India lost two consecutive Test matches to Australia while Pakistan lost their One-day series to New Zealand. These losses come as a heavy blow to the two giants of sub-continent cricket. With World Cup round the corner, for these two teams whose fates are closely followed by the maximum number of cricket lovers around the world, these defeats do not augur well for the future. It has exposed many chinks in both the teams.
A close study will reveal that both have ignored some of their major defects that have been repeatedly pulling them down. While many of the Indian cricketers are superstars individually, collectively they are not a power in world cricket today. To lose a Test match in four days and still consider themselves as a special team is simply foolhardy.
Every time India lose a series, fingers are pointed to the lack of match-winning bowlers. No team can be termed world-beaters without having bowlers like Mitchell Johnson who can single-handedly wreck any batting line up, or spinners like Nathan Lyon who can pick wickets when needed to win matches. Lyon may not be as good and skillful like the Indian spinners, but he got the wickets when needed.
It’s a shame that India, despite being considered the superpower in world cricket and with the richest cricket board cannot unearth bowlers of the calibre of Johnson or New Zealand’s Adam Milne. The Indian cricket board should seriously study why after Zaheer Khan, no pacer who can be termed world class, has come through the system.
Similarly, everyone admits that Pakistan are a dangerous team; but if they cannot beat New Zealand in conditions that are familiar to them, how can they be dangerous in the World Cup venues of Australia and New Zealand? Pakistan record a big win one day and crash the next day purely due to their unpredictable trend that has not been rectified despite they being aware of it!
Pakistan team coach Waqar Younis is keen to remove the unpredictability tag, but for that his players will have to play to a plan consistently. Their excuse for not performing to their best is the absence of their strike bowlers like Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, who have been banned from bowling due to their suspect action. Even when the two were part of the team and bowling, Pakistan were still an unpredictable team.
India and Pakistan have had superlative performances in the past and emerged world champions as well, but to remain powerful cricketing nations they need to plug their loopholes. Defects are like wounds in a body, if not treated and cured quickly they can erode the strength and class of any team.
