ROLE REVERSAL

Rajat Subhra Chatterjee

 Virat Kohli, you lost the New Zealand match in your very first decision of  the day of  removing  Rohit Sharma from opening the India innings.

It is puzzling  who took the decision to drop Rohit Sharma down to no 3 irrespective of his recent poor form.  Upteem number of times it has been argued that if Rohit has to play in any format for India, he should be opening and not lower down any where. Period. The morale of a batsman breaks in this kind of indecisions.  Virat Kohli’s think tank in the present Team India has been high in the list of breaking cricketers’ confidence by not treating them with adequate mental support and respect. Ravichandran Ashwin is one cricketer. Rohit Sharma is another, grapevine has this to say, not in the  right frame with his skipper. If you fail to keep your best batter motivated, then you are no leader.

Let’s see what M S Dhoni has been doing these days in Team India.  Dhoni is no God as has been made out of late through his sudden elevation as Team India mentor. A mentor’s job is not coaching but to motivate and may be to make a team more passionate. But Dhoni was seen in the T20 world cup practice sessions,  to impart coaching tips to all and sundry. MSD is certainly not the best man for a batting or a bowling tip as his strong point has been strategizing and gaining control in tight situation. For coaching there have been plenty of people, in fact a crowd, in the present Team India, where Ravi Shastri has been the Head Coach. My question is therefore, was the Role of MSD cleanly spelt out by BCCI bosses ? Shastri, knowing his days are numbered, may have taken Dhoni’s exuberance in an ignorant attitude, but surely ‘ The Wall ‘ Rahul Dravid will not tolerate this kind of nonsense if and when he takes over as Team India coach.

Team India took the field in the all important New Zealand match seemingly to be in a confused mind, whether to play positive cricket or to try desperately to come out of the ‘boggy’ situation. The shadow of Black Caps loomed too largely on Team India’s mindset as repeated defeats by the Kiwis, demoralized Team India think tank to a great extent.  By breaking the opening partnership, not only the momentum was snapped but poor Ishan Kishan was sacrificed which affected the entire batting line up. It was ‘ just the tip of the iceberg ’.  That Kohli himself has been unsure of himself, ( his decision making proved it ) was very much in evidence  in the manner he got out – mishitting an ordinary delivery and skying a easy catch at a very wrong juncture of the innings. These things happen when serious disturbance exists within a team. Do we have to believe that all is not well in the Indian Dressing Room ? Is it a reality that Indian Cricket Ship is rocking and rolling in the  turbulent atmosphere in Team India  ?  Only one Ravindra Jadeja was not good enough.  His ‘Rajputana’  attitude was missing from his colleagues. How many times his heroics could save Virat ? If Rohit Sharma has to only open India innings, similarly, Ravindra Jadeja has to play in all formats of the game for India. He is just invaluable.

By contrast, NZ dished out a disciplined display of professional cricket outsmarting India in all respect. Cool, calculated and very well maneuvered. NZ took the field with utter confidence and Trent Bolt, as was predicted, did another   ‘ Shaheen Afridi ’ to India. Defeats by 10 wickets & 8 wickets consecutively  in WC matches  are big things to be looked into. The morale of the team has to be at the low ebb, else these things don’t happen.

Too many Role Reversals took place in the match for which India had to pay very dearly. India could not come out of the Kiwis jinx.  A very Hot Seat awaits Rahul Dravid.