India’s Disaster
I left The Oval today feeling elated as England confirmed their supremacy in the Test series v India, by winning 4-0 and maintaining their remarkable habit of victory by an innings, their 7th such, in the past 14 Tests.
India has been destroyed. The World’s number one team, and 50-Over World Cup Champions, have looked a mere shadow of the great team they purport to be. Has England played so well that India has been unable to get into gear, or has India been under-prepared, complacent, and in no shape to engage in a heavyweight contest?
Rahul Dravid aside, India have been woeful. They look devoid of energy, fight and deficient in their skill with the ball.
In their defence, losing Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh to injury handicapped them considerably, but the attitude of the leader MS Dhoni seemed at odds with the dynamic, explosive cricketer who had lit up the recent World Cup Final with a match-winning performance in front of his adoring home fans..
My personal view is that good players (let alone great ones) don’t become bad ones overnight, and that India will remain a competitive team at the summit of world cricket for a few years yet. Others may want to react immediately and could demand changes to the side as senior players are approaching the veteran stage. I just think that this tour to England has been a bridge too far for players who have been involved in continuous battles and the exertion mixed with travel, and the emotion spent winning a World Cup in a country which demanded success, has taken its’ toll.
When a high performance motor car has no fuel in its’ tank, it doesn’t matter how hard the driver presses the accelerator to the floor. My feeling is that India has little left in their tank. The lack of fight and resilience in so many of their displays suggests that their team spirit may be lacking, but I think England has allowed India no room for error. They have been ‘ready for the fight’ and have traded some heavy blows.
England Cricket: Heavyweight Champions of the World!
