The Hindu : Sport : Lack of belief costing Yuvraj dearly

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Lack of belief costing Yuvraj dearly

S. Ram Mahesh

Tendulkar and Ganguly call for patience

Canberra: With all the goings-on over the last five days, it seems inconceivable that a Test match of considerable calibre should have taken place.

Autopsies of most Test matches are difficult affairs. Some, the cricket-intelligent Shane Warne among them, see little merit in elaborate analysis, preferring “a bit of a chat and moving on”; others choose to dissect rigorously.

The autopsy of the second Test, played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, is substantially harder because the battle wasn’t confined to bat and ball. Incompetent umpiring intervened too often for that.

Nevertheless, the contrast in the performances of each side’s number six is striking. Andrew Symonds made a rearguard unbeaten 162 and 61, Yuvraj Singh 12 and 0.

Several parameters

There are several parameters that can’t be compared: Symonds was let off by the umpires on 30, 48, 106 and 148 in the first innings, and was benefited in the second by the base established by his openers and Michael Hussey (who had himself profited from the umpires’ negligence) and some sub-standard Indian bowling.

Yuvraj, on the other hand, had little leeway from either the Australians or the umpires.

But, the modes of the left-hander’s dismissals in his four Test innings thus far have been worrying.

Twice — and both times in the first innings — he has been caught on the crease by the faster bowlers; twice he has looked ill at ease against spin, his old nemesis, failing to spot Brad Hogg’s flipper in the first Test and treating Symonds with undue tentativeness in the second.

Poor running from Sourav Ganguly exposed him in Melbourne to Stuart Clark, not the easiest to start against, just before tea on the second day. Brett Lee softened him with the second new ball at Sydney.

Diffident

In both cases, the sight most characteristic of Yuvraj in his pomp, witnessed during his 169 against Pakistan at Bangalore last December, was missing.

An unbuttoned stroke-player, Yuvraj is best served when a light, nimble step forward (not a stride, mind) counterbalances his elongated back-lift as he sets up.

From here, he either props further in front or pushes onto the back foot depending on his judgment of length.

But, when the right foot fails in this duty, the heaviness of his back-lift weights the back foot, anchoring him in the crease and costing him time.

Both at Melbourne and Sydney, he was on the move rather than in position, falling caught-behind and leg-before respectively.

There’s a lot made of the need for conventional technique, but what matters most is the skill of making runs. In most cases of poor batting, the batsman isn’t watching the ball closely enough, simple as it sounds. The inherent bounce in Australia might make Yuvraj wary of stepping forward; the problem lies in his mind.

Pattern of extremes

A curious pattern of extremes has marked Yuvraj’s Test career. Three resplendent hundreds against Pakistan lie scattered among several stunted works.

It’s to do with looseness in defensive play early in the innings, a problem starting against spin that seemed to have been rectified, but above all, a lack in belief.

Competing against four of India’s finest middle order batsman hasn’t given him the rhythm a lengthy tenure does. He hasn’t pushed hard enough however.

Yuvraj can learn from his counterpart who he shares several similarities with. Symonds too was considered a one-day specialist; he too has had his attitude (off-field) questioned at various stages.

But, given a chance in the Test side after a raft of retirements, he struck a hundred in the last Ashes series and has evolved tremendously as a batsman since. Symonds puts the transformation down to belief.

Australia, of course, can afford to carry a player, giving him a further chance of success.

Interesting

It is therefore of interest to see how the Indian team management treats Yuvraj now, having shunted the country’s best No. 3 batsman up the order to accommodate the 26-year-old.

Senior players Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have called for patience, the former terming Yuvraj a class player who will come good, and the latter asking the media “not to make someone a hero in two matches and bring him down in two matches.”

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