The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Taking a break was clear motivation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 31, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Taking a break was clear motivation

By Ian Healy

Always looking to innovate, the Australians have backed up their latest one with a performance to behold in the Nagpur Test.

Players took advantage of a six-day break in totally different ways. Never before have holidays in different countries been taken in the middle of tours. Possibly in the United Kingdom, so why not in Asia? Getting away from cricket was a clear motivation and it worked sensationally in Nagpur.

Australia, under pressure to lift in several areas, sent the strongest teachings to all opponents and coaches of all levels of the dangers of overtraining. It produced an inspiring, nation-stopping, dismantling of a side which was its equal just one week ago.

India suffered because of Harbhajan's absence it must be said and someone to support the pace of Zaheer Khan would have prevented some run-flow but these Aussies were so ready for India, at full strength or not.

India was terrible on the first afternoon when it let chances slip towards the end of play. Clarke, who was the beneficiary of a close LBW earlier, was missed twice behind. The difference would have been confidence leading into its first innings. You can't compete with the Australian attack in the form it is in without confidence and momentum.

India has no one to blame but itself because it was its own lack of skill at critical times in the field that let it down. Which approach will John Wright take to remedy these problems? Overtraining or holidaying?

Neutral pitch

The so-called controversial pitch preparation was a fizzer. It was beautifully neutral and allowed the relative form and talent of the combatants to surface, as any good pitch should. All facets of play prospered because of the pitch, which is another good sign. Zaheer Khan troubled all the Australian batsmen; McGrath, Gillespie and Kasprowicz were as strong a group as I have seen and Warne found something.

Langer was quickly out of the blocks, Martyn, Katich and Clarke loved it while credit should go to Kaif and Sehwag for their enterprise with the stick. Too many of the Indians are too far out of form for them to threaten.

In the past two years I have been impressed by India's pack mentality (learnt from the Australian team) where someone has been getting the job done for the team to continue confidently, but no one looked remotely capable in this match. It is now psychological and cloudy heads must be cleared to save Test careers and get feet moving again. — PTI

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