Saturday 6 October 2007

Australia prove they are light miles ahead

The distance is alarming. What looked like a classic match up between the World 50-50 champions and T20 champions is turning out to be anything but. Each of the first three games has proved beyond doubt the difference in class. Superior athleticism has only widened the gulf.

The Aussies have come here with a definite plan and a bruised ego. The strip in Kochi and the one at Hyderabad should have favoured the hosts than anyone else. Though they were not turners by any stretch of imagination there was enough for the tweakers to exploit.

The team looks jaded and disoriented. The body language is negative. The third game was a bigger disappointment. Dhoni and his band should have got a measure of the visitors by now. The bowlers are suffering for lack of discipline. They are either too full or short, the three quarter length that Stuart Clarke and Mitchell Johnson hit is ideal on these wickets and the sooner the Indians resort to that length the better.

The start in Bangalore and Kochi was wasted. The new ball did initial damage but the momentum was not to be sustained. It has a lot to do with the energy levels. The fielders don't swoop on the ball rather they wait for it come to them. Lack of urgency in the field is hitting the team dearly. With any other side in World cricket one can make up with brilliance with the bat or ball but poor running between the wickets, poor throwing and dropped catches all add up sizably against the World champs. Give an inch they end up with a mile.

Coming to the game on Friday, M.S. Dhoni might have been a trifle unlucky with the toss. The wicket looked like losing pace as the day wore. After a good start Australia was pegged back by some good bowling by Harbhajan and Yuvraj Singh. The new rule that insists on the ball to be changed after the 34 th over has not been kind to the men in blue. Runs have been plundered in that phase. The best bowlers must be preserved for that phase.

The ball might be a used one that is cleaned but there is a huge difference between a sphere that is used in practice and one that is used in a match. The hardness will be pronounced and it will come on to the bat better. It is an area captains will have to start putting some thought to. From 166 for three in 34 overs Australia plundered 124 runs in the next 16 at 7.75 per over on a wicket that was getting increasingly difficult to bat on. Once the target went beyond 260 it was always going to be an uphill climb for the Indian's.

Yuvraj is doing justice to his enormous talent finally. He has always played the occasional blinder but the consistency he has brought to his game is refreshing. The team management can look up to him now for runs during crisis consistently. His shot selection has improved considerably and for a player blessed with enormous natural ability, it is only a question of getting into the right frame of mind. Yuvraj is in that 'zone' where nothing much can go wrong. Physically he did not look at his best yet played one of the best knocks in recent times.

The match further showed the importance of a solid top-order. Mathew Hayden makes the difference at the top for his side with his consistency. Matches cannot be won in the Power Play phase but one can set up a solid launch pad. 75 for three at the end of 20 overs was not the ideal start when chasing a big target. The opening overs will have to be counted. The problems are aplenty for Dhoni, The team has to start believing it can beat Australia and for that to happen they have to be more positive on the field.

5 comments:

Akshay said...

Hi Kris,
I was hopping that Kubmle will play Sehwag to surprise the Aussies. RP Singh and Zaheer looked clueless today, thought they managed few wickets. Harbajan? He is always a slow starter. What do you say?
What are your thoughts on India's chances of winning the test series down under?

Krish Srikkanth said...

Dear Akshay,

I guess the dilema of leaving someone like Yuvraj out might have prompted the team management to take the safer route of omitting Sehwag! A difficult decision indeed and one can only hope that it is proved right!!

Kumble's five wicket haul was a fantastic effort and I think he has managed to lead from the front right from the word go. Coming as it does against the mighty Aussies makes it all the more commendable. Let us hope the Indian batsmen complement Kumble's effort with a good score.

Regards,
Krish Srikkanth

Akshay said...

Can any team, be it India, Australia, SA etc score 500 runs in 2 days? I strongly believe that if we lose Melbourne, we lose the series. I am not being negative here but I am looking at the positive side. Ponting could be brave enough to declare with 2 days left but with balanced batsmen like Sachin, Saurav, Jafar Yuvraj & Dhoni in the side, 500 is achievable. What is your opinion Kris?

Krish Srikkanth said...

Dear Akshay,

Thank you for writing to us. I don’t think you need to be so pessimistic. Indians have never done well in the first test of ‘away from home’ test matches, esp. if it happens to be in countries like SA, Australia, New Zealand etc. An innings defeat in the first test has been an all too familiar sight!!! It takes a little time to acclimatize and get used to the pitches. But there is no reason why the team cannot bounce back once they get used to the conditions. We have enough good batsmen who are capable of taking the fight to the opposition. All it needs is a positive, “we can,” approach. It might be premature to write the team off based on its performance in the first test, although one cannot deny that it’s going to be tough fighting the Aussies in their home turf. But with players like Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Yuvraj, etc. in the side, it would be a pity if we don’t rise to the occasion.

Regards,
K. Srikkanth

Krish Srikkanth said...

Hi!

Scoring 500 runs in two days is definitely possible but it would have been a mammoth task. We have seen how the Indians surrendered meekly without a fight and Ponting has proved that his faith in his bowlers is not misplaced!!

Regards,
K.Srikkanth