Cricket India

India has a long history of choking when it matters. Here at Cape Town also India after being in a position to bat the hosts out of the game got itself into such a tangle that South Africa only had to go through the motions to get them out one by one. They came, committed some foolishness and got out. After having reached a comfortable position of 90 for two, India worked its way to disaster and made a mess of an advantageous position.

There were a couple of umpiring errors which perhaps worked against India, the most important among them being the dismissal of Tendulkar. But even without them India had developed the art of self-destructing.  All that a player is expected to do is to show character, the will to help the team’s cause to the best of one’s ability. No one in his senses would demand a player that he should do such and such a thing. He can only be asked to try his best to do that. It was that element of character which was lacking in Indians’ performance yesterday.

But the error committed by the team’s think tank crowned the whole mess-up. I don’t know why they decided to play Sehwag in this test and why he was sent at number seven in the first innings. If there was a method behind that decision, then they forgot what it was. Let me make it very clear. Promoting a player to suit the needs or opportunities of a team is good strategy. But when one does such a thing forgetting all the background info that forced his demotion, such an action can’t be called strategy. The purpose behind that action was laudable. To get some quick runs and extra time to bowl some more overs was definitely a good idea. But the factors which forced the team management to protect Sehwag from the new ball were still there. They could have opened with Jaffer and Karthik and then could have sent in Sehwag at the fall of the second or third wicket. The ball would have lost its shine and he could have stepped up the scoring tempo. His fall followed immediately by that of Jaffer put India on the defensive. That double whammy might have leeched the confidence out of the Indians. Even the recovery act by Dravid and Ganguly did not put it back into the Indians.

Kumble has looked a little more effective on the fourth evening. If he can remove a couple of the top order batsmen early in the morning, then India may have a chance of pulling the chestnuts out of fire. For that he may need some sensible bowling help from Tendulkar and Sehwag.

The Indian collapse has ruled out the prospect of a draw unless it rains there. Just as a couple of early wickets would swing the match in India’s favor, a tidy little partnership at any bend of the innings would send shivers down the Indians’ collective spine.

# posted by Upendra Varma @ 10:42 AM