A question of professionalism
Abhilash G Mudaliar - 22 May 2002
The Indian cricket team is often accused of a myriad of charges
that would fall under the general vice of a lack of
professionalism. Examples include the inability to dive in the
field, a disinclination for quick, cheeky singles, and the lack
of desperation to run hard for twos instead of settling for easy
ones.
I bring to attention one particular unprofessional act that, in
my opinion, made India’s task of winning the fifth and final Test
of the current series just that much more difficult. Towards the
end of the last day of fourth Test, when it was certain that the
match was petering out to a draw, the Indian team decided to give
the likes of Wasim Jaffer, VVS Laxman, Shiv Sunder Das and even
‘keeper Ajay Ratra a bowl.
Nothing wrong with this in most circumstances. There was no
chance of a result, so there was also no reason against a little
experimentation and having some fun along the way. However, in
the process, the Indians made the fatal mistake of letting the
West Indian lower order regain its confidence. Ridley Jacobs
smashed 118 and Merv Dillon 43.
Even though the Indian attack has struggled against some of the
West Indian top order, the one thing they had managed to do on
this tour was to wrap up the last five West Indian wickets in
rapid fashion. Time after time, after the fall of either Carl
Hooper or Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the rest of the West Indian
batting crumbled meekly.
In the third Test, the last five West Indian wickets contributed
seven runs; in the second, they contributed nine and 28; in the
first Test, just 16 runs. Needless to say, they were
psychologically rattled and by the fourth Test had little belief
in their ability to put runs on the board.
The Indians had them mentally overpowered, but instead of
tightening the noose, they let slip their grasp. A professional
side like Australia or South Africa would have driven home the
psychological advantage. When they have a certain member of the
opposition down, they throw everything they have in their arsenal
to ensure they keep them down. At various times, Daryl Cullinan,
Sourav Ganguly and Michael Atherton have fallen victim to this
ruthless strategy. Thus, for India to allow Ridley Jacobs – a
batsman desperately low in self-belief – to hammer 16 boundaries
in a quick-fire century was tactically amiss, to say the least.
So, during the first innings of the final Test, when the fifth
West Indian wicket fell at a score of 292, India should have
dismissed the Windies for at most 320. However, instead of an
unsure and uneasy Jacobs, out strode a self-assured batsman ready
to plunder the bowling. And consequently the sixth-wicket
partnership yielded 109 runs even as Jacobs stroked his way to a
half-century.
India’s chances of winning the final Test are now all but gone.
Even to draw the match the tourists will need great modicums of
luck. Yet just imagine the mood in the changing rooms had the
opposing team been dismissed for 320 after being put into bat and
not 422. It is a question of professionalism really.
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