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Indian team not sure of itself
The Indian team in Asia Cup has looked rusty. The momentum that was evident when they toured Pakistan has slowed, writes Arun Lal.
The Indian team in the Asia Cup has looked rusty. The momentum that was evident when they toured Pakistan has slowed down a bit.
Zaheer Khan it seems, has a chronic problem that must be addressed seriously, otherwise it will take this lion-hearted cricketer down. His absence also creates a void in the team. He definitely needs expert medical help and I dare say, he also needs to lose weight. I also believe that there was some merit in the training methods of old. We were told that you had to run to remain fit especially if you were a medium-pacer. It would keep the weight down, keep your cardio vascular system in top gear, strengthen the legs and build the temperament as well. Kapil Dev was a product of that and he never hurt his hamstring.
The team is not feeling confident and sure of its self, and that is evident from the experiment of Parthiv Patel as an opener when you can choose from three and yet have the best opening combination in the world. Pinch-hitting may have a few takers but Parthiv at the top scoring 5 off 16 balls is incomprehensible. You may lose an early wicket, get pressurised and also have to contend with a buoyed opposition. Let's hope that, that line of reasoning has died a natural death.
Finally, I must again make the point of playing the fifth bowler. Normally the fifth bowler is an all-rounder. In India's case Rahul Dravid is the all rounder and is doing a creditable job. I know it's a risk but if you are willing to risk it, why not play a fifth bowler? A seventh batsmen is rarely used and most often will not have more than 5 to 7 overs to play. At that stage, someone like Harbhajan or Pathan is almost as good.
The point that the management is missing, is that due to the void in bowling, most times an opposition is let off the hook and can reach totals in excess of 270, regularly. You have a world-class spinner like Harbhajan or Kumble sitting out.
Tendulkar and Sehwag can be the sixth bowling option but can hardly be the 5th. It puts too much pressure of bowling all 10 overs on the main bowlers, and God forbid if one of them either breaks down or has an off day. Especially when they are young and relatively inexperienced like Irfan and Balaji. If the first 5 overs go for 40 then you are really struggling for ideas.
Moreover, cricket is such a mind game, just the sight of a Sachin or a Sehwag bowling tends to ease the pressure. The entire game changes. The gains to be made by a fifth bowler of the calibre of Harbhajan far outweigh those of a batsmen at No.7. To win a tournament you have to play well consistently and for that you have to get the balance of the team right.
