The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Indian batsmen must hit their straps quickly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Indian batsmen must hit their straps quickly

Napier is just the kind of surface for the Indians to bounce back, writes Ravi Shastri

In a matter of a week, New Zealand is being seen in new light by the Indians. You can rustle up all the expected reasons — lack of match practice, odd-shaped grounds; loss of toss; lack of big scores of openers and injury to Ishant Sharma — for this adjustment in perception, but no less credit is due to the vitality of the hosts who are being led by an extremely astute captain.

A wicketkeeper for a captain of India and a spinner for New Zealand is an oddball in international cricket. But then new-age cricket has swayed our perceptions on an hourly basis. No surprise is the biggest surprise in cricket today.

Meatier punches

Now pound for pound, Black Caps are landing meatier punches than the Indians would have expected. Their top four batsman — essential in any format of the game — are in sound shape with ability, courage and imagination in good measure.

Most would be inclined to rate them as better bowlers in familiar conditions while on the field they are a cut above the Indians. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a scrap on his hands.

The virus of reverses does strange things to soundest of minds.

Indians would be tempted to get Ishant Sharma as quickly as possible on the park. I would rather have the visitors field him in not more than two of the one-dayers in order to revise the history of last 41 years without a Test series win in New Zealand.

The young boy is a precious commodity; he has had an abnormal workload lately and it isn’t going to be any easier for him with IPL Two, Twenty20 World Cup and host of other series on the itinerary sheet in the months ahead. Give him a break sensibly, don’t break him up!

The secret we all have known all along — Indian batsman must hit their straps quickly. In foreign conditions, there is a bigger imperative for the Gambhir-Sehwag or Sehwag-Tendulkar combine to succeed.

Dhoni, as a finisher, likes to have power-men such as the Pathan brothers around him but once in a while there is no harm in showing to self and others that you could hit at will.

A few more entries in fours and sixes column would alter a bowler’s perception to keep a largely single-saving field for the Indian captain.

As I said, surprises are the most potent weapons in international cricket these days. Teams like to plan in details and tend to panic when surprises hit them.

Napier is just the kind of surface for the Indians to bounce back to winning ways. Its one of the best batting decks in the country and the warmer weather should be to India’s liking.

TCM

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

Sport