Indian cricket in safe hands

Being sick is bad enough, but being sick for over a month is worse!!!! I cant let my blog be sick for over a month atleast, so heres trying to make it better :)

It was a wonderful Sunday for Indian Cricket with India beating Australia in the first Finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series Down under and the Indian Colts (U-19) winning the World cup beating South Africa (chokers again?).

Talking about the seniors first, it was a wonderful innings from Sachin, laying quite a few doubts about his game to rest, for a while atleast. On his way to his first ever century on Australian soil, in an ODI, he went on to set the record slightly right in terms of his performances while chasing; in finals; and about staying there till the end. He not only scored the century but also took Rohit Sharma along in what was a mature innings from the youngster. The bowlers had excited early on with wickets of the brittle and out of form Aussie top order and with some miserly middle overs from the spinners, it was a wonderful effort. The wickets of Haydos and Symmo going to Bhaji was just the icing on the cake. Ahead of the second final, the worries for India are in the form and consistency of Yuvrajs batting and the injury to Ishant.

A few thousand miles to the West of the SCG, the India U-19 team were facing off against South Africa for the U-19 World Cup. The Kallang cricket ground was abuzz and the youngsters were at it. The Indians were put in to bat and failed to put up a good score, falling out well short of the 50 over mark. Tanmay Srivastava, played a decent knock, but could not carry on for long to guide the team to a better score. The bowlers came out showing intent of defending the total and the team was upbeat in their effort. With 3 early wickets after an accurate and miserly spell from Ajitesh Argal and Pradeep Sangwan, the rain came in. Play resumed and the South Africans were set a target of 116 in 25 overs, with our 2 star bowlers having almost bowled out their quotas. Ravindra Jadeja, Siddhart Kaul and Iqbal Abdulla chipped in well to restrict the Proteas. A fantastic win by the Indians, especially because they were unbeaten in the entire competition.

These results brings me to a discussion of coaches for the Senior and the Colts team. A very senior and successful coach in Dav Whatmore is coaching the U-19 team, while a relatively new coach in Gary Kirsten will be coaching the Indian team. I totally approve of the approach. Dav Whatmore in the past has worked well with young teams and the proof of that lies in how he transformed the Sri Lankan team into world beaters. He then brought Bangladesh on the World Map of cricket by guiding them to more victories than they have ever had in the past. It is this very trait that will go well with him moulding the youngsters to making them ready for International cricket at the highest level. Another advantage is that as coach of the U-19 team, he will be that much away from the media glare and the politics that are so much part of Indian senior cricket. To improve the cricketing ability of a nation, you have to catch the talent young and thats where I think Dav Whatmore has been perfectly slotted.

The coach of the senior team is more a facilitator and I think the vast experience that Gary Kirsten has as a player and the experience of having played under a revolutionary coach in Bob Woolmer will hold him in good stead in his new role. Being a contemporary of quite a few of the Indian players will help as well.

I dont want to jump the gun, but it would not be out of place to say that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands.