This question would be reigning supreme on the mind of devoted Tendulkar fans as the India-England test series 2012 gets underway. For many, this is perhaps the last time the maestro would be playing the Brits on home pitches and perhaps, his last attempt at redeeming himself. Yes, I realize that this might sound a bit too judgmental but the fact remains that the great Sachin has failed to deliver as a batsmen in the test arena for nearly two seasons now. His talents and records shouldn't be the parameter to judge his place in the team. Yes, some degree of preferential treatment is understandable since his talent is beyond human comparison and even the Gods dare not question his genius. However, I still maintain that current form should be the driving force for selection. Perhaps, the Great One should lead by example and judge his own form after the first two test matches. If he hasn't delivered in four innings, he could set a precedent by asking to be eased-out for the remaining matches. This could be the yardstick by which Indian teams are chosen in the future since expecting anything transparent or brave from the selectors is akin to waiting for the Titanic to resurrect itself.
Showing posts with label Tendulkar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tendulkar. Show all posts
Dhoni as the next ‘Tendulkar’??
I would like to clear-up before anyone reading this heading gets the wrong idea. I am not trying to suggest that in terms of batting greatness and his overall genius, Dhoni can takeover Tendulkar. I am simply suggesting that the time is near when Tendulkar’s presence as a part of the regular Indian team is bound to decline considerably, i.e. in the very near future. In this perspective, being perhaps the most consistent batsman in the team after
Tendulkar and showing ample resolution to take upon the challenge in a crisis, shouldn’t Dhoni be prepared in the role of a batter-cum-captain, by freeing him from his wicket-keeping responsibilities? The reason why I say that is that no matter what experts say about cricketers doing double-edged roles today, wicket-keeping along with captaining the side and being a major wheel for the team’s middle-order performance is bound to take a toll on Dhoni at some point. Should the selectors take stock of how they plan to ensure that Tendulkar’s eventual absence in the team is compensated to some extent by having someone as reliable as Dhoni, up the order, as a specialist bastman? The point is that even if Dhoni is freed from his wicket-keeping responsibilities, the team’s balance wouldn’t suffer to a damaging effect. For starters, having Dhoni at number three would mean that more stability and tenacity would be maintained at the top. Further, some folks might recall that even as an occasional, part-time bowler Dhoni has bowled a few overs in the domestic circuit and in some test matches against Pakistan with his average speed around the 130 km/hr mark. Considering that most mainstream bowlers in the Indian squad bowl not more than 135 km/hr, this talent of Dhoni could be worked upon, essentially as a part-time contributor. With Dhoni and Yuvraj at number three and four in the batting order and their ability to share a bare minimum of eight overs among themselves, the inclusion of a specialist keeper like Dinesh Karthick would ensure that the team doesn’t lose out on either batting or bowling resources… though that is even hard to contemplate when a certain phenomenon called Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the equation.
Tendulkar and showing ample resolution to take upon the challenge in a crisis, shouldn’t Dhoni be prepared in the role of a batter-cum-captain, by freeing him from his wicket-keeping responsibilities? The reason why I say that is that no matter what experts say about cricketers doing double-edged roles today, wicket-keeping along with captaining the side and being a major wheel for the team’s middle-order performance is bound to take a toll on Dhoni at some point. Should the selectors take stock of how they plan to ensure that Tendulkar’s eventual absence in the team is compensated to some extent by having someone as reliable as Dhoni, up the order, as a specialist bastman? The point is that even if Dhoni is freed from his wicket-keeping responsibilities, the team’s balance wouldn’t suffer to a damaging effect. For starters, having Dhoni at number three would mean that more stability and tenacity would be maintained at the top. Further, some folks might recall that even as an occasional, part-time bowler Dhoni has bowled a few overs in the domestic circuit and in some test matches against Pakistan with his average speed around the 130 km/hr mark. Considering that most mainstream bowlers in the Indian squad bowl not more than 135 km/hr, this talent of Dhoni could be worked upon, essentially as a part-time contributor. With Dhoni and Yuvraj at number three and four in the batting order and their ability to share a bare minimum of eight overs among themselves, the inclusion of a specialist keeper like Dinesh Karthick would ensure that the team doesn’t lose out on either batting or bowling resources… though that is even hard to contemplate when a certain phenomenon called Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the equation.
Looking good now, where are the replacements?
The Indian middle order looks pretty good right now with Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman still pretty capable of winning matches on their own, but just looking at the future, are there any replacements for these Big 3? I mean, Australia had a horrid year trying to recreate their batting order once some stalwarts retired and it seems that India could be headed for something similar. Apart from Badrinath and Pujara, there are no names in the domestic circuit that are supposed to combine technical batting good enough to play really fast bowlers with a huge appetite for runs and then again, Badri has not found favor with the selectors and Pujara is often regarded as a scorcher off spinners and slow bowlers and not-so-good when the quick bowlers are on.
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