Dravid has to make winners out of chokers
Among the first things Rahul Dravid needs to wrap his head around, in fact this should be top priority, is why the Indian team falters consistently in multi-nation events. The recent T20 World Cup setback is one of several in the past eight years, though none has been as grievous. After winning three ICC titles (T20 WC 2007, ODI WC 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013 under MS Dhoni), India were perceived as the best side in the sport, knocking hard to be clubbed alongside the West Indies (1970s and 80s) and Australia (1990 and 2005). While India’s record in bilateral contests since 2013 has substantiated that claim, reaching a crescendo in the Test series against Australia in 2020, in ICC tournaments it has remained stagnant or, as in the recent case, dipped badly. A great deal has been discussed about Virat Kohi’s failure to win a multi-nation event, but it would be unfair—and more pertinently, obfuscating the real issue—by laying the blame only at his door. India lost the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final, the 2016 T20 WC semi-final, finished runner up in the 2014 T20 WC, didn’t qualify for the knock-outs in the 2012 and 2010 T20 WCs. All under Dhoni whose captaincy credentials in white ball cricket are unimpeachable. The “Kohli Factor” in India’s failure to win tournaments does have a role, but not the only one. As an aside, India’s record since 2013 is in stark contrast to the time when the team was on a winning spree of multi-nation limited overs tournaments but losing almost every bilateral ODI series. Between 1983 and 1985, India won the Prudential World Cup (England), Asia Cup (Sharjah), World Championship of Cricket (Australia) and Rothmans Cup (Sharjah). Prior to the Prudential Cup, however, the team was thrashed by Pak (1982-83), beaten by WI (1983), routed by WI (in India, 1983-84), then hammered by England (1984-85) and Australia (1984-85) both in India. I brought in that digression to highlight that limited overs cricket is more unpredictable than Tests. Yet not everything can be attributed to quirkiness of format. When WI and Australia were at their peak, they swept aside all opponents in bilateral as well as multi-nation events. India’s flop show in ICC events in the last 7-8 years is baffling. The quality of players has been excellent, performances in bilateral contests brilliant. No other team has been as consistent in this period as ICC rankings testify. There have been no major controversies either. The only parallel I can draw with the recent debacle is when India, under Dravid, were knocked out of the 2007 ODI WC early. At that time, the dressing room was stricken with internecine dissent over coach Greg Chappell. I don’t think there has been any such major issue now. A bunch of individuals living in blissful harmony, especially given the excruciating demand sport makes on passion, ego and ambition, is a chimera. In fact, players competing among themselves is not all bad as long as differences don’t disrupt team stability. So what gives? Spending months in the bubble takes its toll, but this is true for most teams. A harsh workload is a concern that has to be addressed but again, not peculiar to only one side. The matter is complex but Kohli gave a hint about what may be at the crux. “We were not brave enough,” he said of defeats against Pakistan and NZ. A startling, but candid admission. More than team overhaul or rotation, addressing this ‘fear factor’ becomes paramount then for Dravid, given his vast experience, understanding of player psychology and the vicissitudes of sport. His two-year assignment includes three ICC events: T20 WC in 2022, ODI WC in 2023 and the World Test Championship which culminates in 2023. Time is short, the task onerous: To transform title-shy chokers into winners.