WC 2015: Team India report card – the topper, general proficiency and perfect attendance
Mumbai: The Indian cricket team could not do an encore of 2011. They crashed out of the world title race after running out of steam against Australia in the semifinal but their overall performance (87.5 per cent success rate) isn’t lacklustre at all.
The class of 2015, with new kids on the block, and a gritty Headmaster – Ravi Shastri – and an about to retire Principal – Duncan Fletcher – is here to stay. Let’s take a look at their report card and find out the topper and the good students.
Rohit Sharma (4.5/10) – The right-handed opener is known to play risk-free shots but sadly, he did that only in two occasions – against Bangladesh (137) and Ireland (64) – though he got a reprieve against the Tigers. The innings against United Arab Emirates (57 not out) isn’t counted for Ravichandran Ashwin did the damage with the ball earlier.
Runs: 330, 50s: 2, 100s: 1
Shikhar Dhawan (7/10) – The southpaw slammed two centuries (137 against South Africa, 100 against Ireland) and a half-century (73) against Pakistan. He also got starts against Bangladesh (30) and Australia (45) but could not convert. Nonetheless, his bat had done the talking.
Runs: 412, 50s: 1, 100s: 2
Virat Kohli (4/10) – Team India vice-captain’s game plan was evident from the onset. Though he is being bashed for not performing up to his potential but the gutsy batsman ensured he hung around till the end. Apart from the ton (107 against Pakistan), he hadn’t scored below 30 till the quarterfinal stage. His papers show: 46 against South Africa, 44 not out against Ireland, 33 against West Indies, a not so important 33 not out against United Arab Emirates and a 38 against Zimbabwe.
Runs: 305, 50s: 0, 100s: 1
Ajinkya Rahane (3/10): The Mumbai cricketers are known to be match winners. Rahane had his chance to keep the legacy alive on the semifinal but he got out on 44. However, apart from the breezy 79 against the Proteas, he had a quiet tournament.
Runs: 208, 50s: 1, 100s: 0
Suresh Raina (5/10): His grand total may not be the same as Kohli or Rohit but he delivered when it mattered. The knock against Zimbabwe (110 not out) came at a point when India were struggling, the scoreboard read 92 for four when he came into bat. Even the quickfire 65 off 57 against Bangladesh upped the ante for India who were reeling at 115 for three in the quarterfinal.
Runs: 284, 50s: 2, 100s: 1
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (7.5/10): 'Captain Cool' took the team home twice in the tournament – 45 not out against West Indies, 85 not out against Zimbabwe – and took 15 catches behind the stumps that included the stunning dive to dismiss Soumya Sarkar (Bangladesh) in the quarterfinal. More than the dismissals and runs under his belt, his record stands impressive for the way he marshalled his troops.
Runs: 237, 50s: 2, 100s: 0, Catches: 15, Stumpings: 0
Ravindra Jadeja: (2/10): The left-hander was the talk of the town for his selection over Yuvraj Singh in this year’s mega event. But he did not justify his inclusion as an all-rounder. Even as a bowler, he was average. He took nine wickets but he managed a total of only 57 runs in the tournament as a batsman. Jadeja had his chances barring the clash against United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Runs: 57, 50s: 0, 100s: 0, Wickets: 9
Ravichandran Ashwin (7/10): The batsmen found the Indian tweaker difficult to send for a leather hunt. He took 13 wickets and kept the proceedings tight. Even with the bat, he scored an important 16 not out against West Indies, along with Dhoni. India were six wickets down and another breakthrough from there could have turned the match towards the Caribbeans. Though his best bowling figures (4/25) came against the United Arab Emirates, what the world would remember is the three-for against the Proteas.
Runs: 30, 50s: 0, 100s: 0, Wickets: 13
Mohammed Shami (9.5/10): One Indian bowler who gave nightmares to the batsmen with the new ball. Many found him unplayable. The semifinal against Australia was the only match he remained wicketless though Aaron Finch felt the jitters initially. Nonetheless, he ripped apart Pakistan (4/35) and claimed two important wickets (2/30) against South Africa.
Runs: 8, 50s: 0, 100s: 0, Wickets: 17
Mohit Sharma (6/10): India took 70 wickets in seven matches and credit goes to this bloke too. He doesn’t have the speed of Shami or Umesh Yadav but did a brilliant job as the third bowler, exploiting the conditions Down Under. Mohit tasted success in all three matches against the tough guys – Pakistan (2/35), South Africa (2/31) and Australia (2/75).
Runs: 0, 50s: 0, 100s: 0, Wickets: 13
Umesh Yadav (9/10): He went for runs but he picked up wickets too. Though for a losing cause, his best moment in the tournament would be the one when he rattled James Faulkner - who was going great guns - in the semifinal against Australia. With four wickets in two consecutive matches, his tally of wickets went up to 18. This World Cup surely belonged to the Indian pacers and he is on top of the heap.
Runs 0, 50s: 0, 100s: 0, Wickets: 18
Perfect attendance: Mohit Sharma. Whenever the team needed wickets, he said: “Present sir.”
General proficiency: Mohammed Shami. He has shown tremendous improvement in the last few months.
Topper: It’s a tie between Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. Shami conceded 294 runs for 17 wickets, Yadav gave away 321 runs but has one wicket more (18) to his name.
Promoted with warning: Ravindra Jadeja
(Photos: AP)
