Chika Talk
Kris Srikkanth
Why has RP been singled out for Motera loss?
April 07, 2008
Winning and losing will remain an essential part of professional sport. Being beaten at cricket is not the end of the world. Good teams learn from defeat and go on to reach greater heights. But the loss in Ahmedabad for India was embarrassing purely because of lack of effort and application. How could a team that has done exceedingly well during the season crash to a defeat such as this in a home Test?
There is something about the South Africans when they tour India. In the two-match series in 2000, they beat India 2-0 on normal Indian wickets, surpassing the hosts on a nasty pitch in Mumbai and on a square turner in Bangalore. Nicky Boje tied the Indian batsmen in knots on a wicket that was prepared for the spinners to square the series in Bangalore. I have a feeling that the Proteas take the Indians out of their comfort zone quickly just by their tough mental attitude. They play a brand of tight cricket that does not allow India to get flowing.
How else can one explain their continued stranglehold on India in India? The manner in which we lost cannot be excused. It was a shocking defeat under three days. There was nothing in the pitch to make it a three-day Test. Of course, there was no chance of India coming back into the game after being shut out for 76, that too before lunch on day one. It was always going to be an uphill battle after that swift surrender at the very start.
There is little benefit from endless postmortem. But, there was no reason for the manner in which India went about their batting on day three. To save the game may have near impossible but the Indians just gave it away by believing it was impossible.
In South Africa, England and Australia the team had battled alien conditions brilliantly. In the most unlikely of venues India scripted their greatest win Perth. It is hard to believe such a team could be psyched out just by reports that a green wicket was being prepared. It did appear they let the nature of the wicket play havoc with their minds. A team cannot afford to let a bit of grass get to them like this.
Going into the third Test in Kanpur, I will not be surprised if a square turner awaits the two sides at the Green Park. The hosts cannot be entirely faulted if a wicket of that nature is prepared as that could be the only option left for them to square the series given the fitness worries surrounding the medium pacers. The biggest concern for the team at the moment is to get the combination right for the final game.
The fact that there has been only one change in the side after a disaster just goes to show the meekness in selection. As in the past only one player seemed to have been singled out. No doubt RP Singh has had two poor games but what about the others who also failed? It does not do a great deal to a player's confidence to be treated as a scapegoat. Selection should be purely on merit and there can be no room for sentiments. It may not be beyond this talented team to bounce back strongly. It is just a matter of will.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
There is something about the South Africans when they tour India. In the two-match series in 2000, they beat India 2-0 on normal Indian wickets, surpassing the hosts on a nasty pitch in Mumbai and on a square turner in Bangalore. Nicky Boje tied the Indian batsmen in knots on a wicket that was prepared for the spinners to square the series in Bangalore. I have a feeling that the Proteas take the Indians out of their comfort zone quickly just by their tough mental attitude. They play a brand of tight cricket that does not allow India to get flowing.
How else can one explain their continued stranglehold on India in India? The manner in which we lost cannot be excused. It was a shocking defeat under three days. There was nothing in the pitch to make it a three-day Test. Of course, there was no chance of India coming back into the game after being shut out for 76, that too before lunch on day one. It was always going to be an uphill battle after that swift surrender at the very start.
There is little benefit from endless postmortem. But, there was no reason for the manner in which India went about their batting on day three. To save the game may have near impossible but the Indians just gave it away by believing it was impossible.
In South Africa, England and Australia the team had battled alien conditions brilliantly. In the most unlikely of venues India scripted their greatest win Perth. It is hard to believe such a team could be psyched out just by reports that a green wicket was being prepared. It did appear they let the nature of the wicket play havoc with their minds. A team cannot afford to let a bit of grass get to them like this.
Going into the third Test in Kanpur, I will not be surprised if a square turner awaits the two sides at the Green Park. The hosts cannot be entirely faulted if a wicket of that nature is prepared as that could be the only option left for them to square the series given the fitness worries surrounding the medium pacers. The biggest concern for the team at the moment is to get the combination right for the final game.
The fact that there has been only one change in the side after a disaster just goes to show the meekness in selection. As in the past only one player seemed to have been singled out. No doubt RP Singh has had two poor games but what about the others who also failed? It does not do a great deal to a player's confidence to be treated as a scapegoat. Selection should be purely on merit and there can be no room for sentiments. It may not be beyond this talented team to bounce back strongly. It is just a matter of will.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
