The Hindu : Sport : Lessons for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

Sport

Sport

Lessons for India

Inzaman must have been delighted by the performance of his boys.

PETER ROEBUCK

Pakistan deserved its comprehensive victory over a faltering Indian side. Losing the toss on a supposed green-top and suffering the indignity of a hat-trick in the first over of the match did not stop the locals trouncing their guests. Nor was the absence of their captain and most effective batsman much of a hindrance. In short, Pakistan was too fresh and too strong for an ailing opponent.

Although he was watching from the sidelines, Inzaman must have been delighted by the performance of his side. It was not long ago that the Pakistanis were trounced in Australia. They looked undisciplined and inept. Shoaib Akhtar was huffing and puffing without blowing down any houses. None of the openers could survive the new ball. His team hardly put up a fight.

What has changed? Between them, Bob Woolmer and Inzaman have managed to motivate previously wayward mavericks like Shoaib and Shahid Afridi. Both contributed wholeheartedly to the cause. Admittedly the Rawalpindi Express's action can look ragged but that does not excuse India's batsmen.

Pakistan has also found some capable batsmen at the peak of their powers in Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, and energetic youngsters in Kamran Akmal and Danish Kaneria. Once the openers started scoring runs as well the tourists were in trouble.

Balanced outfit

Pakistan has a balanced side in terms of pace, spin, youth and experience. They played as a unit and with an unfailing sense of purpose.

It was not so long ago that India was giving the Australians a hard time, home and away. What has happened since then? Too much time has been spent looking back and not enough planning for the days that lie ahead.

Yesterday may well have been wondrous but it belongs in books where famous victories can be immortalised.

India has not marched with sufficient courage towards the next battle. Instead, it has indulged in internal and overemotional arguments about individual players. As a result, the team has suffered numerous upheavals and yet stayed the same, as if time, too, stood still.

As a result, a side seeking to subdue a powerful opponent on a lively pitch entered the arena with a makeshift batting order containing several players batting out of position. The first two matches lacked relevance. The third encounter told the truth.

Wrong move

From the moment the selectors caved in to the pressure to recall and play Sourav Ganguly, the tour was in trouble. As a consequence of this folly, Rahul Dravid felt obliged to accept the responsibility of opening the batting.

His promotion weakened the top order by removing from his rightful place one of the most formidable obstacles in the world. India needed to play a proper opening pair with Dravid to back them up.

Not that the rest of the team exactly flourished. Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble did not contribute enough. Amongst the faster bowlers only Irfan Pathan stood out. Choosing a side from the competing teams might be a salutary lesson.

Now India must think again. As the Australians have confirmed in the last few months, defeat can be instructive. It's just a matter of absorbing its lessons. England arrives soon and can be expected to put up a fight. India can prepare dustbowls or confront its weaknesses.

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