India's New Angry Young Men

“I am someone who speaks more about the process rather than thinking about the results." 

 This was by MS Dhoni a day after India’s loss to New Zealand in the test series and this was already a favoured template for him with the media after 14 consecutive winless tests abroad.

“We are not at a stage now where we need to come and improve. We should be ready enough in international cricket to start dominating Test matches and win those crucial situations and sessions.”

This was by Virat Kohli recently after the team’s innings victory against West Indies in the first test in Antigua. Again in frequent appearances to the media, Kohli just can’t seem to stress enough on how much he wants his team to play an attacking brand of cricket.

Two different ideologies and we can see the changes already. This article is not a criticism of MS Dhoni but a look at the current Indian squad and see how this renewed belief Kohli has given them changed them as a side in tests.

A bit to defensive?

A bit too Agressive?

Under Dhoni, India was always learning. It was all about the process. And to be fair to him it did seem that there was much he could do about it.

Bowling machines bowled more consistently than the seamers. Ishant Sharma was always the unlucky bowler to bowl a good ball and not get his due wickets. Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron were the new Shaun Tait-  fast but very erratic. Kumar and Shami were good but struggled in frequent spells. It seemed as though Ashwin was trying to bowl six different delivery every over. Jadeja was confused of his role in the team.

A 8-0 away loss against England and Australia along with a shock home series defeat against England exposed their batting inadequacies. A whitewash against Australia at home later was small relief. It seemed nothing was going right for India at least outside the country. Dhoni blamed the lack of all-rounders, the lack of good seam bowlers and finally he went back to his typical Dhoni statement, it’s all a process.

He became defensive too fast. He played the waiting game too often. And that is where Virat Kohli has bought a change to this team’s ideology.

Instead of protecting his seamers he throws them right into the spotlight. With Kohli the response to a boundary hit is the addition of another slip to the cordon.He challenges them to perform, removes the fear of non-performance and brings out their attacking instinct to play with confidence.

The spinners were once Dhoni’s specialty and his control in a test match was highly dependent on their performance. Kohli has taken that to another level and the spinner’s play with even more freedom. In-out fields, men consistently around the bat and an encouragement to keep bowling aggressively has bode well for the team.

It seems as though Virat has risen the bar that Dhoni had set for his bowlers and has succeeded in helping them go a long way in achieving it. It obviously helps with the five bowler strategy which has been Kohli’s USP all this time. Dhoni’s reluctance in playing five bowlers to shield a seemingly out of confidence batting order put more pressure in the bowling department. However as Kohli says, however well the batsmen play the only real chance in winning a test is when the team picks 20 wickets and he has stayed true to the saying.

In response he has given more responsibility to the batsmen to perform, be consistent and not to depend on the next batsmen. He has asked them to be ruthless, to bat once and bat big. It is all very well said and done but he leads the way with his own performances. The players are more confident now and each player is clear of his role. They are encouraged to recognize the big moments and win crucial sessions of play.

We can see the changes too. Under Dhoni it seemed that weren’t enough players to provide a competition to the ones playing. Now we see that there is competition for almost every spot. Vijay, Dhawan and Rahul are vying for the opener’s slot. Pujara and Rohit are in a perpetual first drop duel.Saha has Ojha waiting his turn.

The bowling stocks have never been more abundant. The group of Ashwin, Mishra, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Aaron along with the all-rounders Jadeja and Binny shows us that Kohli and Ravi shastri have been successful not only in developing a team consisting of players with well-defined roles but more importantly a squad of 15-20 players. These players can come and compete healthily amongst themselves which removes complacency yet giving the ones playing the needed security. The bench strength is better now.

The Fab Five?

Kohli has made sure mediocrity is no longer accepted. A draw is not enough. That isn’t to say he is intolerant of mistakes. Errors are fine in pursuit of the win.  He is trying to create a culture where playing to win becomes a habit and he isn’t afraid to lose along the way for it.  An interesting new season (and dare I say it, ERA) looms for the Indian team with players more confident of their own ability and that of their team-mates.

Virat kohli has made sure doing nothing is no longer a option. Consistent efforts to improve and experiment has led to Ashwin being given a chance at 6 to showcase his skills. It may or may not work but it shows the flexibility this Indian team has.

