Soaring Hopes and a Mission not Impossible

Media Watch Dec 18

India’s departure for Australia was the biggest news in Indian Newspapers today.

''Indians fly off Down Under with Soaring hopes in tow'', was the headline in the Indian Express as the paper quoted Skipper Kumble that the experience of previous tours will come handy.

His optimism was reflected in his comment that ‘’We have the potential and the players to win the series.

Blog's Take: However, while the batsmen in the team have over 30,000 runs collectively, over 10,000 more than what they had when they toured last, they are also older by four years. The reflexes may not hold this time round against Lee and Tait. The last chance missed (in 2003-04) may well have been their last chance.

Meanwhile, Laxman was as down to earth as he has ever been, as he talked about the Australian potential.

‘’They are the best so it is pretty simple that you have got to give your best against them,’’ he said. Jaffer too said that ‘’it will be a big test for me’’.

Blog's Take: Surely, and Jaffer will also need stability at the other end whether it is Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj or Karthik opening the batting with him. It takes two to tango. Noting illustrates it better than the exploits of Sehwag-Aakash Combo which had set the tone for the last series.

HT, well they headlined it ‘’Mission: Not impossible’’. However, the paper did say that the lack of more than one warm up match before the first test will be a big problem for India. The Times of India simply said ‘’Team off to Oz, looking to make history.’’

Blog's Take: Kumble and company can be justifiably aggrieved about the absence of adequate number of warm up matches. With so much at stake, the issue needs to be addressed quickly in future. Players are not machines that they keep on performing relentlessly at the big stage in completely different conditions without adequate preparation. The absence of that opportunity to get tuned into conditions does make it mission impossible for a team still grappling with batting combinations at the top.

In the Times of India, there was an interview with Sourav Ganguly where he said that India had done better outside the subcontinent in last six-seven years compared to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In fact, he used the word ‘’wonderfully well’’.

He felt that this knowledge of beating West Indies, Pakistan and England in away series and drawing with Australia last time, will help India immensely. He also quoted India reaching the final of ODI World Cup in 2003 and winning the 20-20 Cup as among the important factors.

Blog's Take: Ganguly has shown that he has the skills to go with guts. A tremendous skipper, India will look at Ganguly for the kind of inspiration he showed in the recent series against Pakistan. Mission may not be possible, but that is possible!

Fading light denies India? Give a break!

The headlines in ‘’the day after media’’ should have been that it is high time to be bold if we want to be what Australia are. Gavaskar and Imran Khan hold the same opinion.

It is said that if you want to achieve something really badly, nature conspires to give you that. After showing so much resolve, Pakistan desperately needed a draw in the match where they had fought with their backs to the wall, and India wanted to ensure that the hosts did not give Pakistan any chance to level the series. Both got their wish in the end! In the same way as India had got good weather in the 1st test against England with last wicket pair on strike.

Fading light denies India, or some thing similar. This is how the headlines appeared in most newspapers on Thursday morning after India narrowly missed winning the Bangalore Test.

However, it needed former skipper Sunil Gavaskar to point out in a column that it was the late declaration which was responsible for India’s failure to make it count at Bangalore. He says ‘’on such pitches, there was no way Pakistan would have got even 250 but batting for so long India did not give themselves enough overs to bowl Pakistan out’’. (Related Link http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2007/12/india-end-contest-with-48-overs-to-go.html)

Of course, the fourth series win against Pakistan in history -- the same number as Pakistan has achieved against India -- should please us but Gavaskar begs to differ a little and believes that it is the main difference between India and Australia.

Australia would have never been satisfied with such result on this pitch while in India there is a tendency to ‘’sit on laurels and not look for more glory.’’

Former Pak Coach Javed Miandad says ''No doubt it was a comprehensive win for India, but one should not expect a miracle in Australia going by this performance''.

Imran was on telly yesterday night, expressing same opinion. (Related Link http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2007/12/imran-criticises-late-declaration.html)

Imran criticises late declaration

It is a mystery to me how subcontinent captains wish to win without risking a little losing it, says Imran Khan about Kumble's late declaration in Bangalore Test. He was talking to NDTV.

Since subcontinent mentality does not allow risking a loss, teams lose many opportunities of winning it, said the former Pakistan Captain.

Imran was emphatic that with ball going up and down so much, India could have declared much earlier. He also said if Pakistan were not going back with a 0-3 series loss, it was only due to an exceptional batting display by Misbah.

However Kumble, in his post match interview, defended the declaration time and said that 45 (actually they were 48) overs were enough and had the light held, India would have won the match.

Kirsten has ''not yet decided'' on India's job

The way it has all happened, it won't be a surprise if Kirsten chooses not to accept India's job.

In a telephonic conversation with NDTV, the former South Africa opener categorically told that he was yet to make up his mind on the issue.

If it turns out to be another embarrassing no, well that will leave BCCI with ''nowhere to hide''! And, in fact, it will be quite befitting for the clandestine way the whole coach selection affair has gone.

Kumble Praises Kirsten

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Anil Kumble has praised Kirsten as ''tough competitor".

He said Kirsten's skills as player will be an asset to Indian team.

But the problem is that even Greg Chappell was an extremely skillful player, and certainly better than Kirsten.

And he was also a member of a very successful team, which was second only to the West Indies in late seventies and early eighties.

Is Kirsten already worried about Australian Tour

Meanwhile, In an exclusive interview with ESPN's SportsCenter India, the former South Africa batsman has said that he though the plan was to get involved with the team during the Australian series, but it was not intended to be on full-time basis.

To Sportscenter, he said the reason was that the notice has been very short and ''I have some long-standing commitments that I need to honour through to December and January. It’s with a view to starting full-time on March 1, if I sign the contract.”

Now the best way for Kirsten will be to come up clearly with the nature of these commitments. Else people might think he wanted to get on with the Indian team only after the toughest series in the World was over.