What Ricky Ponting needs to learn from other Indian coaches

The IPL party is on in full swing, with the eight teams quite happy criss-crossing various cities as the halfway mark approaches.

As has been the case over the years, the weekend double headers make for great viewing and the "Fans Park" concept seems a hit in the smaller cities.

Amidst all this glitz and glamour, one star-studded team which looks lost like a babe in the woods is the Mumbai Indians. For sheer star value and money power, this side is at the top of the list, and its shining blue jerseys catch the eye.

Yet, if you talk of performances on the field, Rohit Sharma’s bunch looks lost and results have been pathetic. Five losses in seven matches with a net run rate of minus 0.553 is not a good situation to be in at all, and if one man has to take the blame for this, it has to be head coach Ricky Ponting.

Two years ago, when Mahela Jayawardene was captain of the Delhi Daredevils, he had talked of how difficult it is to lead an IPL franchise. It did seem a bit surprising when Mahela said this as he had led Sri Lanka quite comfortably, so leading the Daredevils should not have been tough.

Give the razor-sharp format of the IPL, there is very little scope for errors. Back to Ponting, for a man who has been part of over 100 Test wins for Australia as a player and captain, leading the Mumbai Indians’ challenge has turned out to be painful.

It is one thing to lead a homogenous national side where you know the background of all the players and quite another to lead an IPL side where the mix is different. From the stands, what one gets to see is quite different from what actually happens on the field.

With the Mumbai Indians, it is clear Ponting has been fully empowered and has struggled to deliver. Understanding the dynamics of an IPL team is very different from leading a national side so Ponting would be learning even from these losses.

There is a school of thought which believes too much power has been vested in Ponting and Rohit Sharma actually doesn’t get to do too much other than lead the side on the field. At the same time, people also wonder why, with a seasoned pro like Harbhajan Singh in their ranks, Mumbai have found it difficult to gel as a strong unit. If you contrast Ponting with Gary Kirsten, the former Team India coach has learnt a lot about how to run the Delhi team with JP Duminy. Eyebrows were raised when Duminy was named skipper of the Delhi side but between him and Kirsten, a lot of planning seems to be taking place.

Delhi did not start very strongly this season but has learnt fast and Kirsten is not imposing his style on the captain. The big match for Delhi on Sunday is against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Kotla and it will be fascinating to see how the two teams soak in the atmosphere.

Looking at the other teams in fray, Kolkata Knight Riders has done reasonably well and skipper Gautam Gambhir is firmly in charge. On the field, Gambhir brings in his rich international experience and not only bats well at the top but ensures the team works as a unit. And this when the side has two experienced coaches in Trevor Bayliss and Wasim Akram at its disposal.

The pick among all teams has to be Chennai Super Kings, where captain MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming are in sync. The duo has been together for years now and despite the external pressures, the Chennai team continues to deliver results consistently.

If you look at Sun Risers Hyderabad, Tom Moody and David Warner have a great partnership going and there is no confusion in the ranks. They may not be atop the points table but can come good in the longish league phase.

The hot team this season has been Rajasthan Royals and between Shane Watson and Steve Smith, they lead the side they want. For a side under pressure thanks to external factors, Rajasthan plays carefree cricket where Paddy Upton and Rahul Dravid are not imposing their views.

Kings XI Punjab had a fabulous run last year and are in a bit of a jam this year but between Sanjay Bangar and George Bailey, there is a good degree of understanding. It is still not too late for the Mumbai Indians to bounce back but Ponting would do well to introspect and imbibe from the others so that he does not end up looking like a rookie.