After the defeat against Pakistan, it's only fair to say that the Indians may not be fatally wounded, but have surely received a serious blow. And if they fail to make amends in the next game then one is afraid that Shoiab Malik's innings has already put an end to Indian hopes of playing the final.
Batsman Shoiab Malik caught the Indians completely unprepared. In Pakistan, the juniors who aspire to play for their country hero-worship the already established stars. These juniors not only go to the extent of copying the actions and mannerisms of the stars but even go further in replacing their role models in the side as well.
Leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed was a classic example of this trend. He was almost a replica of Abdul Qadir and finally replaced the latter. So is the case with Shoiab Malik. He has not only replaced Saqlain Mustaq as a bowler but has also stunned opponents with his batting prowess.
The Indian team might not have discussed Malik much as a batsman in their team meeting. But Malik has got runs off late and has been pretty consistent too. Yet, the mindset of the opponents would be to treat him more as a bowler than a batsman. Malik looked more in command than any other Pakistan batsman did. He did play the best knock of his life.
On a flat afternoon track at the Premadasa stadium, it was a daunting task for the Indian fast bowlers. Irfan Pathan, who bowled a dream first over by removing opener Imran Farhat, failed to get adequate support from the other end. In conditions like this, pressure from both the ends can only put the batsmen on the defence.
Balaji seems to have been struggling to put the ball in the right areas. He is rather eager to make quick strides in trying to be more penetrative. Having got a nod ahead of seasoned campaigners like Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, it's very natural that Balaji's mind will be to try and get early breakthroughs. His penetration mainly comes through accuracy.
The movement or the variations he brings into his bowling must come along with accuracy. At this juncture, Balaji has to work backwards to find the right areas to bowl before looking for wickets.
I am sure the seniors would put their heads together for Balaji's cause. If he finds himself out of the eleven in the next game, it will be a big psychological blow for the youngster.
The Pakistani bowlers bowled with alacrity. The late evening factor also added that extra bit to the wicket. Although Shoiab Akthar had an ordinary game, his very presence plays as a factor on the batsmen's minds. The escalating run rate also boosts the bowlers and makes them appear more confident.
It was a pitiable sight to see the lower order batsmen scampering through to get past the 240-run mark to deny Pakistan the bonus point. I hope the team management had conveyed it to the boys well in advance. It's unfair to say that the team think-tank had not thought over the bonus points. But the last few batsmen trying to win the game from nowhere appeared bereft of the significance of the 240-mark.
Coach John Wright must be a worried man with the fielding performance and, of course, with too many extras that the bowlers are giving away.
It has been often seen that the Indians need that vital push to kick-start the winning process. For the crucial game against Sri Lanka, they need to spend more time in the drawing room than at the nets.
