No Hopes for India
February 17, 2008 by Dinsa Sachan
Filed under Tennis
Australia v India, CB Series, 7th ODI, Adelaide ; February 17, 2008
Australia 9 for 203 (Clarke 79, Pathan 4-41) beat India 153 (Johnson 3-42) by 50 runs
Australia beats India in the 7th CB Series ODI by 50 runs
There’s been a lot of talk recently about Australia losing the confidence and luster they were once known for. It might be true, but the thing is, they’re still a cut above the rest, whatever level they are at.
Their most in-form bowler didn’t play, they struggled to put up a decent total, and yet they managed to win. You could argue it wasn’t their bowling but India’s batting inadequacies that steered the match in their direction, but who cares. A win is a win. Australia won. End of story.
This Indian team isn’t bad per se, despite the absence of regulars like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid; they just failed to perform. Dhoni said at the post-match presentation that the youngsters are learning. It’s true these guys are rookies, and it takes time to handle the kind of pressure that comes with facing Australia, but inexperience should not be used as an excuse. If they are not good enough to play against Australia, they shouldn’t be playing in these matches. You don’t go to Australia to give practice to your players. And let’s not forget that even with the bigger players on board, India has never truly threatened Australia. Yes, they have challenged Australia’s domination to some extent, but then again, the Aussies never lost sleep over it. Sometimes the batsmen don’t click; sometimes the bowlers disappoint. It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to put your act together.
Anyway, Gautam Gambhir looked good, but like always, lacked the patience and fell into the trap the Aussie have been using to snare him throughout the Commonwealth Bank Series. Yuvraj Singh was a bit of himself in the match, but you can’t expect a miracle from an out-of-form batsman, and that too at such a critical stage. Dhoni did bring some stability after a disastrous start and could have saved the game, but no go again.
James Hopes’ two quick wickets could be justified as the turning point of the match. They sealed the match for Australia. Pretty much.
Looking at the big picture, there needs to be some serious work done on the players. If the BCCI can take some time off their important matters like IPL, it would do the players some good. The physio and another staffer on the team have left. That might bring their focus back to the team.
The next match is going to give us some idea where this series is headed.
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It must have been quite crazy to see the last few wickets falling. Not for me though, because I switched off the television after Dhoni’s dismissal. And it wasn’t a complete waste of time for me either; I gulped half a dozen oranges while watching, and that’s given me enough Vitamin C for the rest of the week.
