HERE'S WHAT TO DO!!!!

If you cannot defend 338 then you cannot think of winning the World Cup. The India England match ended as a tie providing a thrilling encounter to cricket fans world over. However, the fans of the two teams would not be very happy with their respective bowling performances. As a neutral I say what a game, but as an Indian fan I am absolutely gutted.

There were question marks about the Indian bowling prior to the start of the tournament but seeing the performance in South Africa I thought there was no cause for worry. When Bangladesh scored 283, one would have thought “it is an aberration” but after yesterday everybody is worried. What has gone wrong with the Indian bowling? There is no shortage of ability as Zaheer, Munaf, Harbhajan, Chawla, Sreesanth, Nehra and Ashwin are all talented. Ashwin hasn’t got a game but all the others have played. Zaheer has been the best and was the one responsible to get India back into the game yesterday but he gave away too many boundary balls at the start and Strauss capitalised. What he did in the batting powerplay should have been done much earlier. He looked to bowl the Yorkers and was very good with his control. The question is why couldn’t he do it from the start like he did against Bangladesh? Munaf was good against Bangladesh and did well in patches yesterday but he too was guilty of giving the boundary balls. However, I can excuse him for being hit for six in the last over as that particular ball could have gone in his favour but it was brilliantly hit by Shahzad. The spinners weren’t very good as well. Chawla did well initially but then got tapped. I couldn’t understand why he bowled those two deliveries in the slot to hit in the penultimate over of the game. He bowled Tim Bresnan with a quicker one but again why couldn’t he do it earlier when he knows the batsman are looking to go after him.

The other problem is the fifth bowler. Yuvraj Singh was very good in South Africa but at the end of the day he is a part timer and can’t be really depended upon to bowl economical spells consistently. Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj have the duty to bowl those overs but one must remember that they are in the side primarily for their batting. Even against Bangladesh they got a few wickets but conceded runs.

The bowlers that India have are match winners. Now it isn’t about ability or form but about inspiration. Dhoni needs to inspire these bowlers to do better. He must take a leaf out of Imran Khan’s and Kapil Dev’s books. In 1983, the Indian team were ranked outsiders but went on to lift the cup beating one of the greatest teams ever to have walked on the earth. It was possible because Kapil Dev would inspire his players not just with example but even by talking to them and increasing their confidence. Imran Khan did the same thing in 1992 when his side was down and out but lifted the cup. He inspired his players to rise to the occasion and then we all know how they came back.

When I watched the bowling and the fielding it looked like they needed somebody to lift their spirits. Zaheer looked to answer the call for a wicket but the others weren’t doing enough. My mind automatically goes back to the year 2003. The Indian team at the end of their first two matches was in a similar situation. The batting wasn’t performing then and now it is the bowling. One man called Sachin Tendulkar inspired his teammates to lift their spirits and perform and India reached the final. The spirits of the bowlers need to be lifted by Zaheer, Dhoni and Sachin. If they can do it, Indian bowlers will certainly improve.

One thing they can do is continuosly show the bowlers videos of their great spells from the past. Show Nehra the video of his 6 for 23, show Munaf and Sreesanth their recent performances in South Africa. That would certainly help increase their confidence. Without doubt there is no shortage of talent, they need inspiration.

The first thing India need to do is revise their combination. When I spoke about this to my father and my friend Sooraj Bajpai, they were of the opinion that India should play 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers even before the India-England tie. I didn’t agree with them then but after yesterday’s result I fully endorse their view.

When I look back at yesterday’s game and the arguments put forward by my father and Sooraj, I see that they have a point. Firstly, the part timers are part timers and will go for runs now and then. Secondly, when the top order comprising Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Dhoni and Kohli is in form then one can take the risk by not playing the seventh batsman. Thirdly, the fifth bowler would provide India with the required balance and will help strengthen the bowling.

The batting line up would be Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Dhoni and Kohli. Sadly, Pathan would have to sit out as he is mainly used as a hitter and now that Yuvraj has performed, the team management may have to take this tough call. Now we come to the bowling. My attack would be Zaheer, Nehra, Munaf and Harbhajan. You have to play Nehra as he has the ability to get you wickets in a heap. Either Ashwin or Chawla should play as the fifth bowler. I am of the opinion that Ashwin should play as he is a better batsman and his variations are very difficult to pick. As leg spinners usually do in the one day game, Chawla may get hit around the park but it would be difficult to pick Ashwin.

This is the time the team management has to make these tough calls. You cannot be successful without taking chances and this is the time to do it. One billion people have their eyes on these fifteen players. A part of the billion has even given up hope and the Indian team has to rekindle the faith of the nation. All I can say is that I still have hope and although hope defies logic at times “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.
Comments would be most welcome.