Time for Team India to walk the ODI talk

The other day’s loss in Kochi wasn’t a bolt from the blue. The recent Twenty20 victory over the world champions notwithstanding, their Kochi outing was another reminder of how they have been slaughtered time and again.

“They’re very good at their strategies and how they implement it in the match,” admitted Yuvraj Singh on Thursday afternoon. “What we need to look at is definitely very simple. We need to bowl better, bat better. In the next game the guys need to play more and talk less,” he said. Sreesanth’s angry looks haven’t stopped the batsmen from taking runs. Instead, from costing 5.54 runs an over in the rain-affected Bangalore tie, he went on to give 7.74 runs an over in Kochi.

Harbhajan Singh is angry with the Australians for having said a few personal things to him. “It’s fine if they’re chatting about cricket but they can’t go overboard with it. Australians are bad losers,” he says.

For the record, the Aussies haven’t lost a match in their last 12 outings. The Kochi win was their 22nd victory in last 25 one-dayers versus India.

Ponting announced his return pretty obtrusively. “The Indians are actually not what they’re looking to be. We know them well, and it’s just that they’re trying to be a bit aggressive to match-up to the situation. These are pressure-games no doubt, but they also need to back it up with performances,” he said.