Team India's test record in Australia is poor as they have never won series
Current Team India director Ravi Shastri was a key member of the 1991-92 tour Down Under when the five-Test series was followed by the World Cup, and knows first hand what it means to be on the road for five months.
Among the more important things that the Indian players have to do on their five-month long tour of Australia, Ravi Shastri adviced Virat Kohli and his team on the eve of their departure, is to switch off every now and then from cricket. He was not being facetious or funny. Shastri was a key member of the 1991-92 tour Down Under when the 5-Test series was followed by the World Cup and knows first hand what it means to be on the road for five months, living out of a suitcase in different hotels and different cities.
He had a mixed tour then, scoring a double century in the Sydney Test and then injuring his knee which imperiled his participation in the World Cup. He flew back to India for emergency treatment, returned in time for the first match of the tournament. Unfortunately his knee gave way almost instantly signaling, as it happened, the end of his career.
“It was a roller-coaster ride,” says Shastri of that tour. “There were terrific highs and terrible lows. Through all this, I could keep my sanity because I ventured out to explore the Australian way of life rather than sitting tight in my hotel room all the time.”
The therapeutic value of this I can vouch for since I was also on the same tour to Australia. After a while, it is likely that painful drudgery can set in.Where players are concerned, it can be worse. Some get too obsessed with the game at the cost of everything else. Brooding on failures or gloating interminably on personal success both stem from a sense of insecurity and are pitfalls.
What players generally tend to ignore is ‘me time’. This can lead to anxiety, frustration or even boredom. The negativity can be contagious and spread rapidly through the team, especially if things are going wrong.“Hobbies are important,” says Shastri. “Whether it is playing golf, sightseeing, checking out different cuisines, some night spots — whatever catches your fancy.”
Can this not be distracting? “Obviously, balance is crucial,” says Shastri. “You can’t get sucked into just having a good time and ignoring the task on hand. That’s a short-cut to a ensuring that your cricketing career will be very brief.”An extension to this argument, I would imagine, is prioritization. In 1991-92, for instance, the focus of some players was so much on the World Cup that the Test series which preceded it almost became an also ran.
This is what Kohli (who leads in the first Test) and Dhoni must guard against. While retaining the World Cup is extremely important, it should not be seen as an opportunity for redemption for not concentrating on the Tests.
In 1991-92, it might be remembered, India suffered a double whammy, losing the Test series 0-4 and not making much headway in the World Cup either, making for a disastrous tour overall.Keeping aside discussion on the World Cup for later, India face a formidable task in the Test series which would be their focus. That India have never won a series in Australia is a sobering thought; that the last time (2011-12) they were whitewashed, should get their hackles up to prove their credentials.
The pattern in international cricket nowadays is that teams are doing exceptionally at home while struggling overseas. India’s record in this aspect has been particularly dismal, barring a solitary win over the West Indies in 2011. There is much to play for, therefore, not the least personal and national pride. On paper, the teams look evenly matched. For once, India has the firepower in its pace bowling to push the Aussie batsmen on the backfoot. But that is not going to be enough.
Next Story
