NEW DELHI, 20 February 2007 — If India manage to match their last World Cup runners-up finish in the latest edition in the Caribbean, it will be considered a big achievement considering their horror story in 2006.
India have been experimenting with their batting order ever since Australian Greg Chappell took over as coach in 2005, but have yet to hit upon a winning combination.
Fans began to lose faith in the team which tasted failure at home as well as abroad last year despite the presence of exciting stroke-makers in Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni.
However, despite the pains of 2006, there are signs that things are on the upturn with a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka this month which saw former skipper Saurav Ganguly making two impressive half-centuries.
Chappell, also a former Australian Test captain, has said in a recent interview that a semifinal berth is a reasonable ambition and beyond that the World Cup is anybody’s tournament.
“We have the ability, but we will have to play well and we will have to have some luck along the way,” said Chappell, who was under fire last year for his team’s dismal performance.
Rahul Dravid’s Indians will require luck as well as pluck to leave a mark in the mega one-day event as little went right for them in 2006.
The new year began well when they thrashed an under-strength West Indies side 3-1 in a home series in January, but the triumph still failed to iron out all of their flaws.
India’s problems begin when their strength — batting — deserts them. This was precisely what happened with them last year.
Opener Sehwag’s form was a major cause of concern as he could manage just 254 runs in 14 matches before he was axed for the West Indies series.
His presence is vital to the team’s balance because specialist opener Tendulkar was asked to bat in the middle order in the twin series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka ahead of the World Cup.
Ganguly’s triumphant return to India’s colors augurs well because the stylish left-hander has given his team an option to try out a different opener in recent matches.
Ganguly, only the second Indian after Tendulkar with more than 10,000 runs in one-dayers, hammered an impressive 98 against the West Indies in January 2007 in his first match in 16 months to remind the selectors his sun had not yet set.
The stylish southpaw had fallen out of selectors’ favor after a public spat with the coach and was forced to play domestic cricket before returning to the Indian squad.
“It was never Chappell vs. Ganguly, never between two personalities. I only look at cricketing issues. Ganguly has come back extremely well and all credit to him. Right now, I have nothing but praise for him,” said the Indian coach.
Things started looking up when Tendulkar hammered a 76-ball hundred in the fourth and final one-dayer against the West Indies at Vadodara in January this year after months of silence. India’s bowling was inconsistent last year, with left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan’s form being a major worry. He kept losing confidence with each mediocre performance before being dropped for a couple of matches.
India have yet to decide whether to include both spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the playing eleven or go with an extra batsman. But there is no denying the fact the batting holds the key to their fortunes. India were the champions in 1983, runners-up in 2003 and semifinalists in 1987 and 1996.
Australia’s Collapse Leaves Cup
Wide Open, Says Fleming
In Melbourne, Australia’s recent slump in one-day form means the World Cup is wide open, said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.
The world champions’ five-wicket defeat in Auckland on Sunday was the first time in 10 years Australia had lost four one-day matches in a row. It also resulted in them relinquishing top spot in the rankings, to South Africa, for the first time.
New Zealand reached 337 for four to achieve the second-highest run chase in history with eight balls to spare to secure the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. The Kiwis won the first match of the series in Wellington on Friday by 10 wickets, the first time Australia had ever lost by such a margin.
“I think that’s just where international cricket is at the moment, we’re going to a World Cup with teams beating each other,” Fleming told reporters after the epic win.
“I guess that’s the exciting thought, and the scary thought, that on any given day one of eight teams could win this World Cup.” Having looked dominant in the group stages of the tri-series against England and New Zealand, the Australians have suffered injuries and a collapse in form.
They lost the finals 2-0 to England and have lost Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds to injuries that could rule them out of the March 14-April 28 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Skipper Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist were rested for the short New Zealand trip, and the Australians have struggled under stand-in skipper Mike Hussey despite fielding a strong bowling line-up.
“I don’t think the world is focusing on Australia. I think there are other teams in West Indies conditions that will be just as dangerous,” Fleming added.
“The South Africans are playing well, we’ve watched a bit of it through Australia and they’ve certainly got the wood on Pakistan.
“They’re one of a number of teams that can win this World Cup. I have no doubt that they’ll be there or thereabouts.” The final match of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series is at Hamilton’s Seddon Park today.
