Indian cricket team is one of the best when it comes in paper and stats. The record books are full of them whether it comes in batting stats, boundary hitting, scoring double hundreds in ODI’s or wonderful results in the International cricket arena. The golden era when Virender Sehwag used to open batting while Dravid at no 3 and others to follow were Sachin Tendulkar, VVS laxman, and it goes on and on. One of the best line up when it came to batting at the test level. So what has changed for them, the retirement of these entire gems trio? Or is it IPL waves turning their cricket upside down?
I say it is all IPLization in all form of cricket that they play currently:Indian cricket
IPLization of Cricket
Let me get you all into the bigger pictures. Ipl surely has made life easy for the domestic cricketers in a country of billions where every parents wish to give birth to a Bollywood actor or a cricketer. The competition is so tough that a lot of genuine talents are still on the bench and yet to represent bigger stage of Cricketing world. So what IPL did was it set a platform for the rising stars to exchange the experience of the best players across the globe with huge incentives beyond expectation. So basically learning came with flow of money. The next change it brought was attacking mind set which is an asset to a T20 game. Runs began to flow; splendid Athleticism came into Indian cricket as an impact that revolutionized the inner ring and the cover and point region. Fewer drop catches and more run out meant the team was getting strong in the weakest department of their team since a decade. What about other aspects and basic techniques that is leading them currently into the huge Cricketaches of all time?
Impact on Indian Team and players
Indian Batsmen let it be in ODI or Test cricket are always in the attack and defensive shots are out of their kit. This clearly shows an effect of what T2o is bringing to their cricketing status. More technology in the game means more exposure of the weakness and playing into the ego of the batsmen and yes that is what is happening currently. As for instance Rohit Sharma knows about the fact that the opponents clearly know about his weakness outside off and yet he will go for the shot to prove his opponent that he is capable to drive them on the up to the delivery that still lit up his eyelashes. The aggression what they are showing in the cricket field and press conference before and after games they participate in is the main reason for their downfall. Aggression should follow performance and they should learn this from Brett Lee who bowled 150+ Kmph no matter in which form he played and always kept himself within the boundary of the cricketing disciplines. When I look at Kohli in the field with the way he pumps up and disrespects the opponents I feel Kohli as a world-class batsmen is being affected with this; the end result of this is affecting the Indian Cricketing system. Players are becoming crowd friendly and angry young guns more with the verbal and facial expressions rather than performance. I am stunned seeing the cricketer since 1 year or so that in a country where Sachin was born and played and millions of heart with a rise smile in his face no matter what the situation was , Indian team needs his blessings and advice. I wonder what if not Sachin and if Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma was given out LBW to A Glenn McGrath Delivery that hit him on the shoulder and yet Sachin just gave sad smile nodding his head literally couple of times.
The next thing is hitting ball pretty hard as if the top layer of the leather doesn’t deserve to stay fine until the first 5 overs no matter which mode of cricket they are playing. It seems as if batsmen are trying to preserve their performance for upcoming IPL or any other entertaining format of cricket. Bowlers not mixing Yorkers with the full-length balls as well as varieties of slow balls not practiced properly in the nets. While World cricket is filling itself with talents like Steve Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson who are considered as the future leaders of international cricket, all the young guns including the future captain Kohli should learn from their skills and temperament and get out of the black hole of IPL as soon as practicable. Ashwin is the best example that India could look into as he overcame his Carom Ball and Pause delivery, came to the basics of tossing ball high and pitching outside off stump with the right revolution to stand as a lone bowler that is capable of tearing the opponents apart with performance not with words.
Cricket will be entertaining if teams like India and West Indies adapt themselves equally in ODI’s and Test matches with the full spirit rather than just swinging their tail up in T20’s. The best way to spread message to a cricket loving nations outside the Test map is to save the prestige that holds the status being a test nation. For me being a citizen of an associate nation and fan of cricket all around globe Indian cricket needs a break not from cricket but from IPLization of the system spreading in their cricket. It’s not a criticism it’s a reality that is slowly spreading in Indian cricket like a new virus. The quicker it is realized the healthier it will be for a world-class team that deserves a lot.
