Double-Role Hits

Basic sporting psychology has it that a team not doing well looks back on its best years, its greatest moments, to find the answer. If the I...

Basic sporting psychology has it that a team not doing well looks back on its best years, its greatest moments, to find the answer. If the Indian think-tank were to apply that logic to their dip in form in one-day cricket, they would find a one-word solution: All-rounders.

At the pinnacle of their one-day form when they won world titles between 1983-85, India were hot not just because they possessed a unmatched batting line-up but because of their list of all-rounders. Kapil, Amarnath, Madan Lal, Binny, Shastri, latterly Prabhakar8230;

Only New Zealand had as many all-rounders. Pakistan had just the one or one in a million, the peerless Imran.

Two decades on, the tables are turned. And when the one-day series begins in a few weeks8217; time, Pakistan will be firm favourites, thanks to their all-round star cast. The likes of Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Rana Naved ul-Hasan add depth to the team.

8216;8216;I believe now we have a better one-day team than a Test match side,8217;8217; says Afridi. 8216;8216;India has very patient batsmen, people who are experienced and can play long innings. But in the last 10 overs of an ODI, people like Shoaib Malik and I play with just slogging in mind. I don8217;t think anyone in the Indian team can do that.8217;8217;

Here8217;s hard evidence: In India8217;s last four ODI losses against Pakistan, Malik has proved to be the difference each time with bat and ball.

Former Pakistan fast bower Aaquib Javed rated his country8217;s one-day team as good as Australia8217;s on the strength of the all-rounders. 8216;8216;The recent Australia tour was not a true reflection. They Aussies had home advantage, otherwise we were at par. And one major reason was the presence of the likes of Razzaq and co, which adds so much depth.8217;8217;

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And there are others waiting in the wings. 8216;8216;Watch out for Yasir Arafat already played for Pakistan, he is quick and he is as good as any in the world, 8217;8217; says Aaquib, currently national junior coach.

The biggest problem for India in its quest to overcome Pakistan would be the sudden disappearance of a seam bowling all-rounder. Robin Singh filled in for a while but he was already in the twilight of his career. Ajit Agarkar, JP Yadav, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Joginder Sharma have done their stints but none has made the place his own.

Madan Lal, now Delhi Ranji coach, makes an interesting point. 8216;8216;It is ultimately left to the individual himself, I would for instance bat at No 6 or 7 for my state side. There is no point in batting at No 10 or No 11 in domestic cricket for you are hardly left with any batsman. The important thing is that though you are in the side as a bowler and you have to develop a habit of trying to contribute runs as well only that way will you improve.8217;8217;

India tried, for several years, to make do with Rahul Dravid keeping wickets but that idea has now been shelved for good, if coach John Wright is to be believed.

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Indeed, Wright believes India8217;s problems can be solved by Sourav Ganguly doubling up with his seam bowling.

Dilip Vengsarkar has an interesting perspective. No one plays county cricket anymore, says the BCCI8217;s chief talent scout. 8216;8216;That8217;s what the bowlers in the team of the 8217;80s used to do. These days there is so much international cricket, there is no time to go to England. Madan Lal for instance did that for nearly two decades. The major benefit was that you as a player had to contribute with both bat and ball so it helps your confidence.8217;8217;

But don8217;t Indian and Pakistani players operate in similar conditions? 8216;8216;Not entirely true,8217;8217; believes former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas who speaks of concept of following trendsetters. 8216;8216;They Pakistani kids have heroes in Imran and Wasim Akram who were very good all-rounders. The kids in Pakistan not only want to bowl fast like them but also bat as well as they did. It also becomes in certain cases a show of machismo.8217;8217;

However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. TA Sekar, chief coach at the MRF Pace Academy, he speaks of the 8216;8216;growing awareness8217;8217; among the younger bowlers to contribute with the bat. 8216;8216;Look at Irfan Pathan, he always wanted to get better as a batsman would ask for bowlers to bowl at him. There was always a show of intent from him,8217;8217; says Sekar.

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All that has certainly helped for in the season so far Pathan has wowed everybody with his stubborn displays against Australia in tense moments, but he still has miles to go to improve as a bowler.

So will he be the answer? 8216;8216;Too early to say. But yes he has certainly taken the right steps forward,8217;8217; says former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad.