For India, in the end it all came down to
the last match. Pity it was not the last match of the tournament. Prior to the
match, the situation India was in reminded me those ODI multi-nation tournaments
which India played in the 1990s and how they had to squeeze into the finals
through mathematics. It was always about net-run rate, it still is.
In 2007 T20 World Cup, India after losing
to New Zealand in the Super 8s bounced back well with a victory against England
(Yes, the same match where Yuvraj Singh scored those six 6s) and had to face
South Africa in the last match. A win would have ensured them a spot in
semi-finals and for South Africa; they were playing for the net run-rate. Eventually
they didn’t qualify and rest is history. India went on to win the inaugural T20
championships, T20 became the latest craze in India, BCCI cashes on this
madness and launches IPL, Dhoni becomes the overnight star and many more can be
added to this. Cricket was never the same in India and to a larger extent
worldwide.
It has been five years and a week since
that victory over Pakistan, and in between then and now three World Cups have
already taken place with India failing to be in top four on each occasion. After
India’s failure to advance to semi-finals, I wondered - Here is a case which is
worrying for a country that by far has the best T20 league in place (IPL).
T20 cricket, when looked purely from
cricket’s point of view was one of the best things that happened to cricket. It
just made cricket get into an elite and I go on further saying, a sole league
where a sport can be played in three dimensions. Additionally, T20 gives a
chance to be part of the Olympics programme. Cricket is by far the only sport (compared
to other sports) that offers a wide range of action a consumer can ask for - a
quick bite, a hearty meal and a buffet spread over five days.
Though T20 was conceived in England, BCCI
has been instrumental in making it grand courtesy of Indian Premier League
(IPL). Besides the controversies that
are part of any sports league, IPL has made cricket a much calmer sport owing
to interactions of international stars. The way it is structured, Indian
cricketers – current and upcoming have a lot of benefits. More opportunities to
learn new things, unlearn certain things which might prevent you from becoming
better and re-learn the basics. So far it has been good, but I asked myself –
What effect does it have on the national team? Why have we gone back ever since
IPL started?
Can this be the one of the reasons - Indian
players not being allowed to play in the abroad leagues? IPL might be a shorter
version, but it does give a chance to play in foreign conditions which will
come in handy. In the age of professionalism, injuries are just an excuse for
mis-management and over commitment is a plane excuse for ignorance.
On contrary, Pakistan has been one of the
most consistent performers in T20 World Cup formats. Lost to India by a
whisker, won the next edition in 2009; missed the final by a whisker (courtesy
of those sixes from Mike Hussey in the last two overs) and now semi-finalists
again. Surely there must be something going right besides talent or luck? They
do not have a good T20 league, do not have any international cricket at home
and yet they are always been in the last four consistently in the last four T20
World Cups. I am not saying they are better than the Indian side, results
definitely point in this direction and one cannot fail but notice their immense
growth as a T20 side. They are the only
team to be in top four since 2007. The only solace for an Indian fan is the
fact that they have yet to win against us in a World Cup match. Gone are those
days when a victory against Pakistan was equivalent, in fact better than the
World Cup. There are still people who belong to that school of fact –
Personally it is great to win against them all the time, but it should not stop
just there. Thankfully Indian cricket team knows that. What is it that we are
missing? Why are we getting close to resemble the English football team that
boasts of a high profile domestic league but produce inconsistent
performances in international
tournaments.
M S Dhoni has now captained in four T20
World Cups, a record? Having captained consistently and successfully the
Chennai Super Kings in IPL and Champions League, he has not been able to get
the most of his national team to be in the top four. Yes, this format is a
freak show where anything can happen. But this format is also a highly
strategic one where often the best strategies hold you in a good stead. Did
India as a team has been missing the point at crucial times in the last three
World Cups?
I am not trying to be hard on this team.
They have just lost one match in this tournament and still they find themselves
in this uneasy situation. Is there a way to analyse this kind of performance?
Or should we just blame our ill fate and move on with our lives? After all this
is just a sport, isn’t it?
Well, to me this way of looking at it is a
big ‘NO’. To a lot of people, sports and cricket in general might be a source
of recreation. But this ‘recreation’ is also a profession. As in every other
profession, if one fails there is a tendency to shake up things and try to look
for alternative solutions to change the pattern. Cricket is no different.
This is where ‘homework’ comes into picture. I have loads of things running in my
mind.
·
Is it time to look at the T20 format
beyond the traditional means of thinking? Yes, several teams have been doing
this consistently now.
·
Should we replace the players
and form a new team – different players for different formats? – A lot of teams
follow this.
·
Should we have a separate T20
support staff strengthened by analysts who might just think out of the box? –
Well, to my knowledge there is not much evidence to suggest teams in cricket
are following this.
In T20, just like the players, the support
staffs are also in the ‘WIP’ mode. Is it not better to have a different/new set
of backhand support that might just make a difference?
It is a point to consider and in a format
like T20 such people have no lesser role than say contingency planners in any
of the major events or companies. T20 is like a rapid chess game where you need
to have a vision or an idea about all the different probabilities in a
situation. One should have worked out different ways to tackle a situation, as
there is less time (considering over rate issues) for captains to think
efficiently.
This struck me hard ever since India lost
to Australia. The manner in which we lost should have the think-tank minds
ringing. Yes, a bad loss can happen at any time. Players take time to recover;
in T20 games since time is crucial the support staff comes in handy. More so,
if they are pro-active.
What must be done to nullify such a bad
loss? It is all about winning the tournament right? In such a scenario; could we have thought a
better way while playing against Pakistan knowing that net run-rates can make a
lot of difference?
Why don’t we start looking this format in a
more analytically as different results can pose threats to one’s cause? One
cannot expect players to do this; all they can do is prepare and polish their
skills. Such analytical information will be a supplement when one gets to team
meetings. I see a merit in such thinking and BCCI for instance can start to
look at this T20 format differently than the traditional formats where teams do
have time to adapt to prevailing conditions.
I had read this quote once – “One of life's
most painful moments comes when we must admit that we didn't do our homework,
that we are not prepared.” – Does Indian T20 team feel that way?
