England separates India, Pakistan

By scoring the most emphatic win in the semi-finals of an international tournament, England has managed to once again separate India and Pakistan from facing each other in the ultimate match. The drubbing which the Men in Blue received at Adelaide shall take a long time to get over and the memory of this encounter shall haunt Indian fans and players for a long, long time.
Jokes on WhatsApp erupted shortly after the ten-wicket thrashing. A sarcastic post observed that the Indians had managed to prevent nine English players from scoring even a single run. The expectations were extremely high from Rohit Sharma and his men, and sports lovers all over the world who were expecting the two teams from the sub-continent to regale them, have been both disappointed and devastated.
There are many takeaways from this thrashing and hopefully the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as well as the national selectors would introspect on their own role instead of finding scapegoats. Cricket is like a religion in this country and what happened on Friday was nothing short of sacrilege.
England have entered the finals to face Pakistan, a repeat of the 1992 World Cup where Imran Khan and his outfit emerged triumphant. This time around, the Pakistanis shall have to perform above their current level if they have to carry the Cup back home. England has a very gifted side and can pull off miracles as they showed in the contest against India.
This could also be perhaps the last ICC tournament for some of our cricketers, as the selectors would be wanting to bring in younger players who could serve the country for a longer time. As it is the team selection this time left a lot to be desired and even from those who were chosen to represent India, the omission of key players in the matches was always questionable.
Rohit Sharma is a very talented player and a good leader as he has proven while leading the Mumbai eleven in the IPL on multiple occasions. However, his handling of his men was not at par with his exacting standards and it was evident, particularly in the match against England, that the plan was not executed properly.
In such a crucial tie, and even in matches played earlier, the selection of the final eleven never looked satisfactory and the omission of Y. Chahal and the preference of Dinesh Karthik over Rishabh Pant was not consistent with a good strategy.
Yes, the performance of Surya Kumar Yadav (SKY) was phenomenal and he established his place in the international arena by becoming the only player this year to cross 1,000 runs in the T-20 format. In doing so, he was hailed by veteran cricketers as a 360-degree player who could play with equal ease shots all over the ground while taking on bowlers of calibre. It was also a relief to see Virat Kohli back in form and his “shot of the century” against Pakistani bowler Harris Rauf would remain etched in the minds of fans for a long time. Hardik Pandya also showed character and has once again sealed his place as one of the most gifted all-rounders of the present era.
The Indian strategy also exposed Rahul Dravid, who was indeed a legend in his playing days, but seemed short of infusing confidence in the team when it was needed the most. He has not distinguished himself as a coach and hopefully he shall not make the same mistakes he has made this time.
The team management should have allowed Surya Kumar Yadav to play at the top since he was in the form of his life. K.L. Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have similarities in their approach to the game and Yadav could have brought some aggression if he was chosen as an opener.
The selectors’ decision to leave out young Prithvi Shah from the side is equally baffling. Shaw has shown enough talent and even Australian batting great Ricky Ponting has a very high opinion of the young cricketer. While other Indian pacers looked jaded, Arshdeep Singh appears to be a long-term prospect if he remains fit. He is a very dangerous bowler and can swing the ball effectively and on top of that he is a left hander.
An observation, which is often made regarding the selection process is that the West Zone and South Zone seem to be having a greater say in the running of the show, and this is at the cost of many youngsters from other places of the country. The BCCI and the selectors should never lose sight of the fact that when an Indian squad is picked, all regional and parochial considerations should be left out. If the men in blue lose, it impacts the morale of the country and this is not good for the sport.
Whenever India has won in the past at an ICC event, it was because the best team was picked which could take the pressure and still provide results. Kapil Dev’s team of 1983 was the most underrated side and yet it brought glory to the country, thanks to such a phenomenal collective effort.
M.S. Dhoni’s team of 2011 was also exceptional and the way everyone performed, particularly Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir, besides the Captain, himself tilted the scales in our favour.
The loss should be viewed pragmatically and changes, even if drastic, must be carried out. Between us.