Enough criticism, Team India needs support
India's failure to make it to the tri-series final Down Under has evoked strong reactions at home from the average cricket fan to serious cricket critic. After losing the Test series 0-2, it was expected MS Dhoni's return to the ODI side would lift the spirits of the team.
Whether it's the pressure of expectation or the hype, the general view now is this team will struggle in the upcoming World Cup. Coach Duncan Fletcher is being blamed, the batsmen rubbished for their failures, while the bowlers' have been branded useless.
Amidst all this negativity, one cannot write off the side. The sound bytes emanating from Dhoni after the loss to England, in what was billed as the 'semi-final,' were not alarming. He spoke about how crucial it is to carry momentum into the World Cup, and at the same time how important it was for all 15 players to be fit. Dhoni also mentioned how this has been a long tour and the boys will bounce back in time.
The problem with critics and the true Indian cricket fan is that they expect positive results all the time. If you took a look at Dhoni's ODI side, since the time the team won the 2011 World Cup, the performances have been consistent. There have been many changes in the side and the rules as well, but the process of adaption has not been bad. If this side could win the 2013 Champions Trophy in England and the ODI series last year in the same country, it cannot be a fluke. If one carefully looks at what all Dhoni tried in the triangular series this time, there is a lot to read. There are some who feel Dhoni has lost the winning touch while the harsher lot believes his 'out-ofthe-box' thinking has stopped. Let's take a look at the bowlers he used. Ishant Sharma was rested as he was recovering from injury and the one match he was named in was washed out.
The complaint against Bhuvneshwar Kumar was that he was rusty, but the medium pacer was slowly eased back into the Test side and got to play two ODIs. When India lost to England in Perth on Friday, there was criticism as to why Dhoni removed Stuart Binny from the attack after he had taken three wickets. But they need to know Dhoni was trying out Binny in a new role as someone who could bowl with the new ball.
After all, before this, when Binny had played in ODIs at home, he was used as third or fourth change. To get inside Dhoni's head and read what all he is trying is not easy, but it's clear the skipper was testing the resources at his disposal. Everyone knows R Ashwin has been a key for the team but by using him in only one match, Dhoni was giving him a rest. Then again, as far as the other spin option was concerned, Dhoni had to see how Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel would fare. While Jadeja got to bowl only in two matches and was whacked by the Englishmen on Friday, Patel was tested in all four games.
There are problems with the batsmen as well but if one sees Ambati Rayudu coming in to bat at No. 5, obviously Dhoni was thinking. There are serious concerns about opener Shikhar Dhawan, yet his 30-odd runs in the last match did suggest he was rediscovering his touch. It has been a hard grind for India Down Under, and what the side needs in the next few days is a break from cricket. Whether the Indian team management decides to go to Sydney and chill out at the Bondi beach or visits the Great Barrier Reef is something which we will come to know soon. To already think this side is a bunch of losers would be premature as the World Cup is yet to begin.
Such is the format of the tournament that, barring the two matches against South Africa and Pakistan, the group games against the West Indies, Ireland, Zimbabwe and the UAE will not be so tough.
They key for Dhoni's side will be to peak along the way and be in top gear by the time the quarter-finals begin in March. Right now, to beat chests and think India's World Cup campaign will be a disaster is not what sport teaches. This side needs positivity and millions of fans need to provide the oxygen for it.