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So, again when it came to the crunch situation, it was Pakistan who called the shots and not India.
I refer to the number of times India has lost to Pakistan in a final of a series or a tournament despite seemingly having the better team, despite being in a better position to win and despite having apparently made the better preparation.
Only a few days before, in the league match, India had outplayed Pakistan by 140 runs neatly reversing an outlandish predication by Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson, who said he would like his team to win by 150 runs. And yet, when it came to the all-important game, it was Lawson who had the last laugh. This was Pakistan’s sixth win in eight final attempts over the last decade.
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Actually, it can be said that the lop-sided Indian victory in the league match did give an erroneous impression. India were not that superior to win by 140 runs and Pakistan were not that weak to be beaten by that huge a margin. When one examined the teams on paper, it was clear that there was very little to choose between them and as in so many one-day matches, it was a case of one good day or one bad day at the office. India had the better share of the fortunes on the first occasion even as little went right for Pakistan. The situation was reversed in the final, though, to the credit of the Indians they made a brave attempt to overhaul a daunting target.
Yes, I know it will be said that a team capable of winning the CB series `Down Under’ putting it past Sri Lanka and then defeating the oft-crowned world champions by a clear-cut 2-0 margin should be able to lift the trophy in a tri-series involving Pakistan and Bangladesh and on more familiar surroundings in the subcontinent. But the equation is not as simple as that.
It is not easy to make the transition from Twenty20 to Fifty50 even though Indian coach Gary Kirsten said this wouldn’t be a problem when pointedly asked about it on the eve of the tournament. Of course, many of the Pakistani players too had participated in the Indian Premier League, but they apparently adjusted to the less frenetic tempo of play that much better. The prime example was seen during the double-century second-wicket partnership between Salman Butt and Younis Khan. There were times when I thought the duo were leaving it a little too late - so measured was their progress during the three powerplays. But this was tactical ODI cricket at its best and underlined the importance of a strong foundation. It was that much more easy for the batsman who followed and even though they did not really build on this excellent momentum, Pakistan were still able to post a total that most observers felt even the strong Indian batting line-up would find difficult to overhaul.
Part of the blame for allowing Pakistan to wriggle out from a rather shaky start must lie with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He is a fine intuitive leader who does not wait for things to happen, but makes things happen. The innovative touch is certainly one reason why Dhoni enjoys such a fine success rate but in the final he made needless bowling changes too often.
This mainly involved the part-time bowlers, and with none of them really able to settle down, Butt and Younis could step on the accelerator and it was always going to be difficult for India to come back. There was really no need for eight bowlers to be tried. The four part-time bowlers conceded 71 runs in ten overs and the final margin of defeat was 25 runs.
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It is easy to say that Piyush Chawla conceded 85 runs in ten overs, the third most after Javagal Srinath and Thiru Kumaran, but here again Dhoni could be held responsible. Chawla is one who loves one straight spell and in fact, he started off well but then he was inexplicably taken off while the bowling was shuttled between the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina. By the time Chawla was brought back, Younis and Butt were on the rampage and the
inexperienced leg-spinner was as helpless as a butterfly in a gale. He should have been allowed to control the middle overs. Also, for once there were
gaping holes in Dhoni’s otherwise imaginative field placing and the characteristically candid Indian captain to give him credit has admitted his mistakes.
It must also not be forgotten that Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh were missing from the team that won the CB series and while it is admirable for the
selectors to concentrate on youth in their effort to building a team for the 2011 World Cup, the line up should be laced with a touch of experience. This is
perhaps the most important lesson driven home by events in the tri series.
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