Chika Talk
Kris Srikkanth
India lacked the knockout punch
December 05, 2007
If 616 runs inside two days and a wicket that offered some purchase for the spinners are not enough to force a win, what else is needed? Frankly, the Indians' effort left much to be desired. Having got first use of this splendid pitch, the only thing that India did right was to post a tall score on the board. Everything else from there was not up to scratch. No doubt the pair of Kamran Akmal and Misbah-ul Haq applied themselves well, which being recognised batsmen they were only expected to do.
What was appalling was the manner in which Mohammed Sami got away with stonewalling ball after ball. If a tailender is allowed to bat for three sessions, then the opponents simply don't deserve to win.
There were periods of play where Sami was just allowed to defend. He was not attacked enough. He should have been taken out of his comfort zone. The pair of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel clearly lacked air speed. Unless there is a bowler who can hustle batsmen with pace India will continue to suffer like this as tailenders continue to make merry. A perennial problem that seemed to have been solved in the last few seasons continues to rear its ugly head again.
Harbhajan Singh bowled a long spell and ended with five wickets in the first innings but if he is unable to strike on a fifth day wicket, it will be impossible for India to even win at home. This was a good strip for batting no doubt but it also offered turn and bounce for the spinners. Deliveries that got rid of Mohammed Yousuf and Kamran Akmal in the first innings proved beyond doubt the spinners had a lot to gain if they hit the right areas and operated at a slower speed. It only further reinforced the fact that our bowlers can stamp their authority only on bad wickets.
The Indian batting prospered, courtesy the toss. If Pakistan had batted first, the Test may have meandered to a boring draw. Dhoni's approach in both innings was baffling. If a technically correct player like Wasim Jaffer can pick runs at will against this attack, Dhoni should have done more. The team did not expect a big innings from him; all that was required was a cameo that would have helped the team declare quickly.
Dhoni was trying to hit the ball too hard. Even for a player blessed with awesome power, it will not be easy to deposit every ball into the stands. It required a calculated approach that Dhoni seemed incapable of delivering in the conditions. His lack of urgency in the second innings was deplorable.
Only 340 overs of play was possible on the first four days as a total of 20 overs were lost. This effectively meant that India would have only 85 overs on the final day. Continuing to bat at a leisurely pace did not help the cause. The overall approach both with the bat and the effort on the field has to be much more positive.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
What was appalling was the manner in which Mohammed Sami got away with stonewalling ball after ball. If a tailender is allowed to bat for three sessions, then the opponents simply don't deserve to win.
There were periods of play where Sami was just allowed to defend. He was not attacked enough. He should have been taken out of his comfort zone. The pair of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel clearly lacked air speed. Unless there is a bowler who can hustle batsmen with pace India will continue to suffer like this as tailenders continue to make merry. A perennial problem that seemed to have been solved in the last few seasons continues to rear its ugly head again.
Harbhajan Singh bowled a long spell and ended with five wickets in the first innings but if he is unable to strike on a fifth day wicket, it will be impossible for India to even win at home. This was a good strip for batting no doubt but it also offered turn and bounce for the spinners. Deliveries that got rid of Mohammed Yousuf and Kamran Akmal in the first innings proved beyond doubt the spinners had a lot to gain if they hit the right areas and operated at a slower speed. It only further reinforced the fact that our bowlers can stamp their authority only on bad wickets.
The Indian batting prospered, courtesy the toss. If Pakistan had batted first, the Test may have meandered to a boring draw. Dhoni's approach in both innings was baffling. If a technically correct player like Wasim Jaffer can pick runs at will against this attack, Dhoni should have done more. The team did not expect a big innings from him; all that was required was a cameo that would have helped the team declare quickly.
Dhoni was trying to hit the ball too hard. Even for a player blessed with awesome power, it will not be easy to deposit every ball into the stands. It required a calculated approach that Dhoni seemed incapable of delivering in the conditions. His lack of urgency in the second innings was deplorable.
Only 340 overs of play was possible on the first four days as a total of 20 overs were lost. This effectively meant that India would have only 85 overs on the final day. Continuing to bat at a leisurely pace did not help the cause. The overall approach both with the bat and the effort on the field has to be much more positive.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
