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‘The 4 to 6 Syndrome’ in our batting order is what
I had explained during the build-up for the World Cup 2019. My blog is of
course read by few – former cricket colleagues, who are knowledgeable without
much influence on the big guys making decisions at the top there. Well, when
one hailed as the No. 1 batsman in the world is your captain, supported by a
glamorous former India cricketer as the coach, no one can advise.
The No. 4 continued to be the downfall during the
world cup. To add to that instead of dropping Dhoni, the over enthusiasm to
continue to make him bat up the order, killed any further possibilities of a
recovery. The original No. 4 would have been ejected out of the 11 soon if it
weren’t for Dhawan’s injury giving him an opportunity to open the innings. KL
Rahul thus survived to be put up with the big three, Rohit, Kohli and Dhawan as
the only four batsmen who performed.
India never found the illusive No. 4, while in the
process killing a proven all-rounder, Kedar Jadhav. Despite making a match
winning half century, he could never settle down well after the game was
torturously slowed down by Dhoni. Jadhav got dropped, while Dhoni continued to
play to ensure India were left with no chances!
What pains me is not the loss, but, the refusal to
learn. Even today, in the shorter format, we don’t wish to rotate the batting
order to keep 1 to 6 batsmen among runs.
Back to Test Match Cricket - As the first Test
unfolds in the West Indies; one wonders what went wrong with Rahane to be kept
so decisively out of the scheme of things for the World Cup. Thank God, Rahane
has scored runs - there were talks before this Test that he could be kept out
of the 11. Strange are our ways!
At this stage, let me put across just a few more
issues – now in relation to the Tests:-
-
Rohit Sharma is too good a batsman to be lost out
because we can’t help him. Virender Sehwag became a world class opening
batsman, not by technique, but by the yardstick of number of runs scored. To
begin with, he was considered worthy of playing the shorter format mainly.
However, despite being a blaster in one day games, he never came up to be as
good as Rohit is today. Dhawan himself is no better a new-red-ball player than
Rohit. But, he has been successful in Tests also. So, why don’t we ask Rohit to
open in Tests also instead of trying over and over again to find a place for
him in the middle order? He might just go blasting the new red ball also.
-
Test match cricket has changed because of the
influence of the shorter format. The batsmen have little patience. They give
away wickets to bowler who bowls on the line. Jadeja, would have ended up in
olden times like Bapu Nadkarni’s 30 overs 27 maidens without many wickets. It’s
perfectly alright to say we pick someone who gets wickets – and Jadeja does
that today. But, let us remember that the game would be different against
better batting sides and on friendlier tracks. I only hope that we don’t end up
in killing Ashwin - one of the best spinners in the world.
-
Is it that that anyone who begins to show up as a
leadership material gets into trouble? Rahane and Ashwin have gone through that
- is it your turn Rohit?
A good read - are we on the right track?
ReplyDeleteFROM SUNIL BANERJEE
ReplyDeleteThe former cricketer has still got his eye in. Having been vindicated in WC19 on the Tuglakian middle order to become the nemesis of a certain failure in winning the ultimate battle honours ,now with his exasperation at the arrogant stupidity of the Kohli-Sashtri is once again equally prescient.
Yet again the hip - shooting, trigger happy cricketing avatars -our very own Bonnie and Clyde bash on regardless this time into the heart of all things - not Chicago, mind you, but Test cricket.
The middle muddle is a convoluted conundrum the hapless author seems to reiterate. A Bihari and not a Jadhav with another Rayadu out in the cold, frustrated and forgotten. Saha has stopped looking over his hurt shoulder, quite literally with an in -favour darling boy Pant.
And now comes the silent dagger. The author feels Ashwin is almost waiting to be impaled as Jadeja triumphant does the spectacular X with the bat in his left hand
Cut to Rohit who till yesterday had the benefit of a lot of slack only to blossom with the cleanest bat swings and bagload of runs in the shorter formats is still sweating in the sidelines getting his duck and weave right or that Manjrekar appreciated minimalist footwork to increase more clearly front or behind to decidedly graduate on to the real rising delivery -Test Cricket. The author wickedly sees the languishing to be the result of the skipper getting insecure with his impending entry while conceding that a weak opposition and relatively easy tracks could afford unexplained shenanigans. So by deduction what happens when otherwise ?
We cannot forget that crucial slots in WC19 were filled by default with the signature insertions of the duo-poly. India came up short. But who dare ask when Kohli had virtually ordered the extension of tenure of the head coach Sashtri. BCCI, COA and the Selection Committee lie prostrate.
I cannot but agree to all that has been pointed out. The duo apparently are giving chances to many with this chop and change. But what is the method to this madness is what the former cricketer seeks to find and quite rightly. The rumbles of dissent are still not strong enough to call for regime change. As for now, no skipper ever, had it so good!