Finally some condolence for the Indian team, now that they have won the Compaq Cup by defeating Srilanka, and taking the No. 2 stop in ICC ODI Ranking. But for how long, is the question? If the Aussies clean sweep the series against England, they will surpass India as well as the Proteas at the top. But that is something we will have to wait and watch for.Under the lights at the Premadasa, winning the toss was an auspicious start for India. But Dhoni would surely have lost all his nails in this thriller of a final, in a match featuring punches and counter-punches. Poor line-length of pace bowlers, shabby fielding, catches being dropped, stumping and run-outs missed - The Indian team was trying everything possible to hand over the win to the Srilankans. It made mistakes that could easily have cost them the final. This reinforces my perception of the Indian team’s calibre. And probably this is the reason why records show that since April 1999, India had reached 21 finals prior to this one, but won only 2 of them.
Alas, it was the experience of a few characters like Sachin Tendulkar (who played a master’s knock of 138), Yuvraj Singh (for his all-round performance) and Harbhajan Singh (for his five-wicket haul), that powered India’s win. In the frenetic chase of this huge total, the bowling of Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Raina might have over-shadowed the blizzard innings that set the tone, but in no way can Sachin’s role be undermined.
All is well that ends well. Just ahead the Champions Trophy, this series win will be a big boost to the confidence of Team India. But a lot needs to
be done by perfectionist Dhoni, so as not to allow the tri-series triumph gloss over the weakness, and ensure that the mistakes are not repeated. The biggest positive to take out from the series win is that the Master Blaster is back in his sublime form. And it surely would be a big blow to his critics. Winning the Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-series titles justify his mantle.Surely, Sachin leads..Victory follows...
No comments:
Post a Comment