March 8, 1999
|
|
|
|
PAVILION END Lessons from Losing India waited for things to happen rather than make them happen.
Looking back at the series of Test matches against Pakistan, the end result looks very disappointing and upsetting. I don't want to sound like a bad loser, but there were a few reasons beyond our control. For one when the ball suddenly starts moving and swinging after 50 overs. But I am not offering any excuses, for we lost matches we should have won comfortably. We were within sniffing distance of victory in both Chennai and Calcutta which probably has heightened the public's dissatisfaction even more. When the team management sat down after the Calcutta Test to analyse the photo-finish defeats, the answers were rather obvious: we lacked determination and concentration. When we required application, we didn't have it. In fact, it is ironic that at various stages we controlled most of the Test matches, but appeared over anxious to get early wickets. In the bargain we gave away runs which took the pressure off the Pakistani batsmen. At other times we were waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen. There were times when we should have contained the batsman and played on his patience. But here's another irony. Eventually it was the bowlers who did an excellent job to bring us back into winning positions, especially Kumble and Srinath who were outstanding. It was the batting that didn't click the way it was expected to. Our worry was the opening pair but Ramesh and Laxman did very well, particularly in Calcutta. Ramesh with his kind of technique-he tends not to use his feet enough on occasions-was a bit of a worry for me in the beginning, especially as he is an opening batsman. But the cool-headed young man, with his immaculate timing, performed wonderfully against what is possibly the best fast-bowling attack in the world. It showed that he not only has potential but also the necessary nerve to perform under pressure. Add one more ingredient to that list: temperament. Whether he gets out early or returns with a big score, his reaction is the same. A young man who's prepared to listen to advice and does not search for excuses is bound to go far. While the openers did well, it was really the middle-order which needed the will to stay at the wicket and get runs. It looked as if we were a trifle complacent at times, leaving things for the next batsman to finish. It certainly didn't help when wickets fell in successive balls. What this meant was that despite being in good positions we suddenly found ourselves under pressure. Sachin's first ball duck in Calcutta was stunning. Simply because the team feels strong when he is in the middle or is padded up to bat. There is enormous pressure on him, something none of us can conceive. We always tend to ignore the fact that he has been playing continuously for a very long time without a break. Moreover, the standards he sets for himself are so high that the expectations of the public, media, officials, even other players, inadvertently become far greater. In the Chennai Test he told me on the last day he would get runs and see the team through. When we lost his eyes were brimming with tears. People ask me all the time what sort of a man Sachin is. Here's one answer: I'm sure he wouldn't have gone to accept the Man of the Match award even if he was well and fit (he was suffering from cramps in the dressing room). This is a man of extraordinary pride. I think unfortunately what is happening is that we tend to forget he's a human being. I think he has done admirably well for the team recently despite his injuries. I'm just hoping these injuries don't become worse. (Anshuman Gaekwad, coach of the Indian
cricket team, will be writing a weekly column |
|
Issue Contents | Write to us | Subscriptions | Syndication BUSINESS TODAY | INDIA TODAY PLUS | COMPUTERS TODAY © Living Media India Ltd |
 |
 |
