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Somewhere in the middle of Clint Eastwood’s 2009 film Invictus, Morgan Freeman (playing Nelson Mandela) nonchalantly dismisses the “experts”. “According to the experts, you and I should be in jail,” Mandela jocularly says to an aide, alluding to the analytical brains that suggested that South Africa would not go any further than the quarter-finals in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It was fitting that the Springboks won the World Cup that year, putting the “experts” firmly in their place.
Before the 2015 cricket World Cup got under way, India were only the fourth favourites to defend their title, after Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Truth be told, even the most sanguine Indian cricket aficionado would not have seen this coming, let alone the experts: at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Sunday, egged on by more than 80,000 rambunctious fans, the Indian team put its foot down, on the accelerator and steamrolled South Africa, sending out a clear message to the rest of the pack — “We will take some beating.” They were clinical as ever — big runs with the bat, tidy with the ball and sprightly in the field. It’s not everyday that a team of South Africa’s calibre was made to look ordinary. India made them look exactly that, brushing them aside with almost implacable precision.
The South Africa pace battery — arguably the best in the world — was torn to shreds by Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane. The bowlers bowled with venom, clocking speeds that Munaf Patel, in his ephemeral tenure as India’s fastest bowler, would have been proud of. And the fielding, at times, was electric. A befuddled Proteas skipper, AB De Villiers, was strafed with a spate of questions in the post-match press conference. He struggled to find answers. India may not go all the way, but the marker has been set.
At the fag end of December, in the Boxing Day Test match at the same venue, India were scrambling to save the match on the fifth day after being run ragged by Australian skipper Steven Smith for the third match running. For Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men, the vultures were circling, the brickbats singing in an ominous tone.
Two months on and the fervent Indian fan is hopeful of another World Cup title. The gloom that shrouded India’s woeful Australian summer finally seems to have lifted. The Indian team has found its mojo once again.
India’s last two wins are impressive not only for the teams that they’ve beaten, but the way in which they have gone about their business. Mongia says that the team’s strategy is clear. “Bat first, score big and then put the opposition under pressure with disciplined bowling. That’s clearly what Dhoni wants. So far it’s been mighty effective,” he says.
Scoring big runs would not have been possible without an in-form top-order. The plan seems to be simple — absorb the early pressure, keep wickets in hand and explode at the end. Dhawan and Virat Kohli have both played with maturity, smashing a hundred each. “When one of your top three goes on to score a hundred, it is always difficult to beat you,” says former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath. While most Indian batsmen struggled against Australia in the Test matches, one often forgets that the same players are world-class batsmen in the limited-overs format. “The format makes all the difference. When wearing blue, India is a completely different team,” says Mongia.
The long gap between matches has worked in India’s favour. Three months away from home, sick at the sight of a rampaging Australian batting line-up and unable to register a single win — maybe all that India needed was a break, and, a change in opposition.
Also, team director Ravi Shastri has played a key role in passing on his experience to the younger members and has been successful in reinvogarating the team at just the right moment. “I feel that Duncan Fletcher’s role in the dressing room is limited. Shastri has come in and started talking to the players. He shares a good rapport with most of them. That has really helped,” says Mongia.
India have momentum on their side, but the World Cup is a long tournament. Beating the two toughest sides in their group, with a string of minnows to follow, is the ideal start. However, Mongia says that the real tournament will start once the quarter-finals come around.
Starting on Saturday, India play the United Arab Emirates, West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe. Going by what we’ve seen, these teams should be meat and drink. But as we’ve seen in the World Cup, an upset is never too far away. Complacency should not creep in. This time, unlike before the tournament began, the “experts” are proved right.
Captain’s call
Maybe it’s his retirement from Test match cricket or the hunger to lead India to another World Cup title. Whatever it is, we have seen the best of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the leader, in India’s first two matches. Often lambasted for being too defensive, Dhoni, this time, has not shied away from going all-out, setting attacking fields and looking to pick up wickets. Luckily for him, his bowlers have responded equally well. It’s like seeing the pro-active, intrepid Dhoni of old. His smart use of the spinners has been another hallmark of his captaincy in the first two matches.
Squeezing the opposition
Wayward and not even minutely menacing. That’s how one could describe India’s bowling attack heading into the World Cup. Not anymore. So often the team’s Achilles’ heel, the Indian bowling is finally coming into its own. The trio of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma has been hugely impressive so far. Under seamer-friendly conditions, they have picked up early wickets and hardly let the batsmen get away with the game. Ravichandran Ashwin has kept things simple, bowling with intent and keeping a check on the runs in the middle overs. However, India’s death bowling is yet to to be tested in the tournament.
Heading Down Under
Australia and New Zealand may not be the cheapest places to travel to, but 6,000 Indian fans have already reached Down Under, and many more are frantically booking tickets to see the men in blue in action after their wins over Pakistan and South Africa. While various travel companies are offering attractive packages, the most affordable one is the one being offered by the International Cricket Council. Priced Rs 4,500-15,000, the package includes a match ticket and a one-night stay in the venue city. However, some fans are willing to shell out big bucks for the semi-finals and the final. A package for these matches, which includes the air fare, accommodation and the match tickets is available for Rs 2-3 lakh.
