The `Mismatch' at Centurion !!!

By: Venkatachalam. A. Krishnan

This was published in CRICKETNEXT.COM on the 16th of February, 2003 - The day after India lost Comprehensively to Australia.

http://www.cricketnext.com/yoursay/krishnan/krishnan2.html


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The highest partnership for India against Australia at the Centurion was between Harbajan Singh and Anil Kumble. It was worth 40 valuable runs and was for the eighth wicket. That sums up the kind of performance on display by the Indians.

It was a no-contest all the way. The rut started even before the first ball was bowled when Saurav Ganguly walked into the middle with Sachin Tendulkar. Yes. He merely laid the foundation for another personal failure. When these Aussies get on top early in the match it is just not possible for any team to claw back into the match. They just come at you relentlessly and beat you into submission.

This decision of Ganguly to open the innings is just baffling to say the least. He has been going through the leanest run of his career and any cricketer will tell you that it affects you mentally and the best way to come out of it is to spend some time in the middle. And these Aussies have the best new-ball attack at the moment (A bowler of the class of Jason Gillespie doesnt even get to lay his hands on the new ball !!!), and it is very unlikely that they are going to allow you the luxury of time in the middle if you are not at your best.

And you have an explosive batsman in Virendar Sehwag who has done extraordinarily well (Taking into account the `ordinary' display of others from either side during the India-Newzealand series), who is robbed of his rightful slot which is opening. The best thing that Ganguly could have done for himself and the interest of the team is to come lower down the order. The Aussies came into the match with no more that 3 quality bowlers and Ganguly could have utilized this. After all, even in this woeful form of his, he can back himself a lot more confidently against the Hoggs, Lehmans and the Symonds' than against the Lees, McGraths and the Gillespies.

If Ganguly continues to talk about `Bad pitches', `Application', `Performance against the opposition in the past' and `the Best Batting Lineup', he will be fooling none but himself. Let us wake up to the REALITY - This Indian team is just NOT upto International Standards and they do NOT deserve to win. Only a series of `Miracles' can transform this team. And, `Miracles' dont happen everyday (If they do, they no longer are seen as Miracles - They just become `Habits' like the Australians have been showing for the better part of the past decade).

Everybody believes that the secret of the Aussie success lies in their seemingly-unlimites supply-chain of talent. Sure, this keeps everyone on their toes all the time and there is no room for Complacency. Nobody can take their place for granted and everyone plays every match as though it is their last.

The bigger achievement of the people who are behind Australian Cricket is much different from this. Inspite of the cut-throat competion for a place in the team, the players bond together as a team. Once in the team, they are not jealous of their team-mates' success. They just go out and enjoy whatever they do - whether they are batting, bowling, fielding or even encouraging their teammates from the bench. One just cannot help but admire this quality.

One only hopes that the Indians have learnt a thing or two from the others and they could come out a much better UNIT in the matches to come. We definitely are not out of the tournament yet and Ganguly and his men can still turn things around and redeem some pride.

There are enough examples from History and Sports for Ganguly's men to look up to. To quote the famed Swimmer MARK SPITZ -
`EVEN WINNERS DO NOT LIKE TO DO WHAT LOSERS DO NOT LIKE TO DO; BUT THEY DO IT ANYWAY !!!'

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