SO CLOSE YET SO FAR!!!

If anything the first match of the Border-Gavaskar trophy suggested it is the fact that either team is not going to allow the other to run away with a test match provided India play with the same intensity that they played with in the first test. How often have we seen India beginning a tour with a good performance and fade away with time??? We can only hope we get to see an Adelaide Oval at the Gabba, MCG and the SCG in terms of performance (I hope not the result). Coming back to the first test, it was an absolute delight to watch an exhibition of top-class test cricket. We had a result despite the loss of few overs to rain. Credit goes to both the teams for playing for a result. As usual India was once again on the wrong side of the result of a test match on foreign soil. But I still don’t understand whether the manner in which we lost was encouraging or discouraging i.e. to consider the deficit or the collapse. I wasn’t able to eat my lunch properly but eventually had to digest it along with the loss. If there was anything better than Kohli’s innings it was the manner in which he spoke at the post-match presentation.  He has matured very very fast. Murali Vijay was phenomenal throughout the match. He has scored runs everywhere. The aftermath of the match was a very long discussion among my friends to which I was party too. Having looked at all the posts and comments (and given few myself), I am writing this to present my views on few individuals, their performance from my glasses and team selection for the second test.

The two players who were “ATTACKED” immediately were India’s ODI openers- Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Shikhar hasn’t had a very good record overseas. Except for a century in New Zealand and a fifty in England things have not looked encouraging for him. For a batsman who scores quickly like Sehwag, he hasn’t had the results that Sehwag had and that is a big setback for him. Also when a guy like Vijay is playing long innings, Shikhar hasn’t had a big score for a very long time. Rohit Sharma has been under the RADAR ever since he started to play for India!!! Very disappointing that a player who has played over seven years for India is fighting for a place in the playing XI of the test team!!! He has not delivered the results that are expected of him especially with the talent he oozes. The other player who was talked about was Karn Sharma.

Let us put things into perspective with respect to the Adelaide test: Shikhar got off to a good start and reached 25 before chopping one back onto the stumps. It was a quick start that unsettled Johnson. His figures read 5-0-34-0 at the end of the first spell. In the context of the game it was what the team required. But he didn’t carry on the flier that he got. He was unfortunate to be given out in the second innings by the umpire, who made a string of poor decisions in the match. I would keep him in the team for the second test to keep the left-right combination going and also in the hope that he will cash in on the quick starts he gets.

Rohit Sharma has a slightly better case (in the context of the match). He scored 43 runs in the first innings in the first innings which was decent because four others scored half-centuries and one went on to score a century. 43 is just 7 short of fifty. Also he bowled a good spell in the second innings with an economy of 2.92 and took the key wicket of Mitchell Marsh who was looking to get the quick runs his team wanted. If he had been there the losing margin could have gone up to 100. But what is against him is the fact that he threw away his wicket in the first innings after playing out a testing period on day 4 (as often is the case with him) with the first innings lead at stake and the unforgivable blunder of not supporting his captain during the chase especially with the talent he boasts of and the way his skipper was batting at the other end. So is the case with Saha. But he does not turn up until Dhoni is injured. Sharma was given a lot of chances before he started to prove his worth. But at the test level you can’t expect a long rope. Consider this example: Ben Hilfenhaus has 99 test wickets from 27 matches. These statistics were shown during the IPL (or some other domestic match). I heard one of the commentators on air say that he should be given one more test match so that he pockets his hundredth wicket to which the other commentator reacted by saying that you cannot just “GIVE” a test match. Such is the level of cricket expected from a player at this level. It is not that Rohit cannot perform; but has not risen to the occasion like his team-mates. This does call for axing him from the playing XI but consider this. He played four test matches in South Africa and New Zealand put together. Except for a fifty, there was no other big innings from him. So he was not included in the playing XI for the first two test matches in England. When given a chance in the third test match he threw away his wicket after batting out a testing period as he always does. On the whole there is a widespread call for dropping him out for the second test. But I would give him one more chance because we need that sixth batsman in foreign conditions and considering his first innings batting and the tight second innings spell. Also Raina, the other batsman in contention for the No.6 slot, has not played a test match in almost two years, let alone playing on foreign soil. I also don’t see Rohit being left out. But if he is dropped, then Raina must get the nod ahead of Jadeja or Ashwin. I am always of the belief that India must play 6 batsmen in test series abroad.

The other player, Karn, was boldly brought in by Kohli because of his spells in the two warm-up matches. After the match got over, even I wanted him to be left out for the second test. But consider these (i) he was a debutant (ii) he bowled under a debutant captain. So it was natural that he should make a few mistakes. Also dropping him may put pressure on the young lad. But should he be dropped, he will understand.

I wanted Yadav to be included in this match because Yadav had already played in Australia with good results there is not much of a difference between Aaron and Yadav. I stand by what I wanted and believe Yadav should replace Aaron, who gave away runs to Warner in that first spell that set the tone for their batsmen (even Ishant’s terrific spell couldn’t pull back things that much).

Summarizing, I don’t expect any change in the team for the second test match, except Dhoni replacing Saha (which goes without saying). Also making changes will disrupt the rhythm of the team that came so close to pulling off a spectacular run-chase: don’t forget that there was an opposition named Australia who just played better. Should Rohit and Dhawan not perform in the next test, they will be replaced. Having said that I am just a mere spectator like the people who are reading this (if any).

The first test was a fitting tribute to a champion, who lost his life in a freak accident. Both teams didn’t deserve to lose. In the end it was (and had to be) Australia who won the match played in the honour of the champion of a cricketer, Philip Hughes.

On a personal note, I would like to see Dhoni pass on the captaincy band to Virat right now and play as a wicket keeper under him and be ready to guide him and correct him when he makes mistakes. In that way when he leaves test cricket, I have no doubt, India will be better prepared to play well at the highest level of this game.