Happy New Year and all that.
Yes, this is a review alright, but not a movie review, albeit a cricketing one.
It was the first series of the new year, and with the loss to New Zealand, we have now lost the numero uno ranking in ODIs in the new year.
It is not the loss that rankles fans like yours truly.
It is the insipid display of our batting (barring Kohli and Dhoni, and later Jadeja) in this series and the perennially toothless bowling attack that we have been enduring, which hurts.
There are times when the very first ball of the match sets the tempo - the immaculate line and length a bowler finds right from ball one, the agility and reflexes shown by the fielder(s), the team spirit and body language that is reflected in the way the team carries itself, and if batting, the intent, concentration, and discipline shown by the batsmen.
All these add up to make a cricket match exciting and accelerate its tempo, building up to a crescendo by the time the last ball of the series is bowled.
This time, however, the euphoria has ended much before the last ball of the series actually gets bowled, thanks to the series already having been lost by India, and the last match turning out to be a dead rubber.
As I said, it is not the result - victory or defeat will eventually follow, sooner or later, as per the efforts that are put up in either direction - it is the efforts, the process being followed (or the lack of it) which needs correction.
With the likes of Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Raina, and to a a large extent, even Rohit Sharma, failing, the time has come for some serious introspection on what we need to do to perform better overseas.
Hopefully, we shall see a reformed and as the cliched new product commercials have us believe, a (New, Improved!!) Team India on its next important assignments overseas.
PS: Watch this space for more - we still have the Test series to go.
And with the change in personnel - someone like Pujara coming in, we still have hope for a better performance by our team in Test-ing conditions overseas too.
Hoping for better performances and victories eventually: Jai Ho!
Yes, this is a review alright, but not a movie review, albeit a cricketing one.
It was the first series of the new year, and with the loss to New Zealand, we have now lost the numero uno ranking in ODIs in the new year.
It is not the loss that rankles fans like yours truly.
It is the insipid display of our batting (barring Kohli and Dhoni, and later Jadeja) in this series and the perennially toothless bowling attack that we have been enduring, which hurts.
There are times when the very first ball of the match sets the tempo - the immaculate line and length a bowler finds right from ball one, the agility and reflexes shown by the fielder(s), the team spirit and body language that is reflected in the way the team carries itself, and if batting, the intent, concentration, and discipline shown by the batsmen.
All these add up to make a cricket match exciting and accelerate its tempo, building up to a crescendo by the time the last ball of the series is bowled.
This time, however, the euphoria has ended much before the last ball of the series actually gets bowled, thanks to the series already having been lost by India, and the last match turning out to be a dead rubber.
As I said, it is not the result - victory or defeat will eventually follow, sooner or later, as per the efforts that are put up in either direction - it is the efforts, the process being followed (or the lack of it) which needs correction.
With the likes of Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Raina, and to a a large extent, even Rohit Sharma, failing, the time has come for some serious introspection on what we need to do to perform better overseas.
Hopefully, we shall see a reformed and as the cliched new product commercials have us believe, a (New, Improved!!) Team India on its next important assignments overseas.
PS: Watch this space for more - we still have the Test series to go.
And with the change in personnel - someone like Pujara coming in, we still have hope for a better performance by our team in Test-ing conditions overseas too.
Hoping for better performances and victories eventually: Jai Ho!
