If I was the coach of the Indian team, these would be my talking points at the team meeting before the 4th day's play in the India-Bangladesh Test match.
First, I would take Rahul Dravid aside for a small heart-to-heart talk.
What's wrong with you? What were you thinking last night when you sent in Amil Mishra as a nightwatchman? If Amit Mishra was able to score 24 runs with 5 boundaries, why did you need someone to protect you? The score was 90 for 1 in just 17 overs when Sehwag got out. The bowlers were not looking threatening and you chose a protector?!! Seriously, dude. I hope Amit Mishra does a Jason Gillespie and bats and bats tomorrow. What were you thinking? It couldn't have been that you were tired. You fielded at slip for most of the inning and then got to rest for 17 overs. Please. I didn't think you'd be scared of facing a set of Bagladeshi bowlers on the backfoot? Ugh!
Second, I'd call the team meeting to order and tell the rest of the team to channel their inner-Sehwag.
Here are the cold facts. India is leading by 123 runs with two days to go. So far on no day have we seen the entire quota of 90 overs being bowled.
Day 1: 63 overs
Day 2: 24 overs (plus a 10 minute innings break)
Day 3: 72 overs (plus a 10 minute innings break)
So, realistically, in the next two days there are about (65+65) 130 overs left at the minimum. For the next 50 overs we should aim at scoring about 5 runs an over and put up 250 runs. That will leave Bangladesh the task of scoring about 375 runs in a maximum of 130 overs but, more realistically, about 80 overs.
If a batting line-up that reads Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj and Karthik cannot score 250 runs in 50 overs against Bangladesh, then we seriously need to find new batsmen to take their place. Remember fellows, if you are serious about being the #1 Test team in the world, you need to go out there and beat the last-ranked Test team in the world, even in less than convenient conditions.
And if the bowling team needs more than 80 overs to finish Bangladesh, then we should admit that Ian Chappell was probably on the money when he said that India did not have the bowling attack to be the top ranked Test team in the world.
2 comments:
Well - Laxman, Mishra and Gambhir especially definitely got your memo about maintaining the scoring rate.
Also Dravid perhaps implied that Mishra is a better bat than he is right now. Mental errors, not grounding the bat, et al are not expected of a seasoned professional with 100+ tests under his belt.
Now the onus is on the bowlers - if they cannot bowl Bangadesh out, then they vindicate Ian Chappell. The only satisfactory outcome to the series (from India's perspective) can be a 2-0 victory.
Dravid cost himself a chance at a big score on two fronts - Mishra took away his runs and then he failed to ground his bat. Ugh!
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