Defeats are painful, but they come as friends in disguise. Changes and improvements can be brought about by reverses. Victories may be red herrings. The false conclusion that happy hormones bring can hinder an honest self-evaluation of our true strengths and weaknesses.
Without doubt, India’s seesaw six-run victory over time-honoured rivals Pakistan is special. For a Sunday triumph despite losing the toss and batting first on a pitch which was distinctly more bowler-oriented than what faced Pakistan two hours later.
The New York victory is also a tribute to the team’s fighting spirit and underlined, once again, that it is our bowlers who win us key games, even though the batters are the megabrands. But the triumph must be tempered.
It was a game riddled with slip-ups by both sides. India emerged winners because their poor batting display coupled with dropped catches offset their brilliant bowling.
Rishabh Pant was outstanding behind th stumps. However his 42, albeit brave and decisive, was delineated by risk and luck. Happily for them that India’s pace attack notably Bumrah exposed Pakistan’s weakness in batting while made selection obvious. It wasn’t so surprising after all their loss to the USA.
You cannot separate a country from its cricket.
India’s approach while batting hovered between being reckless or thoughtless. On a pitch no one had clue about at first instance, the hitters didn’t spend any time sizing it up at all. Nobody bothered to tailor his game to the conditions.Sixes were attempted; singles forgotten.The top eight threw their bats as if they were trying to chase 219 rather than set up a target.What exactly did they have in mind?
No Indian batter fell to an unplayable delivery.All leading batsmen got dismissed attempting to play an aggressive stroke in the air.Axar alone received one when he missed Naseem Shah stepping out across the crease to smote him.
The initial offensive was understandable. However, persisting with the same approach after five wickets fell betrayed an absence of intelligence or a wrong strategy or both.
Shivam Dube wasn’t alone in failing. But there is a difference between not scoring and not looking like scoring. Having thrashed spinners on batting paradises that IPL offers, Dube had earned his spurs and World Cup ticket.
He was preferred to Rinku Singh, who is reliable and established. In New York too he dropped an easy catch in the deep which almost cost India.He had rested quite often and been replaced by an Impact Player who had done little in the field during the IPL. And he hardly bowled either.
Can you envisage having such a rule in the world’s costliest cricket league that arrests or hurts your players’ growth? All in pursuit of more excitement and eyeballs.
Once again Suryakumar Yadav failed in a crucial game.His T20 scores against Pakistan are 11 (Dubai, T20 WC 2021), 18 (Dubai, Asia Cup 2022),15 (Melbourne, T20 WC 2022),7 (New York, T20 WC 2024).Even in last year’s ODI World Cup final at Ahmedabad, he appeared out of sorts.The360-degree batter has to step up his game for big matches.So does Jadeja whose batting has been scratchy as well as bowling characterized by containment rather than penetration.Isn’t it?
For perspective, Rohit Sharma and his team need to up their game because they will face tougher oppositions in the future. “Particulars count,” as Jack Reacher always tells us.
The defeat of Pakistan netted two more points for Team India’s kitty and delivered a high degree of emotional satisfaction to several cricket enthusiasts. However, we must not lose sight of the ultimate objective which is victory at the T20 World Cup.
