- Let’s be strident in mentioning that every thoroughbred cricket connoisseur, pundit, ex-player, and crazy-fan would be voicing his/her opinion in unison that Team India no longer can be considered as an entity to beat at home, especially while playing on rank turners. Those were the halcyon days when visiting teams used to find the playing conditions so tough and alien simply because of the plethora of world-class performers donning the Indian whites. Both in batting and bowling, Indian cricketers not so long ago were not only terrific but also impactful and forceful while scoring big runs and taking wickets. Little wonder that many visiting teams from other countries could never get the better of Team India in their own den, except for some aberrations now and then.
PC: IPL.com
- With the advent of the shortest version of cricket, T20, and the proliferation of franchise-based leagues, including the extremely popular Indian Premier League (IPL), the art of playing the longest format of the game appears to be diminishing over the last decade or so. The flat pitches laid out for the slam-bang variety make even an ordinary cricketer tonk the ball with power and precision, clearing the ropes easily. Hitting sixes and fours with consummate ease is the norm associated with T20 cricket. However, Test cricket is still considered the pinnacle of the sport by every cricketer, and the skills presented on the arena truly ascertain the quality of any player. Unfortunately, the cricket administrators don’t appear to look in the same vein, though.
PC: Outlook India
- The humiliating defeat in the recently concluded first Test match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata,between India and South Africa, firmly established the fact that Indian cricketers are repeatedly failing to counter quality spinners from the visiting teams. Not only that, even our batters are not scoring big runs to set up a healthy score despite possessing unquestionable talent to take on the might of any team. One of the most notable aspects witnessed during the meek capitulation at Eden Gardens was that most of the Indian batters were not prepared to go through the grind of playing Test cricket with impeccable defensive technique, which was found to be solely missing. Test cricket is demanding, and every player selected must be endowed with such a mindset.
PC: The Indian Express
- Worryingly, the present crop of Indian cricketers does not seem to be equipped to battle it out in a conventional manner. Remember, the visiting New Zealanders whitewashed Team India 3-0 not so long back, even when some of the big names like Rohit Sharma were still playing Tests. With this shocking defeat, the trend of Indian batters meekly surrendering without offering a semblance of fight against quality spin bowling must be worrying the management and the BCCI mandarins. The question arises as to why prepare a rank turner when our batters are not adept at countering the same through some time-tested, patient batting, a hallmark of Test cricket? The emphasis on red-ball cricket should be reinforced forthwith. The BCCI should make this a top-most priority.
