Give the skipper his due liberty

Bangalore, Dec 12: How a bunch of inexperienced international cricketers handled pressure far better than our battle-scarred cricketers wil...

Bangalore, Dec 12: How a bunch of inexperienced international cricketers handled pressure far better than our battle-scarred cricketers will long rankle Indian cricket fans. The question that simply refuses to go away is: Are our national cricketers so overrated that a motley collection of county cricketers with no other pretence but their utility as bits and pieces players can straight away step out of hibernation and beat the living daylights out of them ?

Shamefully, Thursday’s defeat cane at the hands of a team that has not played a serious game for more than four months ! And to rub salt to the wounds, the bowler who exposed the Indian fragility under pressure, the grand nephew of the creator of the fictional character James Bond, Mathew Fleming, was making his international debut !

The English media were so amused by the panic that Ian Fleming’s blood relative was spreading in the experienced Indian ranks that at the conclusion of the match they claimed that Thunderballs’ had done it.

Story continues below this ad

The Indian team looked devastated at the loss, particularly as collectively their nerve had failed. Skipper Sachin Tendulkar was so upset that he took out his ire on a member of the public who had sneaked into the post-match press conference and asked Tendulkar all sorts of uncomfortable questions.

The Indian skipper mistook him for a journalist and uncharacteristically burst out: “I do not tell you folks how to do your job. I have played more cricket than you (Of course !). So do not tell me how to do my job.”

Perhaps, Tendulkar should direct these words at members of the Indian selection committee, who have forbidden him to open the batting. By their directive they have robbed the team of a flexibility that could have been used deftly on Asian cricket pitches.

The selectors contention that Tendulkar was being predictable as an opener might have some truth to it. But it needs to be observed in the context the exposure was made.

Story continues below this ad

In Toronto where the pitch was soft and afforded great seam and swing movement, Tendulkar, lunging on to his front foot and attempting to hit through the line came to grief. But the same batting tactics on the flat wickets available in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and even Sharjah could pay rich dividends for a truly gifted batsman like Tendulkar.

Certainly, when India chase a stiff target in excess of 4.5 runs an over on Asian pitches, the best option would be to get Tendulkar open the batting and play out 50 overs. With his full-faced punch of the front foot off the deliveries that do little or nothing off the seam, he could unsettle any bowler. Instead, now that he has been asked to bat at No 4, the skipper is left attempting shots alien to his strengths like stepping out and trying to hoist the ball or play across the line.

Incidentally, why are the wise’ men interfering so much in the composition of the playing eleven and even in the batting order ? Earlier, their task would end with the picking of the 14 or 16 members (as the case may be). Now short of making bowling changes, setting the field, going out to toss they seem to be doing everything else even from thousand of miles.