Indian Cricket: C for Change

The Indian team needs a few changes with the World Cup approaching

On the general notions, MS Dhoni will go down as the most successful captain of the Indian Cricket team. It’s hard to argue the other way with him having his name on the two World Cups and a Champions’ Trophy to his honour. But the never ceasing overseas embarrassments will suggest otherwise.

What possibly could be the reasons behind a highly regarded captain’s deficiency in inspiring the troop overseas? Or he isn’t great as he is perceived to be? Or he is just a home great? (You have to exclude the England’s tour of India though. But it doesn’t matter. Just like having one odd success of Champions Trophy in the dry pitches overseas.)

‘A bad captain can make a great team look ordinary’, this was from the India’s youngest and the greatest captain ever, Nawab of Pataudi lately Mansur Ali Khan, thanks to Indira Gandhi. Statistically again the current captain has far better numbers. If this is not the citation why statistics is not everything then not any could ever be.

Now, this is a great team? Certainly not. A team that boasts to have one whose legs tremble with the short ball, the team which has openers of iffy technique, the team that has a lead spinner who has forgotten the art of picking wickets can never be termed ‘great’. If you read it again, this is the other place where the captain has failed apart from the oft repeated tactical flub ups.

“Captain is as good as his team”.

The above statement is partially true and certainly it isn’t dubious. The lazy perception will prompt to close the argument in the favour of Dhoni. A close look will suggest the glitches. The captain is sworn to pick and choose his team. Pick a good team, lad.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a policy of picking players and giving them a long-winded rope. This is a great thing to do especially in this age of hasty and nasty decisions. No issues, if there are going to be viable returns to the ‘investments’. A rope is fine as long as it doesn’t get longer enough to get snapped.

How worse were/are the ropes? Here are the prominent undeserving ropes that were offered.

Raina, the CSK mascot, was picked in the team to face New Zealand even after averaging 26.11 in his last 27 games in which he boasted one fifty against Zimbabwe. He played three more in New Zealand. How does a longer rope matter with Raina? This would make sense at least if there were enough ‘away’ numbers with him. He doesn’t. He averages 27.27 against the non minnows outside sub-continent. He has no centuries to his credit and has two half centuries in 53 games.

Ishant, the hairy bowler with scary consistency, who has the fourth worst economic rate in the ODI history of who had played at least 50 ODIs (Second worst in Indian ODI history), was given the chance to don the blue for the seventy first time. A long rope. After getting one more game, he gave away 118 runs in the fifteen overs he bowled.

Now, questions to Captain after his comment of having “invested heavily”

Will Ashwin-who has an average of 198 and a strike rate of 216 in his last 8 games, be given an even longer rope?
Ajinkiya Rahane who has a career average of 22.30 and an average of 9.83 in his last six games will get another game? If yes, why?

With Rohit’s reputation of inconsistency and Dhawan’s Raina syndrome, how long will the investment last? What is the reluctance in testing the bench strength even after a series of under-performances from the heavy investments? Does he not know the result of prolonged and improbable investments?

Sunil Gavaskar speaking to NDTV puts it better, “By sticking to those who have failed, the impression given is that there is no faith in reserve players.”

As a captain of a cricket team, you certainly need not to be a tactical commander which he isn’t. The key here is team rotation. The man management. The recipe lies in picking the right men and equally crucial is discarding the misfits. With a meticulous plan letting them know their respective skills, the next step is to get the most out from every member of the team.

With the World Cup approaching, we may have to forget about defending the trophy if the captain-apart from the tactical blunders- is going to err in the team selections. We are badly in need of new ideas, better thinking and a better plan. Will Dhoni step up? Will he get rid of his underperforming core for the deserving people who are warming the benches? I will leave you these questions which probably will remain unanswered.

Hope the Indian cricket doesn’t pay for his farfetched, imbecile and imprudent investments. We can only hope.