World Cup 2015: Still hoping to see Dhoni play the captain's knock
India's performance has been so intense in the ICC World Cup till now that you cannot find fault with the way skipper MS Dhoni has led the way.
After two high-intensity wins against Pakistan and South Africa, defeating the United Arab Emirates on Saturday was easier, but what was heartening to see was no let-up in the intensity. For those not too well versed with the nuances of competitive cricket, it may have appeared strange why a few players like Ambati Rayudu and Axar Patel were not given a chance against minnows UAE.
Logic demanded Dhoni kept the pressure up even against a weak side, so the only change was Bhuvneshwar Kumar playing for the injured Mohammed Shami. The way this Indian side has gone about planning its three matches in the last fortnight suggests a lot of inputs are being pooled in, with the key aim being to build momentum. Obviously, after the highs of a win against Pakistan, defeating South Africa provided a lot of insight. If the fast bowlers have caught the eye with their splendid use of the bouncer, the fielding against the South Africans was top class.
One would normally imagine the South Africans to be better fielders, but for a side which has close to half a dozen coaches nursing them, they are a fragile bunch. India have shown they are dead serious about their title defence. On Saturday, Dhoni and the boys played to a plan, though to see Bhuvi bowl with comfort over the 130 kmph mark suggested he has recovered fully from his ankle injury. Spin has been a big weapon for India Down Under and Ashwin’s Man-of-the-Match-winning four-wicket effort, along with Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin, once again proved to be a lucky charm.
With most of the batsmen getting runs, it was only a matter of time before Rohit Sharma also got going, and he did against UAE. Such is the format of this World Cup that one has to sustain the tempo right through. Up next for India are the West Indies and another two "weak" teams in Ireland and Zimbabwe, but Dhoni and the think-tank are finetuning each day.
If one were to compare the team’s intensity during the tri-series with the World Cup, the transformation is remarkable. People are already chanting ‘won’t give it back’, which at this point of time may seem premature, since there is much cricket left to be played. Overall, if one looks at the quality of competition in the World Cup, in Pool B, India have stood out.
A few days before the event began, there were concerns about how Team India would fare minus Ishant Sharma. But the way the fast bowling unit has clicked is impressive as from Shami to Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma to Bhuvi, there is positive intent. On the other hand, South Africa have looked up and down, though the way they hammered the West Indies with AB de Villiers running riot made for fantastic viewing. From the start, the experts have maintained that India needed to start with wins against the two big teams - Pakistan and South Africa – but the goal at this point of time is to top Pool B.
In New Zealand, the high-voltage contest between Australia and New Zealand has lit up the World Cup and the Kiwis look the hottest side in Pool A. They have played all their matches at home, which is a huge plus for them as conditions are quite different to Australia. But then, on the basis of matches at home, to already give the New Zealand side the champions’ tag would be premature.
India play West Indies in Perth on Friday and the strategy till now has been to mix practice with simulated match conditions. Whether it is Duncan Fletcher or Ravi Shastri doing the strategising, the fact remains that on the field, Dhoni has been in supreme command. His wicket-keeping has been good till now but what’s missing from the skipper is a typical cavalier knock. I am sure in days to come, Dhoni the batsman will have a go at the bowlers as his role as a finisher is par excellence in the shorter format.