India is not ready for World Cup yet
A defeat and another almost defeat…that's been India's
story in the weather affected DLF Cup tri-nation series in
Kuala Lumpur recently. Sachin Tendulkar's 40th international
ton has been a lone bright spot, but with nations feverishly
getting ready for the world's most awaited quadrennial showpiece
in March next year, former India Test opener and captain Sunil
Gavaskar wonders if India is in the right direction. A TWF
report by Tirtha Gautam
India's number five position in the ICC's current ODI rankings
probably provides a mathematical update on the preparedness
of the main title contenders for next year's World Cup in
the Caribbean islands. Although the rankings may be debatable
considering the fact the West Indies lie seventh behind Sri
Lanka, arguably one bombshell of a one-day side in world cricket
today, India's recent one-day record has been far from exciting.
The ignominy of a 4-1 defeat in the West Indies in May-June
and the current trend in the Kuala Lumpur series clearly reflects
that all is not well with Greg Chappell's squad.
One-day cricket has more often than not been a batsman's
game. Specifically for India's case, where the bowling attack
lacks either the penetration or experience to handle deliver,
the performance of the batsmen becomes decisive. So if Chappell
keeps tinkering with the batting order every now and then,
his predicament is understandable. It's certainly not very
comforting to see two of India's most reliable batsmen - Sachin
Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid - walk out to face Brett Lee and
McGrath and Irfan Pathan step in at No. 3 very early in the
innings? In days of powerplays, it's logical when team management
devices queer strategies to get the best out of an innings,
but does that mean repeatedly throwing traditional and time-tested
strategies out of the window?
Let's assume, there is no place in Dravid-Chappell's squad
for a man who has scored 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, still
regarded as one of the best off-side players in modern cricket
and a mean arm with the semi-new ball, then has India found
the players to replace the likes of Sourav Ganguly? If the
legendary Sunil Gavaskar is to be believed in a current television
interview, the answer is clearly "NO."
Modern cricket is a gamble. And modern cricket in India, no
matter how much transparency the selectors claim, is not always
factored by performances on the pitch. The political turmoil
within the BCCI and in the guise of trying to pick the best
combinations for the World Cup, the Chappell-Dravid-Kiran
More troika has subtly used the conditions well. The enormous
freedom, given to the team management to experiment with batting
and bowling combinations, often mindlessly, has been considered
as bold steps for the future of Indian cricket, but what happens
when the results backfire? And here's where wise men like
Gavaskar raise doubts.
Says Gavaskar, "It is fine to experiment but for how
long? In the run-up to the World Cup, India will play a number
of one-day matches and that's a great opportunity to decide
on the core of the side that will be pivotal in the Caribbean
but we have to draw the line somewhere as experiments can't
continue eternally." While backing the experimentations
in Kuala Lumpur, Sunny wonders whether India has been able
to find the nub of the team for the World Cup. "And in
my book, India is far from finding the nucleus as a number
of positions are up for grabs and gambles don't always pay",
the former batting consultant opines.
Sunny's observation is food for thought. Dravid's decision
to open the innings may be a brave one but with the middle-order
still fragile in terms of experience and men like Ganguly
and VVS Laxman unlikely to find favour in the World Cup scheme
of things, exposing likes of Suresh Raina, M.S. Dhoni and
even the unpredictable Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh may
be suicidal. Thus, India's opening combination still remains
a problem area and with vice-captain Virender Sehwag's batting
form as patchy as his pate, Chappell may have to explore more
options.
"I can only see Sachin Tendulkar as an opener right now.
It would be worthwhile to try Sehwag in the middle-order but
opening remains a worry," Gavaskar says, adding, "There
are a few more positions up for grabs like the No. 6/7 slots,
the all-rounder's and even some bowling berths. We must keep
our options open."
So, that's quite a tall order. Tendulkar gets Sunny's vote
as an opener because "your best batsman, with all the
strokes at his command, should technically bat all the 50
overs. And someone like Sachin, who has scored so many hundreds,
has a highest score of 189, should get the maximum overs.
If he goes the full distance, it's best for the team."
Sunny cautions players taking their positions for granted.
For the new selection panel that takes charge end-September,
there is a message from the Little Master: "If players
take their place for granted, then their performance will
crash. Performance has to be key."
But for how long should we keep experimenting? Sunny answers:
"At least one month before the World Cup, or by the end
of the tour of South Africa, all experiments should stop.
By the time we play West Indies and Sri Lanka before the World
Cup, all positions must be settled and players must be told
their roles. Only then players will be confident and India
will perform as a team with individuals aware of their nature
of duty. Of course, things will have to remain flexible, but
the job profile for every player must be identified."
Assuming that India picks the right batsmen for the right
positions, Gavaskar's observation that Chappell has still
not been able to identify the best bowling combination is
cause for concern. Gavaskar identifies Ajit Agarkar, who had
a decent outing in the West Indies, as the only reliable new
ball bowler but stops short in naming someone who can partner
the wiry Mumbaikar. "Irfan Pathan is ok but he is more
of an allrounder. The new ball attack worries me, really."
And that's not all, Gavaskar points at glitches in the spin
department too. His belief for traditional values is eloquently
clear when he just names Harbhajan Singh as the only reliable
man in the spin department, but who will be his ideal foil?
Gavaskar's vote is expected to go in Anil Kumble, not Romesh
Powar and not even the talented rookie Piyush Chawla. "It's
hard to find Kumble's replacement. He can bowl at the right
spot with his eyes closed. Wake him up from sleep and Kumble
will bowl the first ball at the right spot," says Sunny,
justifying his great belief in the Bangalore veteran who didn't
find favour for the Champions Trophy in October.
Amidst all this, Gavaskar's heart probably bleeds a little
for Ganguly. The former captain had a poor County stint but
Gavaskar has scant respect for County cricket. Gavaskar sees
a flicker of hope for Ganguly in the World Cup squad. It may
sound a bit over-ambitious but Gavaskar opines that Ganguly's
"four-five overs of straight-forward medium-pace on low
and slow Caribbean wickets may come in handy." And as
far his batting is concerned, "Ganguly has to score plenty
of runs in domestic cricket to come in." And the first
opportunity will come in the Challenger series in October.
With the exit of Kiran More as chairman of selectors, the
new panel that will come into effect after the end-September
BCCI AGM in Mumbai will have quite a job at hand. If Gavaskar
is to be believed, then as many as six to seven positions
in the Indian first XI are undecided and that's a huge number
six months away from the World Cup. BCCI insiders say former
India captain Dilip Vengsarkar is likely to succeed More as
chairman of selectors and given Vengsarkar's uncompromising
nature, it is unlikely that Chappell and Dravid will have
their way in selection meetings. The first indications will
come when the selectors name the squads for the Challenger
series and more importantly, the tour of South Africa starting
mid-November.
As the countdown starts for the World Cup, the selectors will
increasingly come under focus. Gavaskar cautions the BCCI
saying that it's important to pick selectors who will have
the trust of the ordinary Indian fan. "The fan must not
question who is this man in the panel? If that happens, then
there is a problem. The World Cup is round the corner. Chose
the best guys who have integrity and the confidence of the
fan," says Gavaskar, advising the BCCI that it must immediately
come out of the quagmire of a man each from the five zones
in India. "Have five men by all means but there may be
three from one zone, pay them well to do their job and see
the results," Gavaskar says. Is Sharad Pawar listening?
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