‘Pulling off chase a good feeling’
NEWDELHI:ALEX Carey jokes about the challenge he has taken up to not shave till this series ends, and talks about Australia batsmen tackling Indian spinners and death bowlers. That the mood in the camp has changed with two impressive wins on the trot in this ODI series is clear.
Carey’s comments in the media conference on Tuesday, ahead of the final ODI at Ferozeshah Kotla ground, indicates the holders are getting it all back as the World Cup build-up hits the home stretch. Australia have never rallied from 0-2 down to win a series and haven’t won an overseas series since 2016.
But those numbers seem to sit lightly in a side that has turned things around to level the series. If the Aussies make it three wins in a row, it would be their first ODI series win in India for a decade. After arriving as a team waiting for Steve Smith and David Warner to bail them out, they are now a solid unit jockeying for World Cup spots, keen to make it tough for the selectors.
“We were put under pressure early in this series and from 0-2 to have the series level, it’s exciting. We thought we were playing good cricket in the first two games but just fell short,” Carey said.
Chasing down 359 in Mohali has raised Australia’s confidence. “To pull off a chase like that, it’s obviously a good feeling but it’s not a huge surprise. We knew we were building towards something special.”
Warner and Smith will return in IPL and the other batsmen will have to fight for the remaining spots. “The guys in the side are performing really well, so it’s healthy for Australian cricket. If you look across the board, everyone has performed at times,” said Carey, who has switched from being a successful BBL opener to keep and bat in the middle-order.
The batsmen have also tackled Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, and attacked Jasprit Bumrah in the death overs at Mohali. Whenever the India team wins the upside of success is monopolised (deservingly) by players and (somewhat undeservingly) by officials. But this time,the MSK Prasad led selection committee has got credit. And plenty of cash.
Which is surprising because this was considered a lightweight committee, the collective international experience of the five members is 13 Tests and 31 ODIS, less than that of Virat Kohli (77 Tests and 222 ODIS).
Yet, these selectors are outstanding, making tough calls and smart choices. Working towards a vision — of winning the World Cup and overseas Tests — they ensured the team got where it was supposed to. To do this, players were picked who could deliver in all formats. Hence, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari ,Vijay Shankar got the nod. Ranji experience was respected but a fasttrack system was created that promoted Prithvi Shaw and Shubhman Gill.
MAJOR OVERHAULS
India’s bowling underwent a major overhaul. Fast bowlers capable of hitting 140 plus speeds were identified and given opportunities. Because of this, India has a pool of quality quicks and a new ball attack that does not fire blanks.
The spin makeover was even more dramatic as focus shifted from orthodox to mystery, finger to wrist, R Ashwin-ravindra Jadeja to Kuldeep Yadav-yuzvendra Chahal. It’s an extraordinary call when you look at the numbers: Ashwin and Jadeja have 534 Test wickets between them.
Selectors executed their vision by carefully moving players into the right slots and building bench strength. The list of pace bowlers brought into the frame is long (Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini, Siddarth Kaul). Same with the spinners (Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Mayank Markandey). Also, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer are batsmen who are good to go.
COLLABORATIVE
Importantly, selection now is a collaborative process with MSK’S team working closely with Rahul Dravid to assess players on A tours and Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for feedback on the senior squad. For the first time, India has a largish informal selection group that connects key people and offers a talent pathway from Ranji to international cricket.
Recognising this good work, and in the context of India’s historic win in Australia, the BCCI announced cash awards for selectors. This gesture was unique in more ways than one, well intended but administratively flawed.
One: Cash awards to selectors for bilateral series is unprecedented in India and elsewhere.
Two: There is no provision for ‘performance-linked bonus’ for selectors or players for that matter. Problem is, once you link selectors to team performance, how do you deal with the drubbing in England six months back?
Three: Just as a school tutor does not get promoted when his students crack the IIT/ IIM admission exam, selectors should be protected from any bonus/reward arrangement.
Four: That the decision of cash awards is not supported by precedent or policy, instead based on whim, is a more fundamental issue. It reflects the disproportionate authority of persons in power, also a mindset that benefits can be given depending on the ‘pleasure’ of those in high offices. It emanates from the arbitrary ‘Mogambo khush hua’ syndrome.
There is no debate about rewarding good work done, by selectors and others. Only it should be structured, policy and process-driven, not based on ad-hoc populist pronouncements. For players, most countries have bonus clauses built into their annual contracts. For selectors, employment conditions could include cash awards linked to India’s position in ICC rankings.
Also, one observation on selection: The IPL, BCCI’S domestic tournament, remains out of bounds for selectors because it is supposedly a ‘private’ venture. Selectors are not present at the venues and instead watch games, track performances and judge players like ordinary fans — on television!