Pak need a lesson in discipline

There are times when India thrive on providing that competitive edge which either produces scintillating success or flawed failure and littl...

There are times when India thrive on providing that competitive edge which either produces scintillating success or flawed failure and little in between. Where either the captain or batsmen have it under control or the bowlers have let the side down. Or, as in the case for the fourth game in this Samsung series, the opposition totally lose the plot.

Then again Pakistan8217;s failure at Gaddafi Stadium could partly be ascribed to Inzamam8217;s insistence on batting first, when the dew factor is always a danger. It is the sort of foolishness which by now he should have learnt through a lesson in leadership sensibility.

Unless, of course, it was the theorising of non-playing captain Javed Miandad, that overrode any doubts Inzi may have expressed when gameplan tactics were discussed of whether or not to bats first. In such conditions it8217;s always a risk.

It helps little, though, to plot a defence or have the assistant coach or some technical boffin to peer into a laptop for answers when the bowlers deliver 28 extra deliveries 19 wides and nine no balls. Adding an extra 4.4 overs to the 50 India were to have faced meant that winning the game in 45 overs takes away a little of the rose-tinted glow of success.

After one of the wides bowled by Sami, Inzi threw the ball on the ground in frustration as well as a certain realisation that the dew-laden ball is also a handicap to his bowlers. This takes nothing away, though, from what are the sublime silky batting skills of two of my favourite Indians, Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Kaif. They had worked out their gameplan and there was no need for tight endgame strategies. Inzi had no answer as his bowlers had long lost the plot; and this, mind you, in defending a total of 293.

Even Inzi and Miandad should realise that it is useless to score a century if your bowlers are not going to deliver. It was a disorderly display that trashed Pakistan8217;s hopes of making it 3-1 instead of India winning by five wickets and levelling at 2-2.

There was also a time when it was noticeable how Sourav Ganguly had worked out the Pak batting tactics to field placings for Murali Kartik. There was a frustration factor here and gave India the added edge and the bowler extra confidence in Ganguly8217;s ability to put the squeeze on the opposition. Bowl a maiden or two, or a succession of dot balls and the batting side is bound to hit a panic button or two.

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Sure there were some fielding blunders and overthrows added unnecessary runs for which no captain can be blamed. But Ganguly did allow Pakistan to take control in the last 10 overs. Balaji didn8217;t help either by firing in full tosses instead of yorkers to give batsmen that extra leverage to score boundaries. He is going to have to have learn to bowl with more control.

At least with Dravid8217;s commanding presence India have learnt how the early loss of Sachin is not, as in this case, the end of the run chase. And there is the impression that Ganguly is at last coming to grips with the demands of the venues in Pakistan and what field settings are needed.

For Pakistan, though, their drawing board now carries a giant question mark. Unless their bowlers learn discipline whatever gameplan they have will always backfire.