India’s biggest gain: Knowing they’ve done well overseas

My answer has always been why compare, why not enjoy the only talent you can and they are the ones you can watch now. In this cricket lovers of the world have much to enjoy about this Australian team. While many may find them a little brash, loud and cocky there is much to enjoy about the way that they played cricket.

Their greatest strengths are undoubtedly their passion, enthusiasm and love for the game, and not forgetting their great skills. This current group are also well trained, experienced, know how to win and have great confidence. Perhaps their greatest asset though is their desire to attack and produce exciting cricket for the public.

In the final against India there was a great deal of hype and bravado from both camps and in particular the captains. They talk about psychological wars these days when talking about cricket. I personally think this part of cricket is over-covered by the media and always worked on the theory that empty vessels make the most noise and all your talking should be done on the field.

India lost the final from the first over, not because Zaheer Khan had conceded 15 runs and Sourav Ganguly had won the toss and sent Australia in to bat. Personally, I thought he made the right decision and gave India their best chance of winning the game.

Unfortunately the Indian bowlers bowled poorly, and without a great deal of heart, control or understanding of how much there was in the pitch for them. Instead of dropping their heads at seeing 15 come from the first over they should have been elated that the only two balls that Khan got in the right spot cut and lifted to beat the defensive prods of Matt Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.

While I support Ganguly’s decision to bowl, I felt he didn’t captain the team well. He waited far too long too change his new ball bowlers and I felt that he should have replaced both the new ball bowlers after two overs each with Nehra and himself.

The Australian openers read the situation well. They know that if the Indian bowlers got enough balls in the right spot they would be dangerous and went straight onto attack in a bid to unsettle them. It worked beautifully and under this assault too many four balls were bowled and a victory was set up.

While I know that the whole of India will be disappointed and feel let down by their team, now is not thetime for recriminations. India had an excellent tournament, they were beaten only twice in the tournament, both by Australia.

A lot of good things have come out of this tournament. Perhaps the most important being the realization that they can perform overseas. Pitches in this tournament were not good. The ball did far too much on many occasions and it also swung in the air. The Indian batsmen handled this well and really only failed against the Aussies.

While there were some disappointments by the younger batsman they are undoubtedly a talented group. They must be persevered with and allowed to prosper along side the full-bloom batsmen, Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly.

For many reasons batsmen worldwide are taking longer to develop. Teenage champions appear to be a joy of the past. The Australian team is a prime example, with players like Darren Lehman, Damien Martyn, Mat Hayden, and Justin Langer not securing a permanent berth in the Australian team until they were in their late twenties.

India’s bowling looks promising — Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were a revelation. Not since Kapil Dev have we seen a Indian bowler swing the ball consistently. Providing no ‘expert’ tries to make them quicker they will be vital parts of India’s attack for years to come.

India’s loss will be mourned in India. I hope the Indian selectors realistically look at the situation with knives sheathed and not start looking for scapegoats as Pakistan have done. India have much to be proud of with how their team performed in Africa and a bright future to forward to. (Gameplan)