Indians are home champions – Opinion
It has been an unbelievable year for the Men In Blue, who managed to step up and get counted in a way where everyone stoop up and appreciated their heroics.
It included a second World Cup triumph, which was clinched from the bat off their favourite son, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028. An utterly convincing performance from every member of the squad who stuck to their task with impeccable excellence and assured that they emerge victorious by all means.
The likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820.
Soon after their mammoth display, many of the stars played in the lucrative Indian Premier League, with Dhoni again emerging victorious, lifting the cup with Chennai Super Kings.
They team missing a host of stars barely managed to scrap up a 1-0 Test series win against an average http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221.
What followed was a royal humiliation at the hands of a rejuvenated English unit, hoping to secure the No1 Test ranking. Many touted the series as the most-looked forward cricketing event behind the Ashes, however, it turned out to be the most disappointing affair in the history of the sport.
The 2000th Test match was played at Lord’s, with all eyes on Tendulkar, and whether he could make his hundredth ton. That did not happen but the hosts managed to romp to win by 196 runs.
By now the questions started ringing about the ability of the Indian team to handle bounce and inform Poms bowling contingent, which included the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TT-Bresnan-c2711.
The next match had the same flow and along with losing the Test, they managed to lose half of the side through injury, with the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yuvraj-Singh-c98364 and Harbhajan Singh- all ruled out for the remainder of the series.
The main concern was the magnitude of their defeats which now included two innings defeat in the remaining two Test matches. The players who remained on board either failed to deal with the bounce or were simply feeling home sick – wishing to return to the sub-continent pitches where they have achieved so much success.
By now, questions were asked about the captaincy of Dhoni, who once tried his arm when his pacers failed to deliver the goods. His form with the bat also suffered, while his glove work was also not up to his usual standard.
With a white-wash, the team consequently surrendered their No. 1 Test position and despite the One day series still to be played, talks has already begun about taking revenge when the Men In Blue will take on the Poms on their home soil.
The Indians (unlucky to some extent) lost the ODI series 3-0, and the non-stop cricket finally took a toll on everyone. However, again they rose to the occasion with a 5-0 clean sweep of the same opponents, which came on ….. (You guessed it right) their home soil.
Again on pitches elusive to spinners, the team managed to convincingly beat the Poms with the Man of the Series being Dhoni, who remained unbeaten through the course of the series.
Therefore, is fair to say the Indians are truly champions on their own back yard and the proposition of facing them on their own soil certainly a stiff ask for any cricketing nation.
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