The Hindu : Sport : A lacklustre affair

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Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005

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A lacklustre affair

Sachin' presence would have added meat to the World XI line-up

STEVE WAUGH

The concept was good enough — a World XI pitted against the world's best cricket team — but the one-sided nature of the contest ensured that the experiment never took off. It was indeed disappointing for the spectators, who had been expecting a much tougher battle, so much so that the organisers kept aside six days for the solitary Test in the hope of forcing a result. However, as I mentioned in my last article, the Test was unlikely to go the full distance, because that is just not how Test cricket is played these days.

The principal reason behind the World XI's dismal showing is perhaps their underdone condition as a team. They had not had enough time together and that reflected in each individual's performance. Second, all the World XI batsmen have been spoilt by playing against ordinary bowling attacks, particularly the Indians.

The Australians had a similar problem in England recently, and I believe the lack of practise against a strong opposition was one of the main causes of their Ashes debacle. However, that debacle toughened them and to me, they looked motivated, passionate, animated, hungry and purposeful. They were playing with a mission, each member of the team hurting after the Ashes loss and the subsequent criticism.

Considering the lopsided nature of the Super Series, it is difficult to imagine what the scenario would have been had Australia lost. One or two more team changes would have been effected, certainly. As it is, some of the players are still on notice to prove themselves when the actual season begins and the West Indies arrive here later this month.

Poor form

Speaking of the Windies, Brian Lara's poor form was not the least of the disappointments of the Super Series. We ought to see more of him during the West Indies tour but at the moment, his footwork is all over the place and he is relying almost entirely on his fantastic eye. I would never write off a true champion, but he has much work to do before his team arrive.

The two other players who the crowds were looking forward to were Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag. To take Dravid first, his performance may have let his fans down, but I wouldn't blame him entirely because a lot has been happening in his life of late. In the space of virtually a week, he has become a first-time father and been appointed the Indian captain, so it is perhaps understandable that his mind was not fully on the job. I spoke to him last night and he seemed really excited about being a dad.

Tough season ahead

A tough season awaits him back home, but the worrying factor for me is that he doesn't know whether he will remain at the helm for the length of that season, or whether he is in charge only for a couple of series. If they wish to restore any stability to the Indian side, the selectors should spell out what they want instead of taking piecemeal measures. These merely result in conjectures and conspiracy theories and cause great damage to a team.

As for Sehwag, his infuriating dismissal to cut short what was shaping up to be a fine innings is par for the course. You can never really judge him on the basis of his mode of dismissal, and it would perhaps be as well to accept that throughout his career, he would display a flash of brilliance one ball and get out cheaply the next.

Now for the `missing' Indian. Sachin Tendulkar's presence would undoubtedly have added meat to the World XI line-up and inspired more confidence within the team, not least because he loves playing spinners. Agreed, Lara is one of the best players of spin in the world, but it would perhaps have helped to have someone in the side that has effortlessly dominated Shane Warne in the past.

Finally, I would like to comment on the other bit of experimentation, that with technology, that we saw during the Super Series. Like the series itself, the technological innovations failed to take off. One of the charms of any sport is the presence of the human element, and the increased use of the third umpire not only robbed us of that, it also meant that decisions were delayed. Moreover, a decision was actually overruled, which to me defeated the purpose.

(Gameplan)

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