However, at the same time it is important to respect the work Dhoni has done. Under him Ishant Sharma learnt consistency and it is doubtful if Umesh Yadav and Rohit Sharma would have been in the squad had they not had the bountiful opportunities that were presented. Dhawan too was given support and under Dhoni it seemed easier to get in the team than to get out.

 This helped in players developing themselves and has, to a extent, complemented Kohli’s vision.

There is still a long way to go for Kohli and his youngish team but with players like Ashwin, Rahane, Ishant and the others he has a squad were most players have reached or are close to reaching their peak.

A sign of things to come?

The vision is there. The ambition is there. The talent is there. The confidence is there.

It’s all about execution and there is a new era unfolding in front of us which promises an interesting brand of cricket which is aptly portrayed by Kohli’s line of thought ; 

When in doubt, Attack.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE IPL

A lot of things.

New teams, new strategy and unpredictably predictable pattern in the flow of the game and virat’s first hundred.

 And Of course who can forget controversies... IPL just can't do without it.

The fab team of the Chennai franchise has been split and new loyalties have been forged in the new teams Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions.

 

friends turned foes?

Pune started as the giants they proclaimed to be with a convincing win over the Mumbai Indians but since then have had problems with their combination and balance.

Gujarat have come out roaring and their top heavy batting line-up have been complemented by their all-rounders. Raina’s captaincy seems to have the coolness from the man whose shadow he is trying to come out of now.

Kolkata seems to be the team to have found out its perfect combination. That they have  highest batting average and lowest bowling strike rate in this edition is testimony to the fact of their in form openers, destructive all-rounders and wicket taking bowlers. Clearly no other team has come close to having the balance that kolkata has.

leading from the front?

Evidence to that is Royal Challengers Bangalore whose top four comprising of Gayle, Kohli, De villiers and Watson is so strong that it seems like cheating. However even they are not able to insulate their toothless bowling and their flat home ground. It is with wonder, one will wonder, what a wonderful team this could have been if only starc had been there.

Yet another slow start sees Mumbai face a similar but reversed role with their bowling in good t20 form but their batsmen in blowing hot and cold. Rohit Sharma has engineered two wins and Krunal Pandya certainly been a find but overall the batting has been inconsistent.

Same is the case with Hyderabad. The team is heavily reliant on Warner’s batting and commitment and Mustafizur "the fizz" Rahman"s cutters. Kumar has started bowling well after the mauling from Sarfraz khan while Dhawan has started to get some runs with other steady contributions.

Mustafizur fizzing through line-ups?

In Murali, Mannan, Marsh, Miller, Maxwell, and Mitchell it seems Punjab likes the letter ‘m’. However memorable isn’t exactly what they would call their initial run of play. Their bowling doesn’t look threatening even with Johnson and their string of losses have coincided with the surprisingly extended loss of form of Miller and Maxwell which sees at the bottom of the table yet again.

Delhi’s batting looks more of an under-25 line-up. Their selection policy is centred on youth but too much of it seemed to be the problem. However with Zaheer, Morris and Duminy and De kock, Delhi have surprised themselves by winning three on the trot at this stage. Can they continue punching above their weight?

This IPL has been surprisingly predictable thus far with the thrillers that define IPL few and far. Surely with the definite slowdown in pitches and gradual increase in turn for spinners will correct the “anomaly’ as De Villiers puts it of the chasing team winning first?

However another controversy has overtaken the game, yet again. This time it takes the form of the high court order of banning IPL games in Maharashtra due to the severe drought it faces.

From the haughty and dismissive attitude it used to carry when controversies first appeared IPL is now acting as the victim and trying to look as if it is always wronged upon.

You cannot clap with one hand. Similarly the fault doesn’t lie with one party. Clearly the drought is a sustained phenomenon whose prediction could’ve been made before the drought’s consequences and (ahem) the IPL schedule drawn.

Why the PIL 5 days before the event and not when then the planning was made? Why was there no action taken during the world cup where Mumbai was a venue?

Also why did BCCI fix matches in the state where the symptoms of drought started well in advance?  
Better planning and forethought would have help avoid the situation it is in now.

However as dravid says “It's a serious issue, and the fact that so many people are dying because of shortage of water is serious, but linking it to IPL will trivialise it”

However IPL has become that one tournament that we all hate to love but cant help getting attracted to. It's taking longer than usual for the on-field drama to be scripted with regularity but once those thrillers start taking place... well its called IPL for nothing.

Dhoni's Time and split captaincy option for India?

