A win today will give India the series and could banish the forgettable memories of the recent debacle in England but Steve Finn says the situation is not new to the visitors.
A win today will give India the series and could banish the forgettable memories of the recent debacle in England but Steve Finn says the situation is not new to the visitors.
World T20 title in 2007, No. 1 rankings in Tests in 2009 and the 2011 World Cup win that made India delirious. We may have been lulled into thinking: Dhoni never fails, a phrase former national selector Naren Tamhane reserved only for Sachin Tendulkar.
Seldom has Dhoni drawn flak for his captaincy until, quite inexplicably, India’s fortunes nose-dived in England. Dhoni’s desperation showed in the first Test (at the Lord’s) when he handed Rahul Dravid the wicketkeeping gloves and bowled himself. Certainly he didn’t please the purists.
One home series seems to have turned the tide. With a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against England, the Indians are set to seal the rubber here in Mohali on Thursday. Like in the past, the Indian team continues to be a formidable force at home, stamping its authority with successive wins in Hyderabad and New Delhi.
Dhoni & Co. may not admit that it is a ‘revenge series’, but the way they have played so far, the intent is to record a series sweep.
Never has Team India thrown away an advantage over England, whatever the conditions have to offer. However, England might pose a different challenge in Mohali. A hard turf with a tinge of grass awaits the hosts. And this has excited the England bowlers who have struggled in the series so far. Perhaps, this is England’s best chance to make a significant impression.
England fast bowler Steven Finn reminded that they faced a similar situation not too long ago. “We were 2-0 down against Sri Lanka in the series earlier this year, but we fought back to win it 3-2,” says Finn, exuding confidence of a turnaround.
However, with the kind of form the hosts are in, Indian seamers too would be eager to have another crack at the famed England batting. Their only worry, if any, has been the openers’ (Ajinkya Rahane and Parthiv Patel) contributions. The two had shown sparks of what they are capable of in the ODIs in England, playing with flair and abandon.
So far they have failed to live up to the expectations and, that too, on batting-friendly tracks. But India’s middle-order, led by in-form Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, has been in top gear, allowing Rahane and Patel to escape scrutiny.
While India have no need to make any changes in their XI, England may be keen to bring in Ian Bell to lend some solidity to the line-up. The visitors are getting the starts but are failing to sustain them. One only hopes that this won’t be a one-sided contest like the one in New Delhi.
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