The Hindu : Sport : Late arrival has cost India dearly

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Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Late arrival has cost India dearly

Never again must India prepare so poorly

PETER ROEBUCK

India has paid a heavy price for its late arrival in Australia. A team hoping to challenge the champions on their own patch must prepare properly. Campaign of this sort cannot be overnight affairs cobbled together on a whim.

If India is serious about rising to the top of the Test rankings (which ought to be the aim of every competing country let alone the nation with the highest population, deepest love of the game and most money), then it must provide the backing needed to perform at the highest level.

Obviously, it did not help that rain fell in the solitary warm-up match but that was hardly a surprise. Melbourne is a wet city. In any case the damage had been done.

India was obliged to field its Test team because the batsmen needed an opportunity to acquaint themselves with conditions and the bowlers had to adapt to the grass and balls used down under.

These things may sound minor but they make a difference. It is not possible to beat the Australians without paying attention to detail.

Dangerous option

Before a ball had been bowled, the tourists were forced to make several significant decisions. Anil Kumble began with a gamble. Playing Virender Sehwag might have been risky but choosing a team with only one opening batsman was dangerous.

Everyone knows that the battle of the new balls are crucial in this country. India had to win one of them to have a chance. All the more reason to select the most reliable opening pair.

But, it was almost impossible to examine the openers. Sehwag’s form had been poor so he was omitted. Dinesh Karthik did not fill his boots against Pakistan so he too was dropped. Yet, Karthik had performed creditably in tougher conditions in South Africa and England.

Whether Karthik or Sehwag was the right man is a matter of opinion but a sensible batting order starts at the top and works downwards. India moved in the opposite direction.

The same applies to the bowling. India brought the right players along, tall pacemen able to obtain steep bounce and capable of swinging the new ball. But Kumble was given little chance to compare his pacers. Again, the rain at Junction Oval did not help but anyhow there was not time to resolve the selection issues.

Nor was India clear about the balance or content of its attack. Playing two spinners is not a bad idea provided they are bowling well. Hesitant in the first innings, Harbhajan improved considerably in the second.

Playing him did give India an edge in one area but it meant omitting Irfan Pathan and Ishant, who had taken five wickets in the Test match against Pakistan at Bangalore. Kumble was not given an opportunity to study his options. Everything has been a rush.

Better guide

Never again must India prepare so poorly. It is an insult to the supporters and players. Apparently, contractual complications lay behind the late arrival but it is also a question of will.

India must not fall into the trap of judging the importance of a game by how much money it makes. The length of the contest is a better guide.

The BCCI must lead by example. Everything must be built around an ambition to become the strongest Test team in the world. Everything else is fun and games. Not until this aim has been identified and pursued for a prolonged period will it be attained.

India won a World Cup in 1983 but it was not the best team around. It never has been.

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