored 100 and Rohit also chipped in with two 50-plus scores, albeit against non-Test opposition. A rare failure was the low scoring Windies encounter on a pacy WACA pitch at Perth. But on good batting wickets, such was their dominance that invariably Team India had a fantastic foundation while setting a target or chasing one.
The second and third batting packs
Then it’s the turn of Virat Kohli and Jinks Rahane. These two stalwarts have been the gatekeepers of the middle overs almost till the Batting Power Play. Kohli has scored 107, 46, 33, 44 and 38, which emphasise the key role he has played in building the Indian innings after the initial flurry from the openers. Rahane has a 79 and a 33, but with Kohli he brings a steadiness to the middle order which is critical.
And finally, the third element of this unnerving juggernaut - Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and captain Dhoni. These players are rarely seen in action before the 30th over and sometimes even after the 40th. But Raina has already racked up scores of 74, 110 and 65, while Dhoni has chipped in on a few occasions with an 85 being his highest contribution till now. True, they have had limited opportunities to showcase their full range of strokes, but in reality their very presence down the order lets the top four play freely.
Together, these three units have ensured Team India’s aura of indomitability. Each knows its role in each game. And if one fails, the next in line smoothly moves in and the juggernaut rumbles on.
Of course, they could still feel the heat in the semifinals and final, as they come up against truly superior bowling attacks. So the three hunting packs need to keep it together. If the batting remains as seamless as it is now, it will be next to impossible to contain the world champions.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!