by Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
089
Public Memory is really very short.
With Indian Cricket’s dismal show for last eight Test matches ( home and away) in a row, have raised hue and cry even amongst puritan who knows the game better than any Tom, Dick and Harry. Supporters of National Team will remain supporters only and will tend to act emotionally. But if one uses one’s mind deeply, then the matter should be clear like crystal.
This is not the first time that Indian cricket has been humiliated in recent times ? If Indian Cricket’s modern era had began from early 60s, one may find many times Indian cricket has been butchered mercilessly abroad during last 65 years.
Let us not go back to 60s & 70s when Indian cricket was heavily dependent on spin and a couple of great batsmen. But with Gavaskar, Viswanath and Kapil Dev, India really started looking formidable since mid 70s and continued its glorious run. Let us not even consider that period. Let us see the period post 2011 World Cup win. One Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the captain of India when India regained the WC for the second time. Mind you, it was a 50 over game tournament and not any Test series.
Immediately thereafter, in 2011, India under MSD lost Test series 0-4 in England led by Andrew Strauss when the team included Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh. What a batting line up !
Dhoni’s India followed this with a trip in 2011- 2012 to Australia under Michael Clarke with almost the same team that also included Ajinkya Rahane and two young batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India lost 0-4 again in the Test series. In both these two trips, Indian bowling was rested on Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma. And the Australian team was undergoing a period of transition, with many of their successful players like Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, and Glen McGrath having retired.
Funnily in both these two trips, India was under the coaching of one Mr. Duncan Fletcher, a Zimbabwean whose international credibility as a Test match coach was deeply in question. He coached England and led India to Champions Trophy win in 2013, again a – limited over game tournament.!
In spite of two 0-4 drubbing against England and Australia back to back, during 2011-12, neither Duncan Fletcher was removed nor MSD was sent for guillotine. There was not much hue and cry then as cricket supporters were blind about Dhoni being the World Cup winning Captain. Both Fletcher and Dhoni should have been removed then straightway. Dhoni continued for some more years, though Ravi Shastri replaced Fletcher from 2014 as India Head Coach.
Cricket in India may be a National game and huge sentiments are linked with it yet BCCI must be pragmatic in evaluating the skill set required for the present situation. Both Virat and Rohit have had their days. Both good cricketers but now both are committing same mistakes chasing balls outside the off stump. This happens when a batsman is tired in making shot selection. Signals for curtain time.
But the more important point here is the role of the Support Team. Gambhir had played the game at the highest level but he had hardly any coaching stint at home. And Gambhir looked a bit stubborn and rigid in his approach. More flexibility at this level is required from a India Head Coach. However, the selection criterion of Abhishek Nair and Ryan ten Doeschate, a Dutch cricketer, chosen as Asst. Coach and Batting coach respectively, remains inexplicably unanswered! Abhishek had never played at this level and Doeschate’s national side could be beaten even by Bengal Cricket team ! God knows, how they have been brought in to India coaching system !
Immediate orientation in support staff team for Indian Cricket is more important than even the removal of Rohit or Virat. India has VVS Laxman, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, besides, Chandrakant Pandit, a proven coach in domestic cricket. Let’s not forget, Ravichandran Ashwin could become a worthy Head Coach of Indian Cricket. If he is offered the job, then the loss of him not being offered captaincy ever, could be compensated adequately result wise. A tough yet sober cricketer of high caliber is required at the hot seat.
Who will listen ? A politically controlled BCCI ? The President Roger Binny is not keen to interfere in any matter that really matters. Shall we get another Jagmohan Dalmiya ever ?
Concluded….