And again the questions will start ringing, the whispers will become louder and every Tom Dick and Harry like me, will have an opinion of the way forward.

India has, apart from an anti-climatic finish, been part of a wonderful series which though was lost in a fashion completely unexpected, going by evidence from the previous four ODIS.

India was at least, in the bowling department annihilated, humiliated and painfully exposed. The one positive is that it can only get better from here. The Indians could not afford soft dismissals but the wickets of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina (whose dismissal was more of a mind game) neutralized Rahane’s silken batting who almost single handedly kept the Required Run Rate to around 10.3 for 8-10 overs. 

However it was a freak match, something that happens very rarely and much cannot be read into it.

Indian media being the Indian media will obviously point the blame to captain of the Indian Team. It is an occupational hazard.

The question I would like to bring out is, would it be so bad for Dhoni to step down from captaincy.This is not a knee-jerk reaction but a chance to get new ideas and a new way of thinking onto the field for the next cycle of cricketing life.

It is hard to be an exceptional finisher, captain and wicketkeeper at the same time. Even AB De Villiers is finding it tough which is saying something. To do it with the success Dhoni has had for a long period is laudable but it is time now, not to give up the gloves- he still has much to offer as player- but to become a respected senior.

I feel Dhoni has mostly done all he can and needs to concentrate on other important responsibilities now that he is getting older. The reinvention- not only of himself but of the team at the 2015 world cup will be his greatest feat, equal to winning the trophy in 2011.

This is where the problem starts.

One would assume that Kohli is the captain in waiting and rightly so. Once Dhoni gives up limited overs captaincy Kohli will take over or at least that’s the plan.

However to me, observing the success of other teams with split captaincy roles, it seems to me that Kohli and the team would be better served if he remains as the star of the Indian cricket team in the limited over formats, not a leader (officially).

It will give him more focus for planning for test matches, ease in doing what he does in the limited overs format (score runs, break records to name a few) and this can actually prolong his career.

The million dollar question is who will replace Ms Dhoni? Ideally it should be someone whose place in the side is sure.

Which gives three options- Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin.

Rohit is ideally suited for being the T20 captain with his success in the IPL giving evidence that he will do a good job. He is already a proven player and this added responsibility may just lift his game just as it has done with his performance for the Mumbai Indians.It’s not a sure bet but definitely worth a try.

Rahane, with his starts in the first four ODI’s and free flowing 87 at Mumbai should have done enough for him to be thought of as a long-term number 4 with him silencing his detractors at his pace of scoring.His next goal should be to be more consistent and to multiply his starts. Will it harm his long-term development if he gets captaincy at this stage of his career when he is still consolidating?

He is clearly respected and has calm demeanor and the selectors have shown faith in him by making him the captain during the Zimbabwe series.

Dhoni may play a pivotal role for this to happen. He should be captain until such a stage comes and may be a guide for Rahane until then.

                                                                                               

And then there is Ashwin who has in the last 12 months been the major hope along with Ishant Sharma for the Indian bowling to have some chance of picking 20 wickets in a test match. His 60 balls in an ODI are gold dust on flat tracks. He has proved that he is attacking and has a smart cricketing brain.

He surely would be a good choice with either Rahane or him leading the One Day outfit.

Regardless, Dhoni’s role in this scenario will be really delicate and important.

And then there is Virat Kohli who clearly wants to be the captain, which is not a bad thing actually but I feel this option would give him better focus and less stress.

He is the ideal test captain who, although sometimes ultra-aggressive and over-optimistic of our bowling resources, makes things happen.

The example of South Africa is suitable here- with Amla the test captain while De Villiers and Du Plessis leading the One Day and T20 teams respectively and all three complement each other and have had reasonable success.

It is the best way to bring the best out of each player for the team and must definitely be given a thought upon.

But…Will Dhoni agree? …Will Kohli agree?

Will the BCCI agree? 

---ASHESLORE- Tales in England --- Pros Anderson and Broad catching the youth fever?

At the first Investec Test Match between Australia and England in Cardiff, we witnessed an all-round bowling performance from the England. Yes, the Aussies also picked up 20 wickets but as Stuart Broad says they didn't adapt to the nature of the pitch fast enough. Before this test match it seemed as if England had the same slew of right hand fast medium seamers. They seemed predictable and dull on a dry surface. 

Suddenly we find that there is variety in this bowling line-up too. The swing of Anderson, the bounce of Broad, seam from Stokes and the Pace from Wood.

