Chika Talk
Kris Srikkanth
Pathan at number 3 is big mistake
February 18, 2008
India continue to pay the price for a defensive approach. Small targets can play havoc on the batsmen's minds. In such chases it is important to remain positive. The Adelaide match should have been pocketed with ease, especially because there were no demons in the pitch and the target was a meagre 203. The area where the hosts scored over India was in their watertight fielding. They make even small totals look insurmountable.
Australia were allowed to finish with a total that looked improbable at the halfway stage of their innings. The difference between Adelaide and Melbourne was the extra 20-30 runs India allowed to leak towards the end. A total in the region of 180 and Australia would not have had a sniff at victory.
Once they managed to reach 200, they took the field fully aware of the fact that all they required was a few quick wickets to get a foot in the door.
Sending Irfan Pathan at number three was a huge mistake. Also, the methods adopted by him did not suggest logic. There are a few members in this team who are good enough to bat at the pivotal one drop position and handing it over Pathan means he has to go and get a few quick runs rather than try and play as a regular batsman. A cameo from Pathan would have made more sense. All that was required was a quick start; once that was denied the middle order should have played out the full quota. Lack of partnerships hit the team hard.
India lost a great opportu nity to leapfrog to the top of the table though that does not detract from what they achieved with the ball. It was a fine example of how the moving ball can disturb even the best in the business. The Aussie top-order continues to flounder against sustained movement both in the air and off the wicket. The likes of Hayden and Ponting continue to suffer as they don't seem to have an alternative plan. Their continued failure is directly proportional to their inability to respect good bowling.
Ishant Sharma and Pathan continue to impress but the same cannot be said of Sreesanth. He has done his bit but his strength is to pick wickets and not contain. Munaf Patel kept things tight but his lethargy on the field is something that has to be taken seriously. It is time Munaf starts taking his cricket more seriously.
Dhoni's captaincy continues to impress. He has backed his players and they have also responded well. He has got the team he wanted and probably has a point in wanting a young side. A sense of urgency in the field can come only from a young side. It is also easy to handle a few seniors rather than a horde of them. This team should be given time to develop under Dhoni.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
Australia were allowed to finish with a total that looked improbable at the halfway stage of their innings. The difference between Adelaide and Melbourne was the extra 20-30 runs India allowed to leak towards the end. A total in the region of 180 and Australia would not have had a sniff at victory.
Once they managed to reach 200, they took the field fully aware of the fact that all they required was a few quick wickets to get a foot in the door.
Sending Irfan Pathan at number three was a huge mistake. Also, the methods adopted by him did not suggest logic. There are a few members in this team who are good enough to bat at the pivotal one drop position and handing it over Pathan means he has to go and get a few quick runs rather than try and play as a regular batsman. A cameo from Pathan would have made more sense. All that was required was a quick start; once that was denied the middle order should have played out the full quota. Lack of partnerships hit the team hard.
India lost a great opportu nity to leapfrog to the top of the table though that does not detract from what they achieved with the ball. It was a fine example of how the moving ball can disturb even the best in the business. The Aussie top-order continues to flounder against sustained movement both in the air and off the wicket. The likes of Hayden and Ponting continue to suffer as they don't seem to have an alternative plan. Their continued failure is directly proportional to their inability to respect good bowling.
Ishant Sharma and Pathan continue to impress but the same cannot be said of Sreesanth. He has done his bit but his strength is to pick wickets and not contain. Munaf Patel kept things tight but his lethargy on the field is something that has to be taken seriously. It is time Munaf starts taking his cricket more seriously.
Dhoni's captaincy continues to impress. He has backed his players and they have also responded well. He has got the team he wanted and probably has a point in wanting a young side. A sense of urgency in the field can come only from a young side. It is also easy to handle a few seniors rather than a horde of them. This team should be given time to develop under Dhoni.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
