Hyderabad: The Indian cricket team is coming undone and it’s scary because this is right before the high-profile World Cup is slated to be battled out for. The Indians have been practically winless all through their Australian sojourn so far, and it certainly holds potential to dent their confidence badly.
Beginning with the Tests, the Indians did kickstart their tour on a fresh note, displaying aggression under stand-in skipper Virat Kohli, but then, it was back to business for team India, slumping to lower lows and making an absolute embarrassment of themselves on the world cricketing stage. Four Test matches and their winless streak refused to abandon them even as the ODI series against Australia and England got underway.
There’s no two ways about the fact that Australia is looking at0 some whip cracking form. They look spectacular as a team, with the captaincy shifts being smoother than one could ever imagine. For India on the other hand, with M S Dhoni announcing his Test retirement unceremoniously, the Indian dressing room too looks messed up, you see.
How does that affect the performance, you ask. When there’s a certain discomfort in the dressing room, it is but obvious that it will reflect in the way orders are adhered to on field. To add to it, the Indians are going through an absolutely rough patch. It’d be great if they can make it to the finals, because that’s the only them that can keep their confidence meter alive.
Their one real chance of doing that was against Australia in the match that got washed out. The Australians, frankly, had nothing to lose and they would have probably fielded a second-rung team. Had India won that match, beating England would have evened things for them a bit. However, as Lady Luck would have it, that match got washed out and it’s left for the India-England tie to pan out before the one remaining spot is taken.
India’s batting has been woeful. That’s what breaking the team down, at least in the ODI format. The bowlers can only be put to test once there is a good score on the board if the Indians bat first. There’s lack of coordination and zeal to overpower the opposition. There’s a sense of ‘it’s ok’, that’s surrounding the Indian camp. So, whatever it is, the Indians need to take it one step at a time: first, get to the finals, then try to win the series.
It’s the only way in which they can actually give themselves a chance. Honestly.