In this article I am mainly presenting my views on the English bowling performance of the two pros Stuart Broad and James Anderson and the reasons for their success.

regaining the joy

rediscovering his potential

There was one more thing equally, if not more important that contributed to their success. The attitude of Ben Stokes and Mark Wood. 

They bowled with spirit, they bowled with vigour, they bowled to express their joy.

 Most importantly, they rejuvenated Anderson and Broad. They caught the youth fever of playing aggressive uninhibited cricket which they used to in their younger days.
Though it is possible that the young core of 'New England' was 'Made in New Zealand', the youth shows us a changing face of English cricket and its move from attritional  and a safety first approach to a fluid and proactive one.

youth fever spreading?

 The new ball spell from Anderson and broad on the fourth morning was as good as any we have seen in recent times from them. They were controlled, aggressive and relentless.

We are seeing a new core of young enthusiastic players come up who are not scarred by previous tours. They have a vibe about them and essentially in this test match, the youngsters have led the way forward and shown the experienced how to play without fear.

In attempt to nullify the effect of their decreased speeds Anderson and Broad have many times been at fault of bringing their length back. This was in full view at Headingly against the black caps when the English Bowlers got smacked around for 454 in just 91 overs.

The experience Broad and Anderson showed, coupled with a new found vigour helped them complement each other beautifully. They bowled a fuller length at the start and  bowled according to strict plans to each batsman. Warner was denied width, they bowled a 5^th stump line to Smith who constantly shuffles across, and just aimed at the stumps or more precisely the huge trunk Watson has for a leg to effect a leg before Watson.. sorry wicket.

However the striking thing which I observed, though seemingly insignificant was a show of their skill and expertise. The Cardiff pitch not seaming and swinging after the new ball, they pulled their lengths back slightly to exploit the variable bounce in the surface and consistently bowled a stump to stump line. 

At one point of time Anderson actually bowled 3 consecutive maidens and Moeen Ali was rewarded with the wicket of Clarke.

Another aggressive move was Broad coming on to bowl 10 overs before the new ball could be taken.  His reward- Leg Before Watson i.e he got Watson out LBW.

There is another reason why Broad’s and Anderson’s potency has increased. It is due to the sustained pressure placed by Stokes and Wood. Previously the pressure the pair creates would inevitably get released by the back-up bowlers. The bulk work had to be done by this pair and thus they started bowling with speed and verve only during critical periods.

A revealing stat tells us that since 2010 Anderson and Broad have bowled the most balls in test cricket. No wonder they have become a bit more cautious. They, Anderson in particular, are testimony to longevity, skill and fitness in comparison to their workload

partners in crime overburdened?

Thus in the Cardiff test it felt like they were almost rediscovering the  joy and pleasure of bowling as they could bowl high-octane relentless spells due to support from the back-up bowlers.

On a larger note, this win for the English has changed many things. Many though that the pitches would be prepared to nullify Australia’s Pace battery. However with the Australian batting comparatively more insecure than that of the English, one might be tempted to think that the Lord’s pitch would be seamer friendly, even more so after the comprehensive performance of the English seamers. They would however be wary of the situation that befell them when they prepared a green pitch against India.

I conclude with anderson’s apt words during the New Zealand tour.

"We're trying to be aggressive and attacking with our fields and the lines and lengths we bowl. The players we have in the team - the likes of Mark Wood or Ben Stokes - are naturally attacking cricketers, so guys like that are moving us forward. We're looking to play the same sort of cricket as New Zealand and Australia and fight fire with fire.

"It is rubbing off on us, I think. It's good for someone like me who's almost over the hill to get these guys giving you a kick up the backside. You can't help but admire the way they play and try and do that as well."

---ASHESLORE- Tales In England---New England UpROOTing Dad’s Army ?

Of all the one liners I have scripted (heading or otherwise) I feel no greater satisfaction than having thought of the above title. (It has nothing to do with the wordplay).

These five letters have, in essence, described what I hope to describe in, say, 500 odd words.

We all know England had caught the New Zealand disease of playing aggressive cricket reasonably consistently even if that was in greater show during the limited overs format.

It does help when their identified talents and emerging players like Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are in good nick and have started to slowly carve their own niche in the team and influence the outcome of the game even more.

 Australia has decided to enter a new era with old players. Hence the term dad’s army.

As far as I recollect smith is the only batsmen playing who is under 26 years of age.

