India Faring Badly In Tri-Series May Not Have Any Bearing On World Cup

267, 153, 69 for 2 and 200. These numbers tell you all you need to know about the state of the Indian team at the moment. And they tell you nothing at all.

AP

The scoreboard never lies, and to that extent, the manner in which the Indian One-Day International team has lost to Australia and England should be a cause for worry. But, there are several good reasons why it would be silly to reach for the panic button just yet.

To start with, how does a team lift itself to perform at its peak in what is essentially a meaningless three-team tournament coming on the back of a long, losing Test tour? This, when there¡¯s a World Cup around the corner? The Australian tri-series is preparation for the World Cup in as much as every day is an opportunity to learn something new, something which helps you face tomorrow better.

AP

The Australian tri-series is a build-up to the World Cup in that it affords an opportunity for some of the ODI specialists to get used to the pace and bounce of the pitches, to the scorching heat and the howling gales, to the odd-shaped grounds and the unusual angles the ball travels in Down Under.

But in terms of actually helping the Indian team get its collective mind right for the World Cup, this tri-series is the last thing that was needed. When the World Cup begins, the real challenge before the Indian team will not be lifting themselves, but rather keeping their cool. For as many 11 members of the squad, this tournament will be their first taste of the biggest thing in limited overs cricket, and it will be easy to get carried away. When 50,000-plus fans pack the Adelaide Oval for India¡¯s Pakistan clash, every bowler will have to take a moment at the top of his run and remind himself of exactly where he wants to put the ball.

When Dale Steyn begins his furious run towards the crease with the Great Southern Stand towering the background, India¡¯s batsmen will have to remember to take a deep breath, and play the ball, not the bowler. In a World Cup, the occasion is so big, the hype so unreal, that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to find ways in which his icily cool demeanour can rub off onto his team-mates.

AP

When India put this tri-series behind them and address the World Cup in all seriousness, they will realise that the task before them can easily be stripped down into different phases. The opening round is actually two rounds folded into each other. At one end are the Pakistan and South Africa matches, and at the other India face off against a weakened West Indies, potentially slippery Ireland and eminently beatable Zimbabwe and United Arab Emirates.

Assuming that India do not implode spectacularly and consistently, their real World Cup begins with the quarterfinal. Ravi Shastri, the team director and the man doing most of the talking in the dressingroom, will tell his boys that the tournament is essentially about being at their best for three matches, the knockouts. On these big occasions, India will need to take the field with a quiet sense of calm, with confidence and assurance.

And, as badly as the Test results have gone over the last year, there is no glaring hole in this ODI team.

AP

Certainly, the bowling could be better, the opening stand more settled, and the l ine-up would i n spi re more confidence had it included Yuvraj Singh or even Robin Uthappa.

But which ODI team in the world is perfect? India¡¯s biggest threats all have issues of their own to address and to suggest there was an outright favourite going into the World Cup would be a stretch.

India¡¯s fans are incredibly giving and loving, pushing their team to win every time blue jerseys are pulled on. All around the world, wherever India play, they can take support for granted. But this time around, you can¡¯t blame the fan for being a bit confused.

Looking at it rationally, just what should they expect of this team? The team will be telling themselves they need to build slowly and carefully, hit peak performance when the knock-outs arrive.

And then take it one day at a time. There is no other way for the team to approach the tournament. Whether the fan can show the same patience, and eventually be rewarded for it, that remains to be seen.

Originally published in The Economic Times