Asia Cup: Roaring Return of the Men in Blue as India Beat Pakistan
The Indian team played like a unit for the first time since bowing out of the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean last month. The players seemed fitter, more aggressive, and looked fresh after a month long holiday, during which they saw the juniors fail to impress against Sri Lanka and seemed worse than even the minnows Zimbabwe, the hosts of the Tri-Nation series two weeks back.
The return of the seniors has changed the overall outlook of the Indian side. They are no more the bunch of individuals who failed to notify the umpire of the bowling Powerplay, or failed to change ends despite crossing each other. What changes have the seniors made to the side might not be covered that easily, but the individuals who took India from rock bottom to the top are the ones to be thanked for their contribution.
The most important part of the current Indian side is undoubtedly the devastating Gautam Gambhir. When he is in full flow, there is little that can stop him. He batted with responsibility against Pakistan, didn’t lose his cool like his earlier clashes with the Green Shirts, where he abused regularly and at times even swore. This Gambhir was different; methodological and responsible, and it showed in his innings of 83 which comprised of just 6 fours and a lone six, but that was enough to put India on the right track.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni proved why he is an indispensable member of Team India. The players respect him, be it the juniors like Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar or seniors like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh. He is a solid middle order batsman who thinks before striking the ball and can keep wickets as well, a task he excels in.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was missed in the Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, where the Indian spinners were belted at will by the hosts and the Sri Lankans. He adds a balance to the side not because he is an excellent bowler, but because he is a useful lower order batsman and a fielder who is always energetic. He displayed his batting prowess at the end of the match and although the scorecard shows him scoring a mere 15 runs, his contribution was more than a fifty! Hitting a six off the bowling of first Shoaib Akhtar and later off Mohammad Aamer shows he has tremendous potential, and he will eventually become a better batsman as time progresses.
The return to form of pace head Zaheer Khan couldn’t have been better timed. He was initially belted by the Pakistanis, yet came back strongly to take 2 wickets for 41 runs; a good bowling performance considering the pitch supported the batsmen. His timely wickets dented the Pakistan batting order, and he was instrumental in restricting the men in green for less than 270.
Having a good spinner in the side can have its benefits, but having two spinners bowl well in tandem on a particular day is a bonus any captain would love to have in his side. Ravindra Jadeja bowled extremely well under pressure to retain his place and succeeded in helping India tame the Pakistan batting, which had raced to 100 in the 21st over. He dismissed the dangerous Umar Akmal before he could get into his destructive mood, and this performance along with his many others will surely keep him in the captain’s good books, as well as in the final XI for some time.
Some would say that Pakistan was unlucky to lose despite dominating the match; others might concur that India was lucky to win the cliff-hanger, but the truth of the matter is that the side which went to win this crucial match of the 10th Asia Cup cricket tournament was the more organized and well-strategized one, leaving the losers ruing missed chances, dropped catches and senseless tactics.
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