Watching the Indians field in the TVS Cup final on Tuesday, I thought they lost the game in the first 25 overs. They dropped at least six catches, and when you are playing the world champions, that is a luxury you can ill afford. They were made to pay for these mistakes by Australia, who reached a respectable total on a difficult wicket.
The Eden Gardens wicket has traditionally been a good surface to bat first on, but this time round it seemed to be crumbling early, and from the first 15 overs itself it was evident that this was not going to be a high-scoring game. Having said that, 235 seemed a gettable target, and it was crucial for the Australians to get an early breakthrough. Nathan Bracken once again provided an early wicket by accounting for Virender Sehwag to get a huge psychological advantage over the hosts.
I'm sure the Indians must have had a chat at the break and decided that occupation of the crease for 50 overs would ensure victory. Perhaps that is why we saw a very different Sachin Tendulkar opening the batting. It was obvious that he planned on batting through, but he may have been better off playing his natural game. If he had got a quickfire 75 or 100, he may have finished off the game quickly.
Once Tendulkar got out, the Indian middle order could not get a partnership going, and after the exit of Rahul Dravid, Ian Harvey came in and mopped up the tail in eight balls. The Indians fell short by 37 runs, and in retrospect they must feel that the missed chances on the field made the difference in the end.
While I don't think India really missed Sourav Ganguly (he was always at the boundary rope with a word of advice for the fielders and bowlers!), it was tough on Rahul Dravid to have to keep, captain, and bat at a crucial position. This, when he has been struggling a bit with his glovework. A similar workload had fallen on Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist in the past, and from their accounts it can get very tough on the player to handle so many fronts.
While this defeat will hurt India, especially since they did have their chances, I don't think it will affect the Indians as they prepare for their Test series in Australia. It will be a fresh start with new challenges, and I'm sure Sourav Ganguly's men will not dwell on this reversal.
The team that will tour Australia under Ganguly has been chosen, and I feel sorry for Murali Kartik who has looked in good form during this tournament. One can understand the rationale behind his omission since India have two world-class spinners in Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, but leaving out an in-form bowler must have been a tough call for the selectors to make.
There are a couple rookie pace bowlers in the side, and they will have the advantage of being unknown quantities. But it remains to be seen how many opportunities come their way, since Ganguly has traditionally relied on the left-arm duo of Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, and has always predicted big things for them.
The opening bowlers for Australia, Nathan Bracken and Brad Williams, have been the revelation of the tour. Williams has been in contention for a spot in the team for the last couple of years, while Bracken has always been considered a handy one-day bowler. But Bracken's consistency in keeping the runs down, and his ability to consistently make early breakthroughs has ensured that he will come into calculations when the Test team is chosen a few days from now.
Michael Clarke, my teammate from New South Wales, has also begun to realise his potential as a player of the future. He is undoubtedly a star in the making, who could dominate over the next decade in both forms of the game.
(Gameplan)
Previous column: Stop whining and start playing!
Stephen Fleming's column: Bench strength is crucial for success