However I digress. What I am going to say was thought of well before and the first test has confirmed it. It is the basis for my analysis.

The point of this article is plain and simple- it is not as bad for England as one thinks. I feel they have more than a chance wining the ashes. There are 3 reasons. One reason is obviously home conditions and support.

The other reason is a combination of various factors.

 Even with the no. 1 batsman in the team Australia’s batting line-up is not scoring as much as it should. Heck, Hazlewood plays with a straighter bat than Watson. The bottom five on numerous occasions have scored the same if not more number of runs as the top six (minus smith). If England can prepare pitches similar to that against the new Zealand series the Australian top order will get under pressure. Suffice to say Australia’s batting is not as secure as the scorecard shows.

The first test at Cardiff was* crucial. Though termed slow, ball still is conventionally swinging pretty much throughout the day and it is turning reasonably and has variable bounce. As of now England have rattled Australia.* If England win ( more than likely) they can rattle Australia. They can shock them. Usually we see in 5 test match series the team which wins first gets that needed momentum which is very important.

Alistair Cook has started batting almost close to his best. He now faces a different problem. Previously he led mainly through example and hard graft. After returning to the squad after the ODIs cook must feel like a guest who is arriving to a raucous night part quite late. The youngsters ( relatively) are the forerunners for proactive game and how he develops the attacking spirit brought in from Eoin Morgan is a defining moment. He did signal his intent by trying to play aggressively but in vain. Aggressive batting is not Cook. It need not be. You need a grafter amidst stroke-makers. Cook’s role is to encourage stroke makers play without fear. If they do so Australia will be challenged.As he himself says, that it will be a different challenge to lead this bubbly team. A good challenge.

moeanalitharan?

Moeen Ali. Opponents underestimate him. Opponents try to hit him out of the attack. Opponents starts aggressively and hit boundaries. Opponents get carried away. Opponents lose wicket. They change his name to Moeenalitharan. Smith, Clarke, Haddin etc.Whew!!! Not to mention that he must be the best no. 8 batsman to play as of now.

Stokes. Probably the most promising allrounder since Botham and Filntoff. His attitude of playing fire with fire will create fissures in the Australian team. Coming of a wonderful series against the black caps he has learnt the art of mixing aggression with consistency. Watch out Australia.

Mark Wood and Jos Buttler are the dark horses whose careers will get a big boost with a commendable Ashes performance. They have impressed everyone. Jos buttler is due a big knock. He averages 50 without having hit a century. Wood has impressed everyone with his pace and attitude.

The old pros- partners in crime Anderson and broad are vital in this series. One has passed 400 and the other is approaching 300. Though not having pace to match their Australian counterparts, they make it up with their guile.

Bell and Ballance on current form and to some extent Lyth (on his first ashes series) look vulnerable.  Underestimate them at your own peril. Ballance has had a wonderful career so far. However I feel Australia and in particular Starc will test his lack of feet movement by bowling those full swinging deliveries. Despite being short on confidence and runs he made 61 in the first innings without looking assured at any stage. But he did make those runs.

the likely hero?

All said and done it is Joe Root who will have a defining impact on this series. He is the glue in the middle order. Joe Root got first hundred of this series which he hopes is the first of the many. His attacking cricket has rubbed of others. He, though young in years has shown maturity beyond it and knows that however successful he was in the preceding months, Ashes is ultimately the barometer on the basis of which he gets judged on. He has had a good start, expected but ominous for the Aussies.

All these seems a to be far-fetched guess... Deductive reasoning (ahem) but these are signs which I noticed. For all we know Starc will produce toe crushers, Johnson will again come in nightmares of the English players. Bowlers will take legal action against Smith for scoring heavily.

For all we know.

But I still say England is winning this one. I can’t predict the margin. But they will.

It is because of the third reason. Gut Feeling.

All right you can snort. We will see after two months.

Maybe that’s why you should've have just read the title.

Brad Haddin in the pre-ashes coverage once said he did not understand what the hype around England was.

 I don't really understand the hype around that one-day Series. We'd just come off a World Cup. I don't understand what the excitement is about, and what this new found form England found in that format.  if you could explain to me what it is.

Brad, have New England explained to you what the hype is about in Cardiff? I hope so.

* this analysis has been written during the fourth day of the Investec Ashes series between Australia and England

The Indian dilemma-an expensive tear way fast bowler or a accurate medium pace surgeon ?

