Disgrace In Defeat

image courtesy cricinfo.com

Team India paid the price for some unimaginative cricket while it was just a reward for Sri Lanka for displaying grit, aggression and, more importantly, possessing a gameplan. The decision to bowl first was the right move without doubt. It gave Dravid and his men the best of the conditions. The ball did enough in the air early on and the wicket offered bounce. And when it was India's turn to bat the strip had eased out considerably and the target of 255 should have been achieved with much to spare.

What the team lacked in totality was confidence. With the writing clearly on the wall, India should have approached the match fearlessly. A no holds barred approach would have at least given the team better sleep. Most of the pressure the team found itself under was self inflicted. Sourav and Sachin looked nervy for no reason. Batting out 50 overs would have ensured India the win but sadly wickets at regular intervals, which ensured that no sizeable partnerships were built, led to the downfall.

The knock by Sehwag clearly indicated there were no demons in the pitch. If a player who is battling poor form can show this assurance, it should not been out of the world for the others to follow suit. Chaminda Vaas was at his usual steady self, while Muralitharan continues to mesmerize. The duo should have been played out. If India had played the two safely without giving them a wicket the pressure would have got to the other bowlers and even a asking rate of six per over could have met without ado. The decision to go after the experienced pair lacked logic.

Murali, after going for a few in his first over, switched to bowling from round the wicket and that to me was a masterstroke. He cut down the angle and with the doosra that would always keep the batsmen guessing he became a handful. Dhoni who presented the last ray of hope paid the penalty for playing on the backfoot to a spinner who can turn a mile. It was a judgmental error, any player at this level would tell to stick your pad out in the beginning of the innings to a spinner unless the ball is pitched in the bowlers half.

The dismissal of Yuvraj summed up the match. With pressure mounting, the confusion got to the youngster, and much like what has happened to the Indian side after their landing in the Caribbean.

The India bowling was good in parts, but allowing the Lankans to claw back through Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan cost the match. The body language of the entire side when Russel Arnold and Vaas went berserk in the final five overs was awful.

Heads will definitely, and should, roll, and the senior members in the side should take responsibility for this sad result. The Greg Chappell-Rahul Dravid combine had too many experiments but very little positive result to offer. Lessons were served especially when the team was winning but there was no concrete effort to learn from them. Victories in familiar conditions will continue but good teams would be remembered on how well they did when they were taken out of their comfort zone.

Bermuda might cause a sensational upset by beating Bangladesh and pave the way for the men in blue to enter the super eight, but that was not the way it was meant to be. India does not deserve their place in the next stage after this show. Hard and fair decisions will have to be made when the team returns, but my only hope is that the learning starts at least now. The defeat and the manner of it was a disgrace.

Footage of Kapil Dev on the Lords balcony with the Prudential Trophy is getting grainier by the minute, and it is time the present bunch does something worthwhile in the coming months to restore the confidence in the billons of supporters who are fast losing interest and hope.