Bat out the old, bowl in the new

UMPIRE'S POST

Dhoni thinks older players are over the hill, but his boys may not be the solution.

In an interview to Cricinfo, the website devoted to cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has finally admitted that it was he who wanted the seniors out of the ODI team in Australia. Good, since this brings in much-needed transparency. But his attempt to use the CB Series victory to justify the eviction of seniors is appalling.

In cricket, more than any other game, it is very difficult to control the results. Which is why we have upsets galore: Zimbabwe defeating Australia, West Indies losing to Kenya, Sri Lanka defeating everyone in the 1996 World Cup, Bangladesh defeating Australia in England, India winning the 1983 World Cup... India's victory in the CB series ranks just a notch lower in shock value.

The third team in the triangular series, Sri Lanka, played one of its worst tournaments since it became a major force after the 1996 World Cup. Yet, India's progress to the finals was uncertain till the last but one match, as it had managed only one win over Australia in the round robin phase.

Gautam Gambhir, with 440 runs in 10 innings at an average of 55, played a big role in taking us to the finals. Thereafter, it was a Sachin show, whose two brilliant knocks, an unbeaten 117 and a 91, sealed the old enemy's fate once again.

Gambhir has been around for years and is not a part of Dhoni's youth gang. Sachin is part of a tribe Dhoni believes has outlived its sell-by date. The other scene stealer in the finals was Praveen Kumar. Kumar came in because of injury to the other bowlers and claimed 10 wickets in four matches at the cost of 17.5 runs a wicket.

Dhoni had the brains to give him the new ball in the final, but Kumar was obviously not in his scheme of things. If he were, he would have found a place in the starting line-up much earlier.

Dhoni's scheme of things reserved a starring role for Yuvraj, who averaged 22.44 in nine innings, and Robin Uthappa, who averaged 20.28 in eight despite being given the plum opening position, which offers the maximum scope for scoring runs.

Rohit Sharma, who averaged 33.57 in 10 innings, is fast joining the rank of over-hyped players. There is also the now-almost-forgotten Manoj Tiwary, who Dhoni nearly shepherded from the aeroplane to the pitch and promptly dropped after one match. Harbhajan and Sreesanth together bagged 17 wickets in 14 innings.

"...if the result was not in our favour, what would have happened? Would the people have been really behind this side or behind individuals?" asks Dhoni in the interview. He should try directing the same question at himself.