The lack of fear of chasing targets was stressed in the series against Australia. After such a series of big target thrillers, to win the decider against the West Indies was a somewhat lesser proposition. A well oiled batting machine is purring along nicely although the same cannot be said of the bowling department.
This has been an e x t r a o r d i n a r y year for Team India in the ODI arena. The team came up trumps in as many as six series, including the prestigious Champions Trophy. In winning the last edition of CT, MS Dhoni was elevated to an exalted status as the king of ODIs as no skipper had ever won the triple of T20 worlds, World Cup (50 overs) and the Champions Trophy.
The year is not over and the biggest challenge lies ahead of Team India which has never won an ODI, or Test series for that matter, in South Africa. The best chance to amend the ‘no ODI series win record in South Africa’ is with the current team. So well have things fallen in place that the team is at a peak performance level now.
The lack of fear of chasing targets was stressed in the series against Australia. After such a series of big target thrillers, to win the decider against the West Indies was a somewhat lesser proposition. A well oiled batting machine is purring along nicely although the same cannot be said of the bowling department.
Leaking runs has become a modern phenomenon on the slower surfaces of India and the true pitches of South Africa and Australia.
No bowling attack is to be blamed for giving away runs despite having the advantage of two white balls. What the T20 revolution has taught batsmen is no target is impossible. An asking rate of ten an over is a fair enough target in the end overs of ODIs too.
With the amended field p l a c e m e n t rules favouring batsmen, with one lesser fielder in the deep for a major part of the innings than before, piling on the runs has become routine. As Dhoni pointed out, today’s 350 total is yesterday’s 300. If conditions continue to favour such levels of combined batting performances, Team India must really fancy its
With th amended field placement rules favouring batsmen, with one lesser fielder in the deep for a major part of the innings than before, piling on the runs has become routine. As Dhoni pointed out, today's 350 total is yesterday's 300. If conditions continue to favour such levels of combined batting performances, Team India must really fancy its chances of a maiden series win in SA.
South African Test pitches can be full of pace and somewhat diabolic at the start because of the amount of moisture they leave in to help their seamers. ODIs start much later in the day and also that much moisture is never used as a drier and truer pitches tend to produce far better entertainment, which is all the more reason why this will be India’s best ever chance in the land of the Proteas.
It is not as if India has not had such powerful batting lineup before. In fact, there have been many that would probably tip the current team in terms of sheer potential as well as big names. What sets this team apart is the firepower in the late middle order and late order, which gives those at the top the freedom to play themselves in a bit rather than go for it from the cry of ‘Play’.
A settled opening combination is half the battle won and with Shikhar Dhawan as well as Rohit Sharma firing in unison, there is little worry even if one or the other falls to the perils of the new ball. There is sufficient depth to take the early hits and still regroup in time to make targets manageable. In the past, several glamorous Indian batting lineups were guilty of those at the top leaving the job to those behind them because they were too blasé after long exposure to international cricket.
Today, they have the best finisher in the game in their skipper who comes late in the order. If this lineup cannot do it then India would have to wait ages to erase the one aberration in their record of not winning an ODI series in South Africa.
Having won a tri-series in Australia to break a similar jinx on the other side of the southern hemisphere, India should be looking forward to a similar feat this southern summer too. Can the Proteas stop Dhoni’s marauding Indians is the question.
