India are the defending champions, but after a win-less tour of Australia, ahead of this World Cup – fans and experts did not know what to expect.
But then on Sunday the 15th of February against arch-rivals Pakistan, India put on a near flawless performance to register a comprehensive 76 run win. The batting up top was solid – with Dhawan and Kohli getting back into form in imperious fashion. Raina was promoted up the order and immediately made an impact. The only hiccup in the batting was the flurry of late wickets, which meant India reached 300, rather than cross 330.
On the field and with the ball, India were charged up. Perhaps for the first time since they came to Australia in November, there was a real sense of energy. The fast bowlers hit the right corridors and didn’t over-do the short ball. The fielders backed up their efforts by holding on to the catches and diving in the field.
Mohammad Shami finished with four wickets & Ravi Ashwin bowled three maidens – something that was a struggle even in the tests. Decisively, India won by a comfortable margin and maintained their unbeaten streak against Pakistan in World Cup matches.
On Wednesday at the Junction Oval, it was a funny sort of training session. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had extended periods receiving throw downs via the ‘side-arm’ device. Rohit was severe off his back-foot and on anything remotely short. He also unfurled some crisp drives, however also had his moments of indecision. The corridor just outside his off-stump short of a good length saw him play and miss on several occasions. However, fortunately there was no edge.
In the nets next to him, Mohit Sharma was having a hit. His goal was to keep the good balls out and hammer anything that was remotely loose. He looked ungainly at times but the session, which was as long as India’s premier batsmen indicated India were serious about wanting their lower order scoring runs.
Out in middle, there was center-wicket practice. Fast bowlers Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami along with the spinners – Ashwin, Axar Patel and Ravi Jadeja bowled to Rayudu, Rahane and Dhoni. It appeared all the batsmen were focused solely on clearing boundaries today, with hardly any defensive shots. Not all the shots were well timed. Plenty were caught in the boundary by the supporting ball boys and the odd one crunched, which was met with applause from the support staff.
However, all eyes were on the skipper MS Dhoni. He seemed to be battling himself and was not at ease. Some balls he over-hit, others he miscued and some he completely missed. It was intriguing to watch a player who can clear boundaries at will in form struggling to clear the Junction Oval field. Despite this, Dhoni persisted and seemed determined.
The main batsmen were done. Binny & Ashwin along with the bowlers had a bat in the middle too. Dhoni still had his pads on. Finally, at the closing stages of their session, he decided to bat in the center again. His shots were more crisp this time. He crunched some vintage boundaries, but the towering six still eluded him. When he did get the elevation, there was no distance. Despite this, the helicopter shot was back. As was the exaggerated follow through. A few more hits and Dhoni was done for the evening.
This hasn’t been the greatest of tours for MS Dhoni, who generally has an aura about him. His shock test retirement mid way through the Border-Gavaskar trophy, injury concerns and lackluster form make for compelling viewing. In the past, whenever he has been faced with a challenge, Dhoni has responded in unconventional fashion. Before the 2011 World Cup Final, Dhoni had not scored a fifty in the previous 13 innings. In the final, he hit a match-winning 91* along with the World Cup winning six. You can sense now that runs are not far away for MSD.
What we see in the match is the result of many failures in practice that have been overcome. Several batsmen were caught on the boundary today and bouncers were duly dispatched. However, in today’s session, there was one common trend – India are playing positively. The batsmen weren’t afraid to keep lofting, while the the bowlers experimented with slower balls, yorkers and bouncers.
Even ‘Sir Jadeja’ known for his flamboyance, extravagance and love of horses was seen sprinting at full intensity to complete a series of shuttle runs. There was nothing princely about that. It was hard work.
There was a sense of purpose around Team India at training. This is an ICC Event, where India in the recent past have a brilliant record. Suddenly, the ‘richest’ team in the world has woken up in this Australian tour. There is after-all $3.75 million on offer for the Winning Team. And then there is the IPL straight after! The cynic would combine that logic and think its not surprising India would be switched on. The passionate onlooker would conclude by virtue of hard work, India is ready for its next battle.
If Wednesday’s training was any indication, Sunday may be another mouthwatering contest against South Africa at the MCG.
Bring on the spice!
Navneet Ganesh is the founder of Infinity Cricket, a leading cricket organisation responsible for delivering cricket events, cricket content and products. Its tag line is ‘Connecting people through cricket.’ Navneet is an avid cricket enthusiast and has a keen interest in writing.
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