Deconstructing A Loss

All of a sudden, Team India finds itself crammed between more than just the devil and the deep blue sea. A unit which did most things right in limited-overs cricket in the last two years is now a laughing stock.

The skipper has made it a habit of using the few press conferences he addresses to show that he has mastered the art of sarcasm. He continues to defend his rigid selections — especially those of Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja — as well as his tactics on the field.

The BCCI, in an attempt to keep the broadcaster, sponsors and the Bangladesh Cricket Board happy, sends a full-strength team that is jaded after playing non-stop cricket since November 2014. The selectors continue to pick tried and tested players without actually identifying unpolished gems or creating a pool of 40 to 50 players from across the length and breadth of this huge country. Then again, every Team India player — however distracted or disinterested he comes across in a low-profile series — appears to be at his enthusiastic best in the IPL.

Clearly, something is going wrong somewhere. This is not Papua New Guinea. This is India, the epicentre of the cricketing world. dna looks at five aspects that need to be addressed so as to ensure Indian cricket doesn't go into a free fall...

Dial 'C' for 'Change'

Dhoni the captain has outlived his utility. The earlier we realise this the better it will be. Statements like 'he has won everything that's there to win in the world of cricket' and 'he has a lot more to offer' are as outdated as Dhoni's captaincy. Team India needs a change of guard. There is, however, a lot of room for Dhoni the brilliant batsman. A finisher par excellence, he now wishes to play 'enforcer'. His decision to walk in at No. 4 reflects just that. And it's a good sign. Dhoni knows what it takes to lead a team brimming with legends much older and experienced than him. Do you think Virat Kohli can't captain a side with Dhoni and a few more seniors? Also, Dhoni's logic that he didn't ask anyone to make him captain in 2007 reeks of double standards. Why, then, didn't he deny the offer? He took it with both hands and guided the team to the pinnacle. Things aren't the same anymore. So why not make way?

IPL

The good thing with the IPL is that it gives a staggering number of cricketers that global platform to express themselves. But somewhere in these last eight years, the IPL has become larger than Indian cricket itself. Fathom this: Dhoni the India player earns Rs 7 lakh for a Test match, Rs 4 lakh for a one-dayer and Rs 2 lakh for a Twenty20 International. So, if he plays, say, 10 Tests, 20 ODIs and 5 T20Is, he effectively pockets Rs 1.6 crore. Add his Grade A central contract worth Rs 1 crore and you arrive at Rs 2.6 crore. The IPL salaries of players like Dhoni and Chris Gayle are not clear, but during the inaugural auction in 2008, Chennai Super Kings paid $1.5 million for Dhoni. That's about Rs 9.5 crore as of today (Tuesday). Clearly, he makes something in the range of Rs 15 crore. Is this justified? Can an IPL contract be more valuable than an India cap?

Fatigue, overkill, imbalance

Can't the BCCI create a large pool of players who can be summoned any time to play for the country? What's the harm in picking a Shreyas Iyer or Sanju Samson for a series in Bangladesh. By sending a weary bunch of players across our eastern border, the selectors only hastened the inevitable. There are players who believe it's their birthright to continue playing for India. We don't know what Ravindra Jadeja is doing in the side. He's anything but an all-rounder. Many others continue to enjoy the support of Dhoni, who continues to believe in his process-driven principles that have yielded little in the last 24 months.

Throw away the coaching manual

Dhoni has been around for more than 10 years. Smart, unconventional and out of the box, he has achieved everything there is to achieve in cricket. But where's the next Dhoni? Where are the Indian versions of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum, Glenn Maxwell and Lasith Malinga? A reputed batting coaching reckons the BCCI lost the plot by not doing enough with the National Cricket Academy. "Over the years, the NCA has become like a hospital ward. No real academy work happens there. It's good to hear that the BCCI plans to convert the NCA into a high-performance centre. Every major cricketing nation has a world-class centre," he says. Asked about the art of nurturing 'hatke' players, he says, "As a coach, I make it a point not to play around with the natural ability of the player. The coaching manual is not everything. You have to develop a player's game around his strengths. Staying natural is the key," he adds.

Tours for votes

The BCCI's idea of scheduling three overseas series in as many months baffles many. A veteran broadcaster who has worked with the board calls it tours for votes. "Bring you best team to our country and we will agree to whatever you say in the ICC," he says of the Indian team's never-ending travel plans. "So you go to Bangladesh in June, Zimbabwe next month (the tour is in doubt, though) and Sri Lanka after that. Isn't this too much cricket?" he asks. Basically, when India play home, the BCCI makes money. And when they play away, the other board rakes in the moolah but promises to support India in policy matters. The players are mere pawns.