Downwards to the Next Level

By ICF Staff
September 28 2006

Six months away from the World Cup and two weeks before the Mini World Cup, continuing experimentation and poor performances let India down in the DLF Cup.

Rahul Dravid, dependable world-class middle order bat and India's Wall, opened the ODI innings throughout the series.

Virender Sehwag, explosive opener whose contributions at the top of the order have often won games for India, languished in the middle order.

Irfan Pathan, whose bowling brilliance in ODIs set India on the path to victory many a time in recent years, batted under pressure at the important number 3 position and forgot his main role was with ball in hand.

All of this bewildering tinkering added up to disaster, as India ended at the bottom of the heap, beaten by both the lowly-ranked Windies and an Australian team far from their best.

So much for bemoaning India's record in tournament finals. Fans have discovered that dropping out early can be far more devastating than entering the finals.

Who could have imagined that the "next level" Chappell promised would, in fact, be a lower level? At this point, most would be delighted if India can make it to the final of the World Cup coming up soon in the West Indies, as they did so impressively in South Africa. But that appears unlikely.

Chappell has chosen to respond to India's disastrous performance in Malaysia by hightailing it back to Australia for a vacation, at the same time that the important Challenger Cup will be played in India between 3 teams comprising the best players in India, just ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. That is unfortunate and irresponsible.

Ravi Shastri has said that Dravid is unable to assert himself over Chappell, or have his say in team selection and batting order.

As good a batsman as Dravid is, it is time to ask if he can motivate the troops, revive team spirit, and lead the team with confidence and flair. This is what we ask of a captain.

If Sourav Ganguly played both captain and coach during his partnership with John Wright, then Greg Chappell is playing both captain and coach in his partnership with Rahul Dravid.

The fire and passion and enthusiasm and killer instinct brought by Ganguly on to the field is conspicuous by its absence. If he could extract great performances from his team, do we care if his own seemed diminished by comparison towards the end?

Dravid must take control of the team, or step down and focus on his world-class batting. A reluctant captain, or one directed by remote control, is not what you want to see.

Here's hoping that Dravid can break the shackles of control freak Chappell and do what is right for the team.

A sign of passionate and independent leadership, and a spark on field, will make even losses easier to digest.