Cricket is a team game where performance is the name of the game. Team India failed to play as a team and paid heavy price for complacency as in the past and suffered yet another one day defeat at the hands of an aggressive Australian side. By just winning the toss and putting up a 300 plus total is not enough to win a 50 over game. Both bowling and fielding should be razor sharp and we lack quality bowlers from the last one decade and the trend continues down under also. We lack genuine all-rounders, who can turn their arms and bowl with economy and take useful wickets in the process. When both Smith and Bailey were belting our bowling with a run a ball innings the fielders were just sorry spectators. Singles were stolen in front of Indian Team’s nose and the bowling changes were not impressive. The so called super fielding side of Dhoni’s men were also at sea most of the time giving some easy runs and that made all the difference. But for Sran’s inspired spell of bowling with the new ball we would have torn apart by the Australian openers. In all Rohit Sharma’s innings went in vain and Steve Smith won the man of the match of the award for his useful 149 at a crucial stage. Kudos to Australian side to issue a wake up call for India. It is time to send reinforcements in the form of all-rounders and not passengers in the side.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
