Time to don the thinking cap by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Event:

India in West Indies 2006

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DateLine: 27th May 2006

 

Port-of-Spain (Trinidad): It was much as a series loss as a wake-up call for Men in Blue. Having lost the ODI series to a West Indies, who are not exactly bursting with talent, India have a serious repair work to do. From the high of ODI series win in Pakistan, they have plummeted to a crushing defeat against the Windies.

 

India’s batting, their supposed strength on paper, looked so vulnerable that Lara and Co must be licking their lips in anticipation of the Test series. India have so often given a new lease of life to out-of-form batsmen in the past. But for the first time they have injected life into a withering team. Cricket lovers all over the world want to see a resurgent Windies on the cricket firmament, but Indian fans would not like to see the Caribbeans rebound at their team’s cost.

 

There is, however, no reason to panic as the young Indian team are on a learning curve. With the exception of Dravid, Sehwag and Harbhajan, other members do not have much experience on foreign shores. What's needed at the time of a crisis is a group of men who are willing to fight till the end.

 

After the debacle in fourth ODI, Dravid quickly pointed his team’s loss in the second ODI was the turning point. He was right and wrong. Great teams learnt from their mistakes. What corrective measures India took after the frittering away the second ODI? They were badly let down by as many as three run-outs in the third ODI with their new pin-up boy guilty of getting out with his casual running. Were the ‘marauding’ Windies to blame for India’s self-destruction? The think-tank of the Indian team has its task cut out ahead of the Test series. With a brittle batting line-up and unimpressive bowling resources, can they pull it off in the longer version? Even a brave punter will think twice to go along with the visitors.