The old men are back, one hopes with new energies and vigour, to take on the Aussies and prove to the world that whatever said and done, they are still masters at their craft.
MUMBAI: The old men are back, one hopes with new energies and vigour, to take on the Aussies and prove to the world that whatever said and done, they are still masters at their craft.
Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly return to India’s ODI squad has been debated, ever since Mahdendra Singh Dhoni and his merry band lifted the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.
The team was youthful and played with a divine abandon not seen in an Indian team for a long time. Superstitious amongst us, thus, don’t want the 11 (or the 15 if you may) to be tinkered with, lest it breaks that magical spell.
But as they tell us, in one-dayers especially against the Aussies, the team will require the experience that these three bring in. And some experience at that — Dravid (327 ODIs), Tendulkar (395) and Ganguly (302) have played a total of 1024 ODI matches between them.
Aussies think it might work against the Indians as captain Ricky Ponting said, “We know their strengths and weaknesses very, very well. So, if anything, probably it will make it easier for us to prepare to play and with these guys in the team.”
However, Ajit Wadekar, former India coach, said Aussies are masters at the psychologically game and India shouldn’t fall for the trap.
“The Indians will have to show some aggression and give a tit for tat to the Aussies. They should not bow down as Aussies are masters at creating psychologically pressure.”
Wadekar insisted that bringing back the old-guard is a necessity. “It’s a different format from the Twenty20 cricket. There are more overs and experience would matter. We need a good combination of experience and youth. In the one-day format you require to keep your wicket intact, not like T20 where it’s a free-for-all slam bang.”
It will be the first time Dhoni will captain the ‘big three’. How he handles this added pressure could also have a big influence on the series. Wadekar believes Dhoni will handle the pressure well. “Dhoni is quite cool. He takes each match as it comes and is a good thinker. I see India winning this series,” he said.
Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad said the right balance of youth and experience will bring out the competitive edge in the side. “The seniors will be pushed by youngsters to keep up with them, especially on the field, which will be good for the team,” he said.
Dismissing the air of invincibility about the Aussies Gaekwad said, “We can of course beat them, as they are shaken up with the defeat in South Africa. The T20 win must have pumped up the confidence of the Indians, but the important thing is to forget about T20 now and concentrate on the job at hand. The home conditions will have an added advantage as the pitches will be a lot easier and more suitable to our batsmen.”
Some pundits, however, have suggested that Sachin, Sourav and Rahul need not be played together in every game. A rotation policy should be incorporated with regards the three and they should be utilised according to the team’s requirements.
However, Madan Lal, member of India’s 1983 World Cup winning side, believes otherwise. He looked at Sachin, Sourav and Rahul’s inclusion as a boon. “The trio’s presence will definitely benefit the team. Their experience will surely come handy,” he said.
With inputs from Bivabasu Kumar and Taus Rizvi
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