BOMBAY, 3 November 2003 — India’s Wankhede Stadium jinx continued as they lost yet another limited-overs international at this venue. It would have taken a major innings from the little champion to turn the tables on Australia after it posted an imposing total. But though he got a half-century, even he will concede that it wasn’t one of his better efforts. There was more playing and missing around the off-stump than one usually sees from him and he never quite got the fluency that he had in the previous match at Gwalior.
Dravid’s move to open the bowling with a spinner was brilliant, but he had the wrong bowler on. Sehwag did surprise the Aussies at Gwalior with his skiddish bowling, but having done their homework, they were prepared for him this time. Though Zaheer got Hayden for a first-ball duck with a well-directed short ball, the same accuracy was missing thereafter, and his first spell allowed the Australians to race away to a great start in spite of that early loss of Hayden.
Their scoring rate kept the pressure on the Indians, as did the heat and humidity of Bombay. Martyn, who had batted beautifully in the World Cup final along with the skipper Ponting, had Symonds as his partner this time and Dravid would have been praying for five more fielders to stop the flow of runs. Agarkar was the pick of the bowlers, varying his pace well and mixing the slower one cleverly. Though Kumble was expensive, it was to an extent due to poor fielding. Apart from Agarkar and Harbhajan, none of the other bowlers would want to frame their bowling figures in the match, and in fact it was Agarkar’s second spell that ensured that Australia did not reach 300.
Virender Sehwag hasn’t quite hit the high notes that he did last season and in his case, as also that of Mohammad Kaif, the ‘second season syndrome’ has hit them hard. Most newcomers who are unknown in the first season are analyzed and their strengths and weaknesses noted and so by the time the second season comes along, captains and bowlers are ready with a plan to get them. Sehwag’s high back-lift makes him vulnerable to the ball coming in to him and his stand-and-deliver style thus gets cramped. In Kaif’s case, the opening of the face of the bat has had him caught behind as he pokes at the ball, and unless these fine young men spend some extra time in the nets, they will continue to flatter to deceive. Dravid’s was the best knock from the Indians and he has come on in leaps and bounds as a strike batsman as he rotates the strike well too. He doesn’t use the reverse-sweep much and perhaps it was the first time he has played it in an international match and maybe after his dismissal to it, the last time also.
What was disappointing was that India conceded the bonus point to the Australians when they had the batting line-up to prevent that. They also had the overs to do it but somehow, there seemed a defeatist approach toward it. Bracken was quite outstanding and Williams will always believe that he had the little champion leg-before but was denied that. He too bowled with good control and it was this initial spell that saw the Indians tentative and on the back foot. Michael Clarke who the knowledgeables from Australia feel is the next big thing in batting, showed that he could bowl too and the Australians bringing him into the eleven in place of Harvey was a masterstroke. That is the strength of the Australians, to be able to replace the tried, trusted and successful with tyros who come in and deliver the mail with the bad news to the opposition.
All is not lost for India, for don’t forget it was only a few days back that they beat the world champs at Gwalior. Here at Wankhede, the Aussies were much better. The result may be disappointing, but if lessons are learnt and bold decisions taken, then a bounce back is entirely possible.
