2014:Tough year for Indian White Jersey Cricket

2014 has been a forgettable year for Indian cricket.It is this year that Indian cricket has toured heavily overseas.The year started with touring with New Zealand where India lost test series 1-0. Then bouncy and swing pitches of England.Even though India won 2^nd test but the performance detoriated post that Indian batsmen did not have answers to the determined swing bowling.Now presently tour of Austraila also reiterates the story once again that “Indians are Lions at home and cats at overseas”.Even though we won ODI’s and T20 overseas but failed in test matches.Test matches are the most difficult ones and it tests patience and endurance of cricketer .Test match is an examination of cricketer from becoming great cricketer  to legend .Indian players seem to be more comfortable with Blue jersey(ODI& T20’s) than White jersey’s(Test match)  .There was a point where we dominated test cricket under the captaincy of Saurav Ganguly where we started winning in overseas.Our overseas record had improved drastically until this year.India was also ranked no 1 in the test matches some time back .Currently India is ranked 6 in test matches.Now that’s food for thought .Reasons for the downfall

1.Inability to breakthrough opposition lower order:This is strange but true even though our  bowlers are able to get first 5 wickets very quickly .The lower middle order and tailenders have scored heavily against India.In 2014 statistics says that an average of 150 runs have been scored by the lower middle order i.e batsmen from No 7 to No 11.This is something astonishing and disappointing.Does it mean that after getting 5 wickets our bowlers become complacent, relaxed and wait for opposition to throw their wickets than to take it.

2.Captain’s coolness no more cool:Dhoni recent test match capataincy is not much admirable.Even though I am big fan of his captaincy but his field placings,bowling changes and choices of players in the team is not so much great.Dhoni’s ability to read the game at any point of time for which he had received lot of accolades is currently seem to be lost.Dhoni seems to be short of options when opposition is in top.His strategy and tactics seem to be flat and they are fading away

3.Big 4 no more:Well when it comes to test matches Indian team had different players for test matches & ODI’s.The point is we have been not able to produce test match specialists who are tailor made for test matches.Consider VVS Laxman and  Rahul Dravid and in bowling likes of Kumble and Harbhajan are missing.Our spin bowling which was once a strength and yielded great dividends but the place seems to be void and vaccum.Yes there have been shades of brilliance of Murli Vijay,Ajinkya rahane.But they have failed to convert to big ones.

4.Throw away wickets:Each overseas tour is a challenge .Players responsibility is to convert the challenge to opportunity.The conditions,pitch and atmosphere is completely different  from one place to another.So players should be conscious while choosing their strokes and shots.Ishant,Varun ,Umesh and Shami in recent test matches have nearly gifted wickets by playing loose shots.

With World cup round the corner and its time now for our Team Management,BCCI to rebuild,rethink and put in thinking hat so that situation and performance improves.