The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : India will fancy its chances

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 17, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

India will fancy its chances

Yuvraj needs to believe in himself, writes Steve Waugh

— Photo: AFP

FINDING HIS FEET: After struggling initially, Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to have come to terms with the Australian pitches.

Of late, the Sri Lankans have not had a very good time against Australia, and once again went down without much of a fight at the WACA on Friday.

The Sri Lankan batting, which looked so impressive against India on Tuesday, fell apart against the Australians and Kumar Sangakkara was left stranded again.

The win must have given the Australians some relief after their defeat against India last Sunday. However, there is no denying that the hosts are looking flat, and are not ahead of the other two teams in the batting department.

Banking on the bowlers

They are lucky that Brett Lee and company are in great rhythm and have to thank only the bowlers for getting them the 12 points that has put them on top of the table.

Apart from Adam Gilchrist, who has hit a rich vein of form, the rest of the batsmen look a bit jaded. Is it the six straight Test matches that has exhausted them? I do not know, but it was strange to see the Australians fold up for 236 after the kind of platform Gilchrist laid for them.

Their batting was even more disappointing against India, where they never recovered after a superb spell from Ishant Sharma had sent back Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds.

In many ways, it would be fair to say that the Indians look the most exciting side in the fray. They were a little unlucky to lose to Sri Lanka in a rain-affected encounter.

After the rain break, Sri Lanka slipped into Twenty20 mode, with Sanath Jayasuriya taking the game away from India in the first five overs itself.

Had the game lasted 29 overs, the Lankans might have found the target tougher, but that’s the way the Duckworth-Lewis method pans out sometimes.

The Indians must not lose heart, and they must fancy their chances against Australia at Adelaide, a venue that has always been good to them.

The batting looks refreshingly energetic, with Sachin Tendulkar exhibiting good form. Rohit Sharma is also batting very well at the moment and so is Mahendra Singh Dhoni who finally seems to have come to terms with the pace and bounce of Australian pitches.

Unique technique

Dhoni has a unique technique, and it was always going to be tough for him in the Tests. However, at Perth and Adelaide he did look like he was improving.

The one-day game does not see much of the short-pitched stuff and the bowlers can’t bowl too wide, so Dhoni finally seems to have found his touch.

As a captain, he has always impressed me because the team vibes well when he is leading. There is energy, enthusiasm and a respect for the young captain that is clearly visible and it augurs well for the young team.

Matter of concern

The only matter of concern for India is the indifferent form of Yuvraj Singh. He seems to be going through a crisis of confidence, and needs to believe in himself.

I have often seen players who thrive on aggression and flair quickly lose their swagger when things are not going their way.

Yuvraj has already had big highs and lows in his career and looks like an emotional bloke who gets disheartened when his form deserts him. He needs to use this slump as a learning experience and concentrate on the basics.

He is a very gifted player, but needs to believe in his abilities. Right now, the only person who can help Yuvraj is Yuvraj himself.

Gameplan

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport