Excessive money and complacency is perhaps the main cause of defeat. Nothing more can justify this statement than India’s ouster from the ongoing Micromax Cup in Zimbabwe. While a lot was said about the new look Indian cricket team, the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India) was perhaps not so keen to get the basics right and the team had to pay for it. Playing IPL at home and international ODI matches are completely different and India could not understand this simple logic. The board sent a team which had inexperienced youngsters who had never played outside the country and they faltered.
Defeated By The Minnows Zimbabwe!
Before the IPL 2010, a lot of things were said about how it would hone the skills of youngsters and make them fit for the international level. However, time has proved that mere club level T20 cricket can never be the substitute for international tournaments. First it was the T20 World Cup debacle and now the Micromax Cup (featuring Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka), defeat has again proved that class and not gimmick is needed to win matches. Barring Rohit Sharma (who made back to back centuries), all other players could not create any impression in this tournament. Out of 4 matches, the team could only have 1 win against Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma Only Saving Grace
On the eve of taking the flight to Harare, Indian captain Suresh Raina had said that his team did not have any flaws and were expected to perform excellently. But reality showed something else and reduced these dialogues into mere self praises. What was shocking was that India lost against minnows Zimbabwe in the very first match itself. The fans were completely taken at sea after that performance and everyone was surprised as to how it could happen. However, it needs to be said here that India were no match for their opponent who played splendid cricket all through. Elton Chigumbura’s men put up a spirited performance and excelled in all the sectors, be it batting, bowling or fielding. Their performance improved in the second match and India was literally thrashed by 7 wickets after being bowled out for a paltry 194.
Sri Lanka Hit The Final Nail In The Coffin
The successive loss to Zimbabwe meant that India had to win against Sri Lanka in their last match to stay in the tournament. But this time again, the team let their fans down and lost by 6 wickets. Setting a target of 269 to win, the Indian bowlers were absolutely out of path and the opponents could easily pile up the runs, thanks to a wonderful 114 runs partnership between Chamara Kapugedera and Dinesh Chandimal. The defeat meant India were out of the contest.
The skeletons are again out and it has been proved that money cannot buy performance. The so called stars who had eared millions in the IPL at home showed that they are still not mature enough to play in the international platform.
