Problems and the bright spots in the Indian Team at the Champions Trophy

Barely a week after the CSK-MI final clash, amidst all the buzz and controversy in the wake of IPL6, ICC Champions Trophy has quietly kicked off with the warm-up fixtures.

With most of the teams coming in with young blood, trying to assess the conditions in England to figure out their best eleven, the warm-up matches, this time, are every bit as important as the main event. Especially for an IPL-fatigued team like India, with almost no respite after nearly two months of non-stop cricket, there was a lot at stake going into their first warm-up tie against Sri Lanka. After the washout of the first fixture between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the Edgbaston track proved to be surprisingly flat the following day. Both the teams, making good use of the short boundary on one side and a compensating longer one on the other, treated their fans to a run-fest. At the end of the day, although it was India that stood victorious, both the teams took away some positives and some negatives from the clash. Here’s a look at some of the bright spots and bothers that Team India took away from its first warm-up match.

The bright spots:

 

Kohli’s sublime run continues: Ever since “The Wall” retired from ODIs, Virat Kohli has been the new Mr. Dependable for India. He can be trusted to come up with the goods when it is most needed. His exceptionally high average of close to 60 when chasing shows how much he thrives under pressure. With a string of low scores since his 128 in Sri Lanka last July, Kohli appeared to hit a lean patch. Hence, it was crucial for India that he find his rhythm before the Champions Trophy, especially given the long hiatus team India has had from this format of the game. And his arrival at the Champions Trophy couldn’t have been scripted better – under pressure, in a high-scoring run chase, against Sri Lanka, an opposition against whom he enjoyed much success. Kohli’s 144 would certainly have boosted the confidence of the rickety Indian top-order. With its vital cog in supreme shape, the top-order has space to settle in and snap back into their game.

DK 19 arrives: When Dinesh Karthik was included in the squad for ICC Champions Trophy, the question on everybody’s mind was not “why”; everybody knew what he was capable of, everybody saw him pile on runs at the domestic level and in the IPL. The question that got everyone wondering was where he would fit in this Indian batting line-up. He is used to opening the batting or coming at the top of the order. But getting in at the top, competing with Kohli and Raina who are in the form of their lives and, Vijay and Dhawan who are showing a lot of promise, seemed next to impossible. So, when he came in (donning a jersey that read “DK 19”) as India was left reeling after a top-order collapse at 110-4 chasing 333 and staying till the end to see India home, he not only secured a slot in the team but also showed how useful he can be even down the order. The aggression with which he brought about a change in the tempo when the target seemed out of reach, and the temperament he showed when he played second fiddle as Kohli got going, are indicators of his maturity. With DK looking in top form, the already strong Indian lower middle-order looks even more formidable.

Spinning webs on English tracks: On a slow track, when the batsmen had a field day, scoring over 650 runs, the Indian spinners, especially Ashwin and Jadeja, stood out. In an otherwise insipid bowling performance, both of them stood out with an economy rate of less than 6. But their figures don’t do them full justice. Both of them bowled with intent, creating a lot of opportunities, only to be let down by the fielding. With a little more luck and better fielding efforts, both of them could have bagged a couple of wickets. The batsmen were having a tough time reading them and hence finding it difficult to score off them. If they can do this against a sub-continent side that is used to playing spin, they can certainly spell trouble to opposition who are not so comfortable facing a turning ball.

The bothers:

  

Top-order folds again: With a change in personnel at the top of the order, India went into this match hoping for an auspicious debut for its new opening pair. Dhawan was a little unfortunate to get run-out when he was on 1, as he would have enjoyed the Edgbaston track for his comeback match after his injury. Vijay struggled at the crease, scoring 18 off 30 balls, before finally perishing. Vijay’s dismissal brought Rohit Sharma, who enjoyed a good IPL season, to the crease. And once again he failed to make an impact; showing that neither his success as a batsman or as a captain in the IPL could be translated into success at the international level. Kohli was left alone, yet again, to rebuild with the help of the middle order. India would hope their top-order would pull it together in the second warm-up match, because the home series loss against Pakistan showed them clearly what being too dependent on the middle order can do.

It didn’t quite swing the pacers’ way: With India’s most promising pace prospects all fit at the same time, a lot was expected from the pace department. And with the help of assisting tracks in England, the likes of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Irfan Pathan were expected to rip through the opposition’s batting line-up. Barely four overs into the game, it was clear that the track wasn’t offering a lot; but what was surprising was the lack of intent from the bowlers. They were not willing to try and make things happen. Instead, they looked like they were hoping for the pitch to suddenly start working magic for them. They were wayward in their line and length and despite getting repeatedly punished, did not try to change it. Even Ishant Sharma, who relies on his pace and accuracy, looked out of sorts and got taken for many. Vinay Kumar was the only one who maintained a tight line. He did not leak too many runs in his first spell; but, towards the death, he gave away too many runs, showing again that despite his death-bowler tag, he is not really ready to bowl in the slog-overs. Not all pitches in the tournament can be expected to be bowler-friendly, and if the pace department doesn’t get its act together, South African and Pakistani batting attacks might not be as forgiving as Sri Lanka’s.

A cold day in the field: With the likes of Kohli, Raina, Jadeja in the field, India is one of the better fielding sides in contemporary cricket. Whether it was the cold breeze of Birmingham or the fatigue piled up due to IPL, the fielding on Saturday was sub-par. Dropped catches and misfields not only let the bowlers down, but also did not allow pressure to build on the Sri Lankan batsmen. Dhoni was also very ordinary behind the stumps, missing an easy stumping chance and a catch. This would be one area that Team India would look to work on before taking on South Africa.

Overall, it was a morale boosting win for Team India, but they would definitely have to up their game if they want to make it to the knock-out stages from the formidable looking Group-B.