The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Some areas need to be reworked

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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Some areas need to be reworked

It is premature to label either Chawla or Gambhir as one-day specialists at this stage

The rains saved India and Bangladesh from having to go through the motions at Chittagong as the series was already decided.

Under normal circumstances, this particular one-day series would have been given as much importance as a poor relation is given at a wedding. But the below par performance of Team India in the World Cup was reason enough for the one-dayers to be followed with more than passing interest.

Dravid and his boys were in a no-win situation as a victory would not necessarily see scores of champagne corks popping and a defeat would have forced the team members to contemplate relocation of their domicile, if only temporarily, given the dissection that the media resorts to these days.

Only an incorrigible pessimist would have even entertained the thought of Team India losing to Bangladesh despite that infamous loss in the World Cup.

Still Team India had to assert their supremacy on the field that they did, but some aspects need to be reworked if Dravid has to get his team back to the first half on the ranking ladder.

Margin of victory

For instance, the margin of victory should have been on the higher side in the second game and one got the impression that complacency was at its peak towards the final stages of the game.

No doubt, the match was in the bag but I am sure that Dravid can probably count the number of runs that he did not have to earn in his career.

The performances of Gambhir and Chawla must have boosted their confidence apart from providing satisfaction but both of them will not figure in the Test series. This can be tough for players like them trying to establish themselves, as it is difficult to adjust and deliver when they are played at irregular intervals.

Unfortunate

It is rather unfortunate that they will not get opportunities in the Tests when they are in form. Moreover, it is premature to label either Chawla or Gambhir as one-day specialists at this stage of their respective careers.

The Test series will further reinforce the wide gap between the two sides and also enable the big guns like Ganguly and Tendulkar to assess themselves.

They have been at the receiving end for falling short of expectations and nothing but total domination from them at the crease will convince the discerning followers.

They will be failing in their mission if they display determination and grind their way to a century. That route is probably the ideal one for the Karthiks and Jaffers but the giants that Tendulkar and Ganguly are, they have to take the attack to the enemy camp.

The hosts have been put in their place as far as the one-dayers go and unless the Indians create some excitement by losing their focus, they should bring home the bacon.

Change of guard

Talking of bacon, Team India needs to plan for the English tour scheduled later this summer. With Ravi Shastri expressing his unavailability, there will be a change of guard yet again and the captain will have to find the right wavelength with Shastri's successor all over again.

Of course, there is some time left for the England tour yet, but there are several pending issues that need to be resolved after the team returns. Besides, were we not planning for the World Cup eighteen months prior to the event?

The tour of England may not be as big an event as the World Cup but in terms of challenge it will not be any lesser either. Regardless of the time spent on planning, the players and the followers will be hoping for better results than was achieved in the World Cup.

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