Clueless Indian Cricket Team

Phase of pathetic performance of Indian Cricket team on foreign soil is continue, despite part of so called stars like-

·        Sachin Tendulkar – Master Blaster

·        Rahul Dravid – Wall

·        VVS Laxman – Very Very Special

·        Virendar Sehwag – Sultan of Nafazgarh

it appears that team management and coach are directionless how to advise players to play on the field at the time of batting or fielding, before the start of India’s tour of Australia media hype the series very much by raising the expectation of fans by claiming that this time Indian Cricket team will win the series and they endorse it by supporting that team Australia has unknown young players and senior players are not in the best of their form like Ricky Pointing plus Australia’s result of recently played test series against South Africa and New Zealand. Media also claim that in this series Sachin will make much awaited hundredth hundred, so being cricket crazy country for fans it was enough ingredients to wait anxiously for start of series between two country and first game was schedule to start on 26^th December(Boxing Day), moreover BCCI sends some senior players few days earlier to acclimatize in the Australian condition, cricket lovers were waiting for a tough series.

    Indian Cricket team has to play four test match series, fifteen ODI matches triangular series and two T20 matches in Australia. On 26^th December,2011 India v/s Australia series started with first test match. Below is brief glimpse of first three matches’ –

1.      26^th December to 30^th December, 2011 – Melbourne Cricket Ground ; Australia won the toss and opted to bat first and at the end of first day’s play they were 277 for the lose of six wickets and they were all out on second day at 333 runs after facing 110 overs ; India at the end of day’s play were 214 for the lose of three wickets and they had very good edge to get handsome lead and put pressure on to the Australian team but next day India were bundled on 282 after playing 94.1 overs thus give Australia lead of 51 runs and at the end of day three Australia were 179 for the lose of eight wickets and have lead of 230 runs, on day four Australia made 240 runs in their second innings and gave target to India to make 301 runs to won the first match but on the same day Indian batters surrender in front of fast bowling and all our for 169 runs in 47. 5 overs and match ended in fourth day, Australia took lead 1-0.

2.      3^rd January to 7^th January,2012 – Sydney Cricket Ground ; India won the toss and choose to bat first, but India all out in their first innings at the score of 191 runs which they made by playing only 59.3 overs; Australia were 116 for the lose of three wickets at the end of day first, on second day they lost only one wicket in the whole day game but made 368 runs and were 484 runs for the lose of four wickets and day third of the game store for India more shockers as Australia declared their first innings at 659 for the lose of four wickets and major contribute in the Australian innings were Captain Clarke not out at 329 runs, Pointing out at 134 runs and Hussey not out at 150 runs and gave Indian batters to score at least 468 runs to bat them again, at the end of day three India were 114 for the lose of two wickets, on day four India were all out at 400 runs in 110.5 overs and Australia stamp their second victory, match ended in fourth days and India lost the match by an innings and 68 runs.

3.      13^th January to 17^th January, 2012 – Western Australia Cricket Association; Australia won the toss and opted to field first ; India were all out at the score of 161 in 60.2 overs and at the end of first day play Australia were 149 without lose of any wickets, second day Australia were all out at the score of  369 runs while facing 76.2 overs, and get lead of 208 runs, and at the close of day two of match India were 88 for the lose of four wickets and they are standing at the doorstep of one another humiliating defeat.

It will be seventh defeat in a row on foreign soil if India lose the match. Below is brief look of all the matches –

1.      21^st to 25^th July,2011 – Lord’s London – England declared first Innings 474 for the lose of eight wickets in 131.4 overs ; India were all out in their first innings at 286 runs which they made after facing 95.5 overs ; England declared their second innings at 269 runs after facing 71 overs for the lose of six wickets; India were all out in their second innings at 261 runs while facing 96.3 overs. England won by 196 runs in fifth day of the match.

2.      29^th August to 2^nd August,2011 – Trent Bridge,Nottingham; England made 221 runs in their first innings in 68.4 overs,; India made 288 runs in 91.1 overs and get lead of 67 runs; England made 544 runs in their second innings and gave target Indian of 478 runs but bundled out in only 47.4 overs at the score of 158 runs; thus England won the match by 319 runs and match ended in fourth day.

3.      10^th to 14^th August,2011 – Edgbaston, Birmingham;  India all out in their first innings at 224 runs while facing 62.2 overs; England pile up mountain of runs in their first innings of 710 runs for the lose of seven wickets which they made in 188.1 overs; in their second innings India were all out for 244 runs which they made in 55.3 overs; England won the match in four days by an innings and 242 runs.

4.      18^th August to 22^nd August,2012 – Kennington Oval ,London ;England declare their first innings at 591 runs for the lose of six wickets in 153 overs; India all out at 300 runs in 94 overs; while following on in their second innings score of England India were all out 283 runs in 91 overs , thus England won the match by an innings and eight runs in fifth day and clinch the series 4-0.

• Next three matches on foreign soil of Indian are coded above which are against Australia.

It appear every players are playing for himself, team has no clue how to turns the table on foreign soil and even before the start of third test match at Perth MS Dhoni hints that he will retire after one year period to stretch his career for next ODI World Cup. If BCCI administrator wants that Indian Cricket team perform excellent in foreign soil also then they have to take some tough decisions like –

·        Retire all the 30 plus players from test matches.

·        Prepared mix of both tracks in the country turning and bouncy tracks so that whenever team is leaving for any country then players prepare themselves for the tracks they will get in the country.

·        Get report card of every players during the course of tour from management.

·        Players should be selected for tour on to their performances not because of their names.

BCCI aware that cricket has countless fans in all the age groups but ignoring that  fans wants that their team play good, tough and fighting cricket and victory or defeat are bound to happens but for them only thing matter is the way team perform on the ground.