Team India’s continuing woes

The T20 World Cup is just around the corner and there are still plenty of issues left, which Team India needs to consider. Another overseas tour and another defeat show how poorly the team is performing. You can never win a series just by batting or by bowling. It has to be a collective effort and that is what, which is lacking from the current squad. The team has failed on numerous occasions to perform as a unit. If batsmen score runs, the bowlers will score too (A 100 in just 7-8 overs!) and if bowlers perform well, the batting lineup collapses like a house of cards. The same story repeats over and over again.

These really are worrying signs or rather alarming!

ES brings you the five main issues that Indian Team needs to consider:

1. Selection and injury issues

Did the selectors pick the right team for the tour of Australia? The answer would certainly be No. Dhawan has clearly lost that “Midas touch” and despite his poor form, the selectors are going with him. Why was Amit Mishra dropped for this series? When it comes to Australia, a genuine leg spinner like Mishra is a blessing. He could have flighted the ball much more than the likes of Jadeja. This shows how unfair the decision was.

The team should be selected based on the prevailing conditions, but BCCI considers such tours a picnic for youngsters. They need to understand that these are not times for experimenting. Recalling the likes of Nehra for the T20 series sounds a like better idea, but then why not play him in ODI’s too? Irfan Pathan could have been a much better all-rounder than Rishi Dhawan. All these things added to India’s miseries.

Coming to injuries, Mohammed Shami who has been out of action since the World Cup was declared fit for Australia tour. Yes, he might have been fit, but was he match fit? No, he wasn’t as he pulled out a hamstring just before the start of the series. This might have been a hasty decision to make him play.

2. Opening pair failures

Before this series, there wasn’t a single 50-plus run stand between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in 10 consecutive matches. They aren’t able to construct partnerships and this consequently puts a lot of pressure on the not-so-experienced middle order. Dhawan has been in poor form and no one can deny that. He isn’t able to make use of opportunities, which keep coming to him as freebies from the BCCI.

He is performing well below his standards and should have been dropped for this series. Rahane could have done the opening with Manish Pandey playing in the middle order. The likes of Robin Uthappa and Shreyas Iyer also deserve a chance as they have been consistently performing well in Domestic Cricket.

Even if Hitman Sharma  fires from one end, to see a struggling batsman at the other end just plays to the strength of the opponents. They can easily plug the run-flow and put pressure on the team.

3. Right Bowling Combination

While everyone was so busy praising Kohli and Rohit for their hundreds, no one noticed that our bowlers too did a fabulous job. They also scored hundreds in their respective bowling quotas. Despite chasing 300-plus scores, Australia managed to win the first two games without much problem. The likes of Ishant Sharma, Bhuvi and Umesh Yadav have clearly failed to have an impact. It’s ok to not take wickets, but at least, the rate at which the runs are flowing can be brought down.

Barinder Sran and Rishi Dhawan made their debut in Australia and you can’t expect much from them. The logic behind picking Nehra for T20 series is still not clear. If BCCI wanted to have an experienced bowler then why didn’t they select Nehra for the ODI series as well?

4. A capable all-rounder

Answer this question- Can Faulkner bat and bowl? Yes, he definitely can. What about Marsh, Maxwell etc… The difference these players make is huge. Each one of them fits into their role perfectly. When we talk about the Indian team, the situation is quite complex.

Sir Jadeja is a bowling all-rounder and so is Ashwin. It was pretty obvious that the likes of Gurkeerat won’t get a chance to play in the starting ODIs because he too is a spinning all rounder. Even if he was selected on the basis of merit, he deserved a chance to play and Dhoni could have used him as a trump card as Australia were not familiar with him.

When he got a chance, India was already at the door of another series defeat. It’s quite understandable that Yuvraj Singh is out of form and all, but what about Irfan Pathan. He deserves a chance too. He can prove vital in the squad and can also fill the No.7 slot. Our captain is no more  the “hero-who-finished-every-game-with-a-six” and we do need a finisher and a capable player who can do justice. Selection of Rishi Dhawan did raise a few questions while Irfan was doing well for his home side.

5. The captain game

Yes, we all love Dhoni and we all respect him as a player and as a leader. He did wonders for Indian Cricket. Winning the World Cup after 28 years was a dream come true for millions. But we have to admit, that he is not the same player/leader as he used to be before. He has turned into a defensive captain who just waits for the things to happen. He has lost that attacking mindset. Moreover, he is already past his peak in International Cricket.

His decision-making ability has just hit a new low. The same bowlers who did so well in the Test series against South Africa are now looking like a bunch of kids trying to get their rhythm right. Dhoni doesn’t back his bowlers as Virat does. His field placements are also not up to the mark now.

India needs an attacking captain. The team needs Virat Kohli and maybe, the time has come for Dhoni to step down as a captain and as a player as well. This will also provide a chance for Naman Ojha or Robin Uthappa to make their mark in International Cricket.