Cut criticism, Team India'll be back

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">var server = '203.197.64.235'; var sitepage = "www.timesofindia.com/india/index.html"; var position ="Bottom1"; if (! 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Just a few months ago the same team had won everything.</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /><br />58.09, 52.72, 46.54, 42.07.Before you start wondering what race of women these stats apply to let''s enlighten you that they belong to the frontline Team India batsmen, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.<br /><br />Let''s also add that these figures belittle those of top-notch batsmen of most other Test-playing nations.<br /><br />The bowling aspect also needs to be put in perspective. Although the Asia Cup was their nadir, Team India bowlers got into rhythm gradually as the Videocon Cup and the NatWest Series passed. By the time Champions Cup appeared on the horizon, Irfan Pathan was at his incisive best and Harbhajan Singh was weaving his magic against opponents as if he was playing on sub-continental pitches.<br /><br />In fact, Irfan Pathan''s bowling was a revelation. In the two matches that India played in, he grabbed five wickets at a phenomenal average of just 9! While Bhajji''s magnificent bowling led him to pouch three wickets and get a cumulative tournament average of 23.33.<br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />Going by these statistics and the way India has climbed to the top of the cricket pyramid over the last couple of years, the clamour for wholesale changes in the wake of NatWest series and Champions Cup defeats might be a bit misplaced. What Team India requires at this time, when Sachin''s fitness is in limbo and the team''s spirit is low, is introspection, not a witch-hunt.<br /><br />These are the batsmen and bowlers who have, just eight months back, dealt Australian supremacy a body blow, putting its No 1 position under attack. These are the very same players who have created history by beating Pakistan in Pakistan in both Test and ODI series. From Jason Gillespie to Shoaib Akhtar every bowler was so much grist to their mill. They razed every encomium heaped on Indian teams till date and new and ostentatious words were dusted from dictionaries to heap praise on our triumphant warriors.<br /><br />Forward into the future, boldly<br /><br />A close look at the recent Indian performances shows that form has deserted some players, others were guilty of being in too much of a hurry to blast their way to instant triumphs, while the rest played themselves in but just as they were set they perished to a rash stroke and could not leverage their start - to Team India''s detriment.<br /><br />Most of the times the strategy chalked by coach John Wright and skipper Sourav Ganguly was a good one but the team failed in implementation.<br /><br />Virender Sehwag is the man in the greatest amount of stress as his strokeplay is totally dependant on his psyche. A loss of form for anybody is temporary, and class will come to the fore given time. Putting greater pressure on him to perform by reading the riot act to him will be counter productive.<br /><br />So, how does the team start firing on all cylinders?<br /><br />From catering to the psychological aspect, to giving greater heed to the role that the batsman/bowler wants/prefers will require kid gloves treatment. In that case Viru''s desire to play in the middle-order has to be looked at, and Dravid''s desire to shed keeper''s gloves needs to be fulfilled.<br /><br />From massaging of the ego to ironing out the deficiencies that have crept into their game, a long hard look at each and every aspect of play must be taken and mistakes pointed out. But it will be only long hard days and effort put in at the nets that will get them back into the groove. <br /><br />The need of the hour is practice, practice and practice some more. Strategies need to be relooked at. See how Woolmer turned cricketing wisdom on its head when Pakistan played India at the ICC Cup: Shoaib Akhtar was held back till the 15th over in that match, contrary to his being used as the spearhead. The physios, the trainers and the batting and bowling coaches all need to come together to put the fire back into the Indian player''s belly.<br /><br />India has always been a tiger at home. There can be no better opponent to salvage its reputation against than Australia. What it needs is less unwanted advice and more application to set its house in order. <br /><br /></div> </div>