A consummate win says the CricInfo website.. And it is that and more..
A cursory glance at the scorecard highlights the emphatic manner in which India sealed the deal at Vizag against Sri Lanka.
As an added bonus, both Yuvraj and Sehwag showed evidence of being in good touch and this bodes well for India as it readies itself to kick off its World Cup Campaign.
Speaking of the World Cup, India plays its first match of the World Cup on March 17th against Bangladesh. Which means that Team India has an entire month between now and then with no active cricket lined up.
The reason I bring that up is - breaks, enforced or planned, have become notorious as momentum killers with the Indian team over the last couple of years.
The most famous example being the hiatus between the Pakistan series and the Tri series in Amsterdam
circa 2004.
Couple that with the fact that the Indian team generally takes a little time to get its bearings right after an absence from the cricketing scene and the fact that the early stages of the World Cup will coincide with the Spring season ( and the rains it brings) and there is a very real possibility that the Indian campaign will be of a stop-start-stop nature.
Which may not be unlike the beginning of the 2006/07 season with the break following the West Indies tour, the rained out series in Sri Lanka followed by the rain affected series in Malaysia.
It is therefore imperative that in addition to form and fitness, focus is essential. India is blessed in that it does not face any major injury concerns nor are there any major concerns with the forms and fitness of its personnel ( excluding Irfan Pathan).
The ability to retain its focus and hit the ground running will go a long way in determining how the Indian campaign shapes up for the World Cup.
But, all that can wait while I bask in the warm glow of a much needed series win :).
Saturday, February 17, 2007
A win!!!! A series win!!!
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2 comments:
the break is really a cause for worry.
But its really good that almost all of our batsmen have been amid runs lately...and i am already beginning to see dreams of an Indian victory in the WC!
What do u think abt Pathan's inclusion? Powar would have been a better gamble right? He seems to be a cool customer and we need people like him who can handle the pressure of a WC.
Ananth,
Glad to be hearing from you.. Its been a while :).
I am not quite of the Irfan Pathan situation.
I have posted on his non-show during the SL series on the blog.
On form, Pathan is pivotal to India's chances because of what he brings to the plate.
But a patently out of form , and now injured Pathan, is not quite what the doctor ordered.
Is Powar the answer? On form, yes. But Powar could just as easily replace Kumble or Harbhajan.
But would the Selectors and the team management have gambled on carrying 3 spinners and 4 pacers in an ODI tournament given that all part time bowlers bar one spin the ball?
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