Lots to ponder for the M.S. Dhoni’s team!
Old foes and bad habits are hard to leave by. For India, the year ended much akin to the way it all started. If it was Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis who frustrated India at the Newlands at the start of the year in the series against South Africa, the likes of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle put their side much ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side in the Melbourne Test.
The issues seriously lies in the way India open up once they smell a partnership happening. When Australia were tottering at 27 for 4, one would have expected India to have brought in more fielders in close-catching positions. On the contrary, Dhoni spread the field, gifting Christmas gifts to Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, and the duo obliged and how.
Delivering the sucker punch has never been India’s forte and we continue to commit the same mistakes. Another good example was in the Nottingham Test when England were eight down for just over 100, before Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad took India apart. What separated Dhoni from his counterpart Michael Clarke is the innovativeness the latter brought in his approach. While Dhoni succeeded in finding ways to dismiss the top-order, his strategy fell way short when it came to removing the tailenders. And when Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus added over 50-60 crucial runs on Day Four, the game was in Australia’s pocket. More the regular batters, the tailenders, with their gritty display, have this uncanny knack of frustrating the fielders. What it does is sap the likes of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who are already in the mental build-up of padding up and it gets delayed further. As cricket is all about momentum, the longer the Australian tail wagged, the taller the ask for India.
If one has to sit and analyse India’s show this year, the highlight would invariably be on the historic World Cup victory which came at our own backyard. Barring the series wins against an ordinary West Indies and a stupendous win at Durban, India’s Test report card has nothing much to showcase.What’s to look forward? Well, the Sydney Test which kickstarts from January 3 presents a good chance for India to mend their ways.
Dhoni will have to sit and do some soul-searching, ensuring that his team starts the year well as it would definitely bring more spice to the contest. For the time being, the Agneepath series is turning out to be Agony-path for Dhoni’s men.
