ICC World Cup 2015: India’s fate could be similar to Greg Chappell era, find out why
Mumbai: Team India – led by Sourav Ganguly – almost took the podium in ICC World Cup 2003 but for Australia’s splendid form. Then, a hurricane named Greg Chappell uprooted India’s balance in the cricketing world, the tremors were felt in the 2007 edition. Though the men in blue, under the cool and calm combination of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gary Kirsten, turned the tide in 2011, it remains to be seen whether they are capable of an encore this time.
The chances look bleak. Why? Let’s find out.
Chappell is lost in the oblivion but Duncan Fletcher seems to have taken a leaf out of his book. No, he doesn’t show the middle finger or creates rifts within the team, but remains silent. Even after the losses outnumbered the glories, Fletcher is not making much sound or fury about a turn around.
Going by the recent low, the confidence in the unit seems to be missing.
The format of the tournament is close to that of 1996 – the top eight teams will reach the final stage. Since the tour of South Africa in 2013, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and company have only beaten England (3-1) overseas. They succumbed 2-0 to South Africa and 4-0 to New Zealand.
Though they beat Bangladesh but subcontinent has been their best friend. The win against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home don’t count for same reason. Rather, one may slam them for the balance tilted towards the hosts had it not been for Stuart Binny’s miracle with the ball (6/4).
Even the series win against England does not stand them in good stead for the Britishers had forgotten to play limited overs cricket under Alastair Cook, eventually axed from the One Day International (ODI) team.
In the ongoing triangular series, the bat did the talking in the first match against Australia. The bowlers threw the game away. But what happened against England raised many eyebrows – the batting being exposed (153 all out), it left the fans confused, like the cricketers.
Given the poor bowling attack, they could not defend the low total. Hence, the bottom of the story is that the batsmen have to score at least a 320-plus to lessen the bowlers’ work load.
Analysing the bowlers, there hasn’t been an individual consistently pitching it in the right areas. Now, if one compares the combination with other teams, the situation is no different if an Indian football team were to play in Maracana. South Africa has an AB de Villiers and a Dale Steyn – two match winners, New Zealand boasts of all-rounders like Corey Anderson, Kane Williamson is in the form of his life as well; James Faulkner can change the fortune of Australia from any given situation, England’s newly-appointed ODI captain Eoin Morgan seems to be taking the right steps too.
India is only left with Virat Kohli, which may remind one of the time when the nation was called one-man team (Sachin Tendulkar solely rescued the side from the dungeon of hell during the 1995-1998 period).
All they can pray for is luck. If a seagull on the Australian outfield can turn into a Twitter sensation overnight surviving a fatal blow during a Big Bash game, even Team India can retain the trophy. Can they? What do you think?
In 2007, India had a coach who lacked a plan, a captain who just followed the basics and team – who could not combine together in the Caribbean conditions. There were disturbances in the dressing room apparently with Chappell calling the shots.
Now, Kohli’s retweet and “favouriting” an anti-Dhoni news report could have ignited more controversy but the cricketer was smart enough to delete it. According to a report by English daily DNA, the India Test captain retweeted the post to his five million followers. The daily also claimed that petitioner Aditya Verma had received congratulatory calls from Indian cricketers following BCCI chief-in-exile’s exit after the Supreme Court verdict.
It is not clear whether there is a crack in the team. But if one is a mind reader, he or she can assume that it ain’t smooth either.
So how do we win the World Cup? Well, the spider cam should ensure that more catches are dropped, it wins matches after all.