Ms Dhoni

"This win is good, but we need to make a decision if we want quick bowlers or if we want good bowlers even if they are not quick. We have been backing too many quick bowlers who haven't been bowling well," 

You will laugh at ms Dhoni.

 That the team reached the semi-finals of the world cup was mainly due to the bowlers picking up 77 wickets from a maximum of 80 wickets.

Dhoni however was referring to Umesh Yadav’s performance in particular.

After Umesh Yadav’s performance in the match against Bangaldesh, Dhoni does have a point.

After his success in the world cup he was richly praised for having learnt and improved. However after recent performance it seems he is not able to adapt.

And he is just an example. Due to the fact that India played most of their matches abroad in 2014 and a wonderful world cup in terms of bowling performance their overall figures are good.

However the underlying fact is in the past 18 months no bowler apart from Mohammed Shami has been able to combine brisk speed with accuracy. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has accuracy but isn’t threatening after the new ball though he is improving. Aaron has speed but no accuracy.

fast and effective

 Let us take six Indian pacers who are more or less in the frame now and see their speed.

Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron are ultra fast.

Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami are fast

Mohit Sharma and Dhawal Kulakarni are brisk

Though Bhuvneshwar Kumar has increased his speed he is clearly the slowest of the lot.

Umesh Yadav had a wonderful world cup and an agreeable IPL. He was the leading wicket taker in the world cup with 18 wickets.

However, in the series against Bangladesh he has gone for over 7.58 runs per over. That is clearly too expensive for a strike bowler.

Varun Aaron has played 5 ODIs and he was too expensive going at above 7 runs per over. It was telling that little known Harshal Patel pipped him to be Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Indian bowler. This after he was touted to lead the attack for his IPL franchise.

Ishant Sharma had a poor IPL after returning from injury.

Shami is injured but has been a vital part of the Indian line up.

That vibe about Mohit Sharma is no longer present. After being the dark horse on the World Cup, he has fared badly in the IPL and the current tour.

It is too early to say anything about Dhawal Kulkarni. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has improved by leaps and bounds and has always been a quiet achiever.

MS Dhoni is always blamed with managing his bowling resources badly. There may be some truth in it. However, we see that the bowlers are really inconsistent and are not able to string more than two good games on trot.

As Mcgrath said, raw pace in India is an unnatural phenomenon. Indians are used to seeing other countries have 140 plus bowlers. Ours was a line and length tradition. The conditions also don’t help or suit a fast bowler to become one in India.

So naturally all of us felt excited when we could say that we have two or three 145kmph bowlers in our country who could hit the deck, bounce out Australians and keep the batsmen honest.. Raw pace is exciting but without control it means nothing.

Varun Aaron’s first class record wouldn’t have got him into any team. It was his deemed potential and his unnatural speed that gave him that opportunity

Experts said to give them time to grow and develop.

So they were given. But the conclusion is unclear.

I come back to what ms Dhoni said. India needs to choose

Fast or medium. Tear away or surgeons.

However there are a few problems. In the subcontinent the conditions are such that bowlers focus more on line, length and swing than pace. So a dhawal kularni or a Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be more handy here. In England, South Africa and Australia one needs that extra pace to trouble the batsmen. Umesh yadav and Shami’s success in the world cup was testimony to that.

So one option maybe to create a crop of bowlers for oversees and for subcontinent. (This is never going to happen.)

 The other is continue to invest in the faster bowlers and set up an ideal combination of the faster and medium fast bowlers.

One can accept if a fast bowler leaks a few runs but picks wickets but the two ultra fast bowlers have not been able to do that.

 Umesh Yadav has to be given more chances and time to develop. A wonderful World Cup performance should not be undermined.

15-20 years back a medium fast pace bowler would be able to contribute well if he was smart and canny enough.

Nowadays it is almost imperative to have that X-factor present in terms of speed as the batsmen have become much adept, skilled and armed with heavier bats. Not to mention the current ODI rules(which have changed) and the pitch which is increasingly becoming batsmen-friendly.

This inconsistency was becoming the case in the last few years. The world cup camouflaged it. However Dhoni’s words may have been said in frustration but it does put Indian cricket in dilemma they had postponed.

The team has reached crossroads as the combination of bowling attack reflects the level of intent and the plan of the team.

This is something that carefully needs to be thought of and will be known when the Sri Lankan tour starts.