Back to Old Ways

It is hardly a month ago Indian cricket team was crowned world Twenty20 champions in South Africa and all the eyes were on the upcoming India Australia series which promised to be exciting with one world champion taking on the another. And now all is over for Indian cricket team as far as the series is concerned with already the series lost 4-1, the sole match remaining to be played for PRIDE(as they say on most occasions when the series is lost and a sole match is to be played).

But the manner in which the 6^th ODI is lost is worth pondering. With a first wicket stand of 140 between Sachin and Sourav, one would have hardly imagined an Indian loss. The match seemed to be going the same way it had gone in the 6^th ODI in England earlier this year. But the difference was that there the opponent was England and here, Australia. Uthappa’s heroics in England won us the match on that day. But against Australia, Dhoni and Uthappa both felling in the penultimate over cost us the match and of course, the series. Back to the old loosing ways, while chasing a target. But Indian cricketers have themselves to blame for chasing a big target set by the Aussies.With Australia loosing their top 4 batsmen inside 22 overs, India did not go for the kill. And the batting order set by Dhoni in the second half seemed hardly convincing. I had my reservations against sending Irfan Pathan at no.3, but then that ploy worked. But not the Dravid one, sending him at No.4 when you had Uthappa or Dhoni himself to play those big shots so that pressure does not build in the final overs. You have 200 runs on the board in 35 overs and require 117 from 15 overs and now why you are playing defensively? The justification from Dhoni after the match for sending Dravid at no.4 is baffling. He said Dravid was originally padded to come at No.3!!

picture courtesy : cricinfo.com

Indian batting, fielding and bowling were awful in this series excluding couple of matches. If Indian team’s pride has to be restored that has to be by winning the next ODI at Mumbai on Wednesday, Oct 17. And do not forget there is a Twenty20 international coming up, again in Mumbai on Saturday, Oct 20. Australians will be definitely coming hard at Indians for the defeat against them in semifinals last month. But Indians have to prove themselves as the world champions in shortest form of cricket by winning this only TTI.