Disaster Down Under
What's going wrong in Australia? Why has a team that is so fancied to be the first Indian team to win a test series in Australia performed so badly? More importantly, why are the fans so upset?
Firstly, let's take a look at why it matters so much to the Indian fan to win a series in Australia. After all, we haven't won a Test series in South Africa either. We've barely managed to win 3 series against England, and one in Pakistan in over 80 years. Why then, Australia?
The English have as fragile a psyche as the Indians. The South Africans are good, but well-known chokers. The New Zealanders haven't ever been strong enough to matter. Pakistan does matter, but that is for different reasons. But the Australians, they're different.
Even the weakest team to represent Australia has never ever abjectly capitulated to any team at home, least of all to India. The Australians, they say, have the never say die spirit. They never give you anything easy, you have to work for it. This isn't talk - you see it time and time again in action. This is what makes it all the more rewarding to win anything in Australia - because nothing comes easily here.
Add a country that loves "mental disintegration", and a country that has a "holier-than-thou" attitude towards racism, and there's a prize, a "revenge" Indian fans want more than anything else. It's not that Australians don't lose, it's that even when they do, they almost never do so without a dogged effort - and that, more than anything, is what Indian fans want most from their own team. Unfortunately, overseas, it is something that we rarely get to see.
This is what hurts the most about the Indian team's performance over the last two and a half tests. We've been through a 4-0 drubbing just a few months back. That hurt, but not as much as this has. The Indian team in England this summer lost - but there was a semblance of a fight. The English rode roughshod over the Indian bowling - but even on the worst days, the Indian bowling, especially Praveen Kumar, ran in with some purpose. The batting was probably just as bad, but you had a Dravid standing tall amidst the ruins. You had someone learning from their mistakes, playing intelligently.
To be fair, the Indian bowling has done quite well so far (except for one innings in Sydney). However, the batting seems to just not seem to learn. The most experienced batsmen (excepting Tendulkar), seem to be repeating the same mistakes ad nauseum. Sehwag will swish and get out. Gambhir will poke & fend. Laxman will give catching practice behind the wicket. This either proves they are unable, or unwilling to learn. Neither of which is acceptable to a fan when you've played over 50 Tests.
There's going to be a lot of angry opinions and suggestions being thrown about right now. Here's my list :
(1) We need to replace Laxman with Rohit Sharma. Laxman's overseas record in the last 7 tests limited to a couple of fifties.
(2) Stick with Virat Kohli - he deserves a chance - he hasn't done badly.
(3) Stick with Dravid - three bad tests cannot mean the end of a career
(4) Stick with Dhoni, but give him a break - he's one of the three best captains India has ever had. Captaining & keeping day in and day out in T20s, ODIs, Tests and the IPL is burning him out. Take him out of all T20 captaincy, and bilateral ODI series in India.
(5) We need a replacement opener for Gambhir. He has grit, but currently does not have the technique to cope with the challenges. This is a long term thing.
(6) We need to do something with Sehwag - but, to be honest, I have no idea what that is.
In 1999, the Indian team capitulated almost just as badly in Australia. The difference between then and now is that we know that we know how to win abroad. Deep down, no Indian fan is asking India to win every game. What we're asking now is the same thing we were asking in 1999 - we want them to show some intent, some purpose - some "never-say-die" spirit. It is unacceptable to see experienced batsmen getting out to an inexperienced bowling attack, no matter how good their line and length may be. The whole point of experience is the ability to play the good ball - either bide your time, or counterattack. This line-up has done neither.
Don't believe those who say there is no shame in getting out to good bowling. For batsmen of this caliber, to do it time and time again, it should feel utterly humiliating.
Firstly, let's take a look at why it matters so much to the Indian fan to win a series in Australia. After all, we haven't won a Test series in South Africa either. We've barely managed to win 3 series against England, and one in Pakistan in over 80 years. Why then, Australia?
The English have as fragile a psyche as the Indians. The South Africans are good, but well-known chokers. The New Zealanders haven't ever been strong enough to matter. Pakistan does matter, but that is for different reasons. But the Australians, they're different.
Even the weakest team to represent Australia has never ever abjectly capitulated to any team at home, least of all to India. The Australians, they say, have the never say die spirit. They never give you anything easy, you have to work for it. This isn't talk - you see it time and time again in action. This is what makes it all the more rewarding to win anything in Australia - because nothing comes easily here.
Add a country that loves "mental disintegration", and a country that has a "holier-than-thou" attitude towards racism, and there's a prize, a "revenge" Indian fans want more than anything else. It's not that Australians don't lose, it's that even when they do, they almost never do so without a dogged effort - and that, more than anything, is what Indian fans want most from their own team. Unfortunately, overseas, it is something that we rarely get to see.
This is what hurts the most about the Indian team's performance over the last two and a half tests. We've been through a 4-0 drubbing just a few months back. That hurt, but not as much as this has. The Indian team in England this summer lost - but there was a semblance of a fight. The English rode roughshod over the Indian bowling - but even on the worst days, the Indian bowling, especially Praveen Kumar, ran in with some purpose. The batting was probably just as bad, but you had a Dravid standing tall amidst the ruins. You had someone learning from their mistakes, playing intelligently.
To be fair, the Indian bowling has done quite well so far (except for one innings in Sydney). However, the batting seems to just not seem to learn. The most experienced batsmen (excepting Tendulkar), seem to be repeating the same mistakes ad nauseum. Sehwag will swish and get out. Gambhir will poke & fend. Laxman will give catching practice behind the wicket. This either proves they are unable, or unwilling to learn. Neither of which is acceptable to a fan when you've played over 50 Tests.
There's going to be a lot of angry opinions and suggestions being thrown about right now. Here's my list :
(1) We need to replace Laxman with Rohit Sharma. Laxman's overseas record in the last 7 tests limited to a couple of fifties.
(2) Stick with Virat Kohli - he deserves a chance - he hasn't done badly.
(3) Stick with Dravid - three bad tests cannot mean the end of a career
(4) Stick with Dhoni, but give him a break - he's one of the three best captains India has ever had. Captaining & keeping day in and day out in T20s, ODIs, Tests and the IPL is burning him out. Take him out of all T20 captaincy, and bilateral ODI series in India.
(5) We need a replacement opener for Gambhir. He has grit, but currently does not have the technique to cope with the challenges. This is a long term thing.
(6) We need to do something with Sehwag - but, to be honest, I have no idea what that is.
In 1999, the Indian team capitulated almost just as badly in Australia. The difference between then and now is that we know that we know how to win abroad. Deep down, no Indian fan is asking India to win every game. What we're asking now is the same thing we were asking in 1999 - we want them to show some intent, some purpose - some "never-say-die" spirit. It is unacceptable to see experienced batsmen getting out to an inexperienced bowling attack, no matter how good their line and length may be. The whole point of experience is the ability to play the good ball - either bide your time, or counterattack. This line-up has done neither.
Don't believe those who say there is no shame in getting out to good bowling. For batsmen of this caliber, to do it time and time again, it should feel utterly humiliating.
posted by Firebringer at 1:16 PM
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