DLF Cup: Quick Learning from it

For every Indian cricket fan, the India show at the DLF cup in KL was a big disappointment. India could not reach into the finals despite the third team being WI, a less rated team. Despite reaching into the finals of the tournament thanks to a few cameos from the likes of Lara, Gayle and Chanderpaul, it would not be an understatement that WI was vulnerable throughout the series. India were unlucky too in the sense they had to lose a game even after scoring 300 plus runs thanks to the mysterious DL rule. When India finally ended its run for the final, somehow people blamed it to the match lost to WI because of the DL rule. It might seem true but no body knows if India would still have reached finals and WI would not have raised their game.

For me, DLF cup was a good learning lesson for team India before the start of actual season comprising of Champions Trophy, a tour to SA and then the mega event, world cup 2007. It exposed some of the major weaknesses in the team and also proved how a dose of over experimentation could prove to be extremely fatal. Last year’s success of team India was mostly attributed to the “surprise factor” in the batting order in the name of experimentation and flexible line up. But it seems, Dravid and Chappel have decided to take it far more than this and as the overdose of anything backfires, the result was the same here. Good that it did in a triangular series like DLF cup wherein the losses did not mean pelting of someone’s home back India.

Now Dravid, Chappel and Co. have got to think on their plan. They have proved that they do lots of thinking behind everything and they can turnaround everything by having a proper plan. They can still do it and they are well on course of a good stint at the world cup. Loss was important in a way so that the law of averages doesn’t catch India at the wrong time and It perhaps would also have given room for Dravid to get matured about his decisions, plans and processes which have been the buzzword in every training camp for quite sometime. The talk of Dravid being a failure as captain and “Remove Chappel and Bring back Ganguly” were a forgone conclusion at the end of such defeats because this is how Indian cricket fan behaves. Not to be read too much into it.

I am sure the team management would look at rectifying the learning’s sooner than later. For me, the DLF cup has exposed some serious problems, which needs to be rectified. First, Dravid has been the backbone of the team in both version of the game in the middle order for years now. It is hard to fathom the fact they he was tried to open the innings. It was a BIG mistake and prone to fail and it did. A batsman like Dravid has to provide the cushion to faltering innings after early loss of a few wickets. If Dravid himself gets out at the start, it would be too much to expect the role of a protector from the inexperienced and most of the time out of form lot of Yuvraj, Kaif and Raina. That way it was a grave mistake. I am happy that this experimentation was done this time.

Second, Pathan’s regular cameo at number 3 has come at the cost of his swingers. Did we ever want that? Never. As a bowler, he never looked in rhythm and it felt like he is losing his pace, whatever it was, with every ball. He looked really low at confidence level. It’s a welcome fact that Pathan can BAT whenever needed, but what is the need of promoting him to number 3? Don’t we need such cameos as shown by Pathan at number 3 at say number 6 or 7? According to me, Pathan would be more successful lower down the order. And as far as realizing his dream of being another Kapil Dev for India is concerned, he can do that by improving on his bowling and batting well at number 6 or 7. After all, Kapil seldom batted at number 3? One’s primary focus should always be at one’s main skill set. Let us hope we learn this simple fact sooner.

Third, Dhoni, the hard hitter, dashing wicketkeeper batsman, the youth icon, the so called Number 1 batsman, for a small time in the history has slipped a few places in the ICC ranking again. Does this mean, he is out of form? Does this mean his batting was failure? For me the answer to these questions would be NO. Just go deep into this and ask yourself, what kind of chances this guy is getting now days? He either comes at a crunch situation where India is already 6-7 down or he comes at a time when he has got to play 6-7 overs and throw his bat on any bowl that he faces. What kind of batting practice he is getting out of this? What kind of match temperament he is getting into? Have we taken him for granted that he will hit those BIG sixes at his will? Well, this guy has already proved his likings for big innings. Did we forget that the big match winning knocks played by him came when he played at number 3 (148 and 183*)? How can the team miss this? He has proved that he can play big given a chance to settle down early. He can be lethal to the bowlers at the start of the innings and can really demoralize them. Then why are we unnecessarily demoralizing him? Are we killing his gigantic confidence on which he rides most of the time?

It’s high time that they stop experimenting with the batting order too much in the name of implementing processes etc. It sucks. Dravid is NOT SUITED at all as a one-day opener. Let Pathan concentrate on his bowling and get back his rhythm.
And it’s high time that talent of Dhoni not be wasted any more. He must be given a lot more chances.

Also I felt the middle order was really out of experience. Kaif looks vulnerable and I always find him trying to save his place somehow. How long will he be given chances on the name of being a fielding genius? He needs to bat too. Raina looks talented and aggressive, but when would he start converting those little cameos into big ones? I guess one of Raina or Kaif should now give way to someone like Laxman who will really solidify the fragile and inexperienced middle order.

I am sure analysis of Dravid and Chappel would be far solid and accurate than mine and I really trust them.