da pinnacle： From an Indian viewpoint there was one inescapable conclusion drivenhome by events in the ICC Champions Trophy
da premier bet： Partab Ramchand01-Oct-2002From an Indian viewpoint there was one inescapable conclusion drivenhome by events in the ICC Champions Trophy. From being just one ofhalf a dozen challengers for the title, India have emerged as strongcontenders for the World Cup.
© ReutersAn expected victory over Zimbabwe, an emphatic win over England, atriumph over South Africa that seemed straight out of fiction booksand two finals against the in-form hosts in which they more than heldtheir own was the sum total of India’s performances in the justconcluded tournament. And all this can mean only one thing. ThisIndian team is capable of defeating any opposition.Nearly 20 years ago, when the Indians were considered near novices inthe intricate art of the one-day game, a team under Kapil Dev pulledoff a remarkable victory over the West Indies in Berbice. This shouldhave set off warning signals for other teams. But they did not heedthe signal and the whole cricketing world is aware of what happened atLord’s some three months later.To my mind, the Indians’ showing in Colombo should send out a similarwarning to the other competing sides. Not that the Indians are novicesanymore in the limited overs game but there is this tendency tobelieve that however good the side is, it is not a World Cup winningoutfit.I will readily admit that that I was one of those a bit cynical oftheir chances on the eve of the Champions Trophy. The plus point ofthe Indian team – the batting – was really strong but with continuingdoubts over the bowling and with the fielding not measuring up tointernational standards even though the likes of Yuvraj Singh andMohammad Kaif have raised the level considerably, a semifinal spot wasthe most I would have bargained for. But by going considerablyfurther, the Indian team has been able to convert even a skeptic likeme. I now sincerely believe that India has as much a chance of winningthe World Cup as Australia, South Africa, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.Yes, I know the impressive showing was achieved in sub-continentalconditions whereas the pitches in South Africa could well be awkwardlypacy and bouncy. I am also aware of India’s rather disappointingrecord in that country. But there was something very positive andrefreshing about the Indian performance in Sri Lanka that makes mefeel quite optimistic about their chances in the mega event. And onemust not forget that this came hot on the heels of the NatWest triumphin England, achieved against all odds.Of course, there are areas to be sorted out and I mentioned thebowling and fielding as obvious ones. But these are not insurmountableproblems that cannot be tackled and I am confident that Ganguly andcoach John Wright, who I don’t think has received enough credit forthe Indians’ improved showing of late, are already on the job.Fortunately there are still over four months before the start of theWorld Cup and India has a number of international engagements tillthen. Hopefully, this will help in sorting out the grey areas. But inthis context, it is imperative that the selectors and the teammanagement look ahead instead of looking back. This is with particularreference to the recall of Javagal Srinath.Such retrograde steps are not the kind that should be taken at thisjuncture. The Indian team is an ideal blend of youth and experience.In Kaif, Yuvraj, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan the youth isrepresented in all its bloom. The experience is provided by Ganguly,Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Kumble. Harbhajan and Agarkar bythemselves represent a combination of youth and experience.If at all replacements and fringe players are needed, there are anynumber of talented youngsters around. There is no need to put theclock back and recall players who are in their mid-thirties andalready over the hill. Let the rather disastrous experiment withSrinath in the ICC Champions Trophy be a reminder to selectors infuture to always look ahead and not back.
© CricInfoAs for the Champions Trophy, the Indians can take credit for providingsome of the best cricket seen in the tournament. Sehwag was verily theplayer of the competition and his pyrotechnics have taken a lot ofpressure off Tendulkar. Let there be no further talk of Tendulkargoing back to open the innings.With Sehwag around at the top and with he and Ganguly clicking, No 3or 4 would seem to be the right spot for Tendulkar, who can thencapitalise on a breezy start or steady the innings in case the Indianslose an early wicket. Yuvraj and Kaif should stay where they are forat No 6 and 7 they will be needed to give the scoring a fillip in theslog overs while Dravid can perform his role admirably in the middleorder.What Wright, Leipus and company will have to do over the next fewmonths is to work on the running between wickets and physical fitnessand make the players mentally strong for the World Cup. There islittle doubt that the Indian team is peaking right now and nothingshould be done to cloud the atmosphere. In this regard, it is alsohoped that a quick and permanent solution is found to the contractscontroversy that is still hanging fire.
