Masti and Short Stories with the ICT

WTC Thoughts

So we lost the WTC Final, and it still hasn't sunk in. 

There are a lot of feelings and emotions around it, I did pen my thoughts on Twitter but then my timeline was filled with toxic tweets and there was not really an opportunity to express and have a good discussion. So here is my attempt to provide a space for discussions and opinions. I would love to hear your thoughts too so please feel free to comment.

Before I get into my thoughts on the match let me address something I've seen a lot, especially on Twitter. When the team plays well "fans" are the quickest to blame, abuse and troll players and coaches. Not saying that they are not at fault but there is a way you express your opinions, outright blaming their families and calling them names I don't think it's right. 

As fans, we do have a right to be upset with our team, players, and their performances but we do not have the right to troll them on a personal level. We can critique their approach and performance without getting personal.

Now the preparation, there are concerns about the training. Our key batters were playing IPL until a week before WTC Final. Most of them were not able to have enough time to settle in England and adjust to the conditions. Not to mention the switch between the shortest format and the longest format in a span of 5-6 days. 

Australian players were in England way before our players and prepped well, while our players were playing IPL. Adequate preparation is possibly where the part of the difference lies. 

Im not saying don't play IPL at all, it is an important tournament but not at the cost of the national team. Had some players opted out of the last few matches and gone to England to prep, maybe that would have made a difference. But given that most of the key players (key players also for their franchise) were in the playoffs, the possibility of opting out seemed very low. 

The players arriving in groups at different times also didn't help. They did not get adequate time to settle as a team and get everyone on the same page. Had the squad been able to practice for say 2-3 weeks together with everyone present maybe there would have been a difference in plans and strategies. 

Now coming to the actual game, it's been a tough 5 days of play not just for players but also for fans, watching the game in certain phases was just painful. 

Day 1: We had a poor start, there is no better way to put it. Our bowling was not up to the mark, we did leak too many runs. 469 like freaking almost 500 runs in the first innings is crazy! Especially when you're playing 4 good seamers. One positive that I did see on day 1 is that even after going for many runs the shoulders in the field did not slump they still continued to bowl, especially Shami and Siraj. 

Day 2: Getting Head and Smith was where we got a boost. But when we got to batting, things did go downhill. The top 4 getting out for under 20 was very concerning when chasing 469. What do we possibly attribute this to? Change in formats, good bowling, poor batting, lack of concentration, or all of the above. The hero on day 2 was Jadeja and Rahane hands down. These two displayed some intent and tried to get India to stabilize. 

Day 3: Again the hero was Rahane and Thakur supported him well. The way Thakur played was also commendable. Jadeja, Rahane, and Thakur are undoubtedly the heroes of the first innings. The small contribution from the tail was good to see that they didn't go out there just to go out there but made efforts to score. The bowling on day 3 had a good start, we got the top 4 who troubled us in the first innings for a decent score. 

Day 4: The partnership that took place cost us. Had there been a breakthrough maybe we could have gotten wickets early and gotten in to bat earlier and had a somewhat lower total to chase. Chasing 444 was never going to be easy, but the start by Shubman and Rohit gave a glimmer of hope. What made me angry was the third umpire's decision for Shubman's wicket. After his wicket fell there was a bit of uneasiness but knowing that we still have lots of batting left was somewhat consoling. And then to add to the agony the wickets of Rohit and Pujara to bad shots back to back. You have just lost Gill and need to stabilize, but one bad shot and another wicket down, followed by another bad shot. The saving grace and hope bearers for Day 4 were Rahane and Virat. The partnership they build brought India to a decent standing and set them up well for the next day's play.

Day 5: Pardon the language but shit went down. Started decently but losing Virat and then Jadeja on a duck was where there was a big dent in hope, but losing Rahane and Thakur shattered all the reaming hopes. What adds to the misery is they too got out on bad shots and not good balls. Once these four were out there was no way we would be able to pull through. KS Bharat's contribution in both innings was not up to the mark of the WTC Final. 

Team India really missed Bumrah and Rishab, these two are big shoes to fill but again the point is these two alone would have not pulled us through either. It takes 11 players to understand each other and give their 100% on the field to win games and tournaments. 

Leaving out Ashwin also seemed odd, to a certain extent I get that we're playing in England and it's a pace-friendly track, but most of your wickets are coming from your two spinners! Not only Ashwin performs with the ball, but he also contributes with the bat!

Now onto the management. 

Yes, the management has its faults, the most prominent and recent being not picking Ashwin. 

I love Rahul Dravid the player, the person, and to a degree the coach but there isbscope for improvement in coaching.

The current management comes from coaching U-19, India A, and players at NCA. Which is very different from coaching a senior national team. Yes, they do have experience and have done very well for our U-19 and India A but on the senior team, they are having to relearn the ropes of coaching. 

In a junior team, you are making players teaching them techniques, and identifying their talents, whereas in a senior team, you are dealing with champion players who have put in the hard yards and are doing well.  With the senior team, it's more about fine-tuning the already existing techniques, giving the player space and freedom to express themselves, grow, and keep the atmosphere pleasant. 

Based on player interviews and media interactions it seems like the atmosphere within the team is good and players are enjoying playing under Rohit. So this makes me think that the problem is within planning and execution. 

I feel like there are contrasting approaches in a game between two innings. 

I think the need of the hour is a Big team meeting with only the coaching staff and players, where they put forth all their thoughts, complains, and concerns, and everyone works it out together and gets on the same page. 

Once we see the whole team getting on the same page then there is scope for better strategies, approaches, and hopefully favorable results. 

We can also not take credit away from Australia, these guys really brought the heat and put their best foot forward. From taking insanely good catches, bowling beautiful deliveries, and batting out of their skin, they put up a tough fight. 

Hopefully, our beloved ICT will regroup and come back strong with a bang. As always I will continue supporting our boys, and wishing them well. 

I know this is an extremely long rant, but I had to get this out of my system. Please feel free to comment your thoughts on the game, would love to read them.

I was planning on updating during the week but didn't get time to write. Plus watching the game at certain phases demotivated me to write a bit. So hopefully I will be able to pen down another chapter for the MahiSakshi book and this OS book soon. 

Until Next Time 👋🏼