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It is really difficult to fathom what is going through Rahul Dravid's mind
at the moment. The decision to bowl after winning the toss was an elementary
mistake that literally handed over the game to the hosts. Playing a batsman
short, India would have been served better batting first. A couple of early
wickets ensured it would always be an uphill climb against a stiff target.
The wicket at Edgbaston has always been a tough one to predict. The strip
slows down a bit towards the second innings and history clearly points that
chasing is not the best option here. Dravid should have lent a ear to that
and given the way his side has gone about things; batting first a setting a
target in excess of 260 would have well given India the lead in the series.
All the visitors would have needed was one good partnership while batting
first and the momentum would have carried them to a challenging total if not
a winning one.
Chasing a target always has its pros and cons. The pressure gets magnified
when there aren't wickets in hand and even when M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh
were at the crease it only looked like a lost battle. The difference between
chasing and setting a target is the difference between chalk and cheese and
the second game proved beyond doubt where Team India's strength lies and it
is a pity the skipper did not make notice of it.
Once the initiative was lost England were always going to run with a
formidable score and the lackadaisical Indian approach on the field only
made matters more difficult for their own self. There has been too much talk
on the Indian fielding everyone seems to know where the faults lie but there
are hardly any corrective measures that are being taken. Catches continue to
be put down, extra runs are being allowed and returns from the outfield are
not quick. The overall picture is a throwback to an earlier era where effort
on the field was given least priority.
The modern one-day game is an increasing demand on the player's body; and
runs let off by poor catching and fielding only adds to the pressure. The
running between the wickets was equally pathetic. No team can afford the
luxury of staying put and not pushing hard. The top-order batsmen must be on
their toes, it is not easy to pick boundaries of every over, singles and
twos form a essential ingredient too and the sooner the team understands
this the better it would for them.
The bowling lacks a tactical touch. Bowlers tend to look for swing when
there is anything available and pitch the ball at a drivable length. And
they try to hit the deck when the seam has softened that allows the batsmen
to hit the ball square of the wicket. India needs to come back strongly and
they have to continue with the seven-batsman theory. One bowler is anyway
going to have an off-day so it would only be better for Sachin Tendulkar,
Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh to share the fifth bowlers quota.
The lack of an all-rounder is clearly showing but there is no point in
looking for a solution when there is none available. Dravid has to play to
his strength's, which is batting, He must make first use of the wicket
whenever an opportunity presents itself and try and bat England out of the
match rather than expect his bowlers to provide the desired result. The
first three matches have clearly showed what the Indian's lack. It is time
to pick the threads and start again.
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More Views by Krish Srikkanth
