It must be a prickly irony for MS Dhoni, the India captain, that his highly-rated team are constantly being criticised for their inability to cope with pace and bounce. Remember, India are the No 1 Test team and their one-day ranking is second only to Australia. India were "bounced out" of the last World Twenty20 in England and have suffered similar troubles in the West Indies.
Ever since Sourav Ganguly formed that terrific captain-coach combination with John Wright in 2001, India have adapted better to foreign conditions, but one cannot say that they have conquered their weakness against sheer pace. The 2003-04 tour to Australia is a classic case in point. India did well to draw the Test series 1-1, but when it came to the one-day triangular tournament, they gave a very poor account of themselves in Perth, where they found the pace and bounce tough to negotiate.
All the good work in the Tests was diluted by a performance that some critics called gutless at the time. On the previous tour of 1999-2000, Sachin Tendulkar, the then captain, expressed his frustration to me in Perth after losing two games (against Pakistan and Australia) at the Western Australia Cricket Association ground about how players are expected to perform on quick tracks when they play most of their domestic cricket on lifeless pitches.
It reminded me of what Dilip Vengsarkar, the former batsman, said a few years prior to that Perth fiasco: "Batsmen can sleep and still make a hundred on some Indian tracks." To be fair, Indian groundsmen have accepted the importance of having sporting tracks. "But not all of them get the real freedom from their state associations to produce fast-paced wickets. There is a groundsman in Mumbai called Nadeem Memon, who got into hot water with his bosses for preparing quick strips against South Africa (2000) and Australia (2001).
Both those Test matches ended inside three days and Memon did not survive for long as a Test match groundsman. Sure, Memon's preparation seemed a touch over-cooked but the reaction to those India losses seemed over-the-top too. It would be a pity if Indian cricket bosses took a strong view of what has happened in the last two Twenty20 World Cups and instruct their groundsmen to prepare fast tracks.
The problem-solving method must be revolved first by getting younger cricketers to relish the challenge of playing fast bowlers. The next step could be to produce quicker wickets even for juniors so that players learn their skills at a young enough age. It is the coaches who have to come to the forefront. Sandeep Patil, who played for India from 1979-80 to 1986, had a problem with quick bowling as a young cricketer. He used to run away when the ball was coming his way at an uncomfortable pace and height. The late Ankush Vaidya, his coach, was quick to sort out the problem by tying the batman's legs to the pole of the nets so that he could not back off.
In only his second season of international cricket, Patil got a brilliant 174 against an Australian pace attack comprising Dennis Lillee, Len Pascoe and Rodney Hogg in the Adelaide Test of the 1980-81 series. In the previous Test, Patil had been flattened when a delivery from Pascoe hit him behind the left ear. "He collapsed and my first reaction was that I'd killed him," admitted Pascoe in an interview to The Telegraph.
Back to Indian wickets. Sure, we need some variety but trying to change the nature of tracks drastically could take away the fabric of Indian cricket ? the roll of the wrists, the deft deflections, playing with soft hands. India must not worry too much about their pace problems, but need to work harder to play the quicker ball better. For a long time now the world has held the view that when India succumbs to pace it is a disgrace, but when other teams fail miserably to spinners, it is merely at adaptation problem.
In Ball of Fire, the autobiography of Fred Trueman, the great England fast bowler, he quotes Herbert Sutcliffe, the legendary Yorkshire and England batsman, as saying, "Some batsmen can play fast bowling and some cannot, but if they all told the truth, none of them like it." More than the problem of tackling pace, what the men who run Indian cricket should be concerned about is the fact that India have a poor record when it comes to limited overs events held on a world stage as compared to bilateral series.
Apart from triumphing in the first World T20 in 2007, India have only one ICC event win in the past decade - the Champions Trophy that they shared with Sri Lanka in 2002. That is a dismal record for a team rated and ranked so highly. It could well be a mental problem, too. Indian selectors have traditionally backed youngsters and though they have the talent for the big stage, they often fall short on the mental aspect.
Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder, could be projected as an example. Jadeja has no shortage of ability but somehow he does not give the impression that he has a smart brain. Ian Chappell, who has watched a good deal of him during the World T20, has been keeping track of his sixes conceded and dot balls ratio. At the end of Sunday's game against the West Indies it was 9:7. Jadeja flopped when it came to the crunch in England last year and has not come up to expectations this year either.
He also failed to play smart cricket during the one-day home series against Australia. He could do with some counselling along with some other young players. It should now be mind over matter. @Email:sports@thenational.ae
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SPECS
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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