4 Lessons that the current Indian team can learn from the Indian team of 2000's
The Indian team which played during the first decade of the millennium was perhaps the greatest Indian Test team of recent times. That team had an exceptional batting line-up which included the likes of Sehwag, Dravid, Sachin, Ganguly & Laxman and there were few exceptional bowlers in Kumble, Zaheer and Harbhajan.
This team performed all over the world, which included Test series wins in England and New Zealand. Also, this Indian team drew test series in Australia and South Africa which is a great accomplishment considering the overseas history of Indian Test cricket.
Lately, the performance of the current Indian Test team in overseas conditions has left a lot to be desired. They were beaten 2-1 in South Africa and surrendered meekly to an average English side, which won the series by an embarrassing margin of 4-1. Batting has been the bone of contention for the current Indian side.
Let's see what are the lessons that the current Indian test team can learn from the great team of the 2000's.
#1 Playing with six batsmen
Virat Kohli's team has a theory of playing with five bowlers. This theory works fine in Indian conditions where wickets are flat and the sixth batsman is seldom needed. But, in overseas conditions where the ball does a lot, Indian batsmen are often found wanting.
In such a scenario it makes sense to play an extra batsman who can provide a cushion to the lower middle order.
In the Indian team of 2000's, the great VVS Laxman used to play at #6. VVS was a master of batting with the tail and often helped India in crossing the finishing line.
Adding an extra batsman during overseas Tests is a key strategy that the current Indian team can do well to adapt.