One would have thought that it couldn’t get any worse for India following the loss in the T20 series and the first one day international. But it just did – R Ashwin, India’s premier bowler has been ruled out of the second ODI to be played tomorrow at Indore because of a side strain. This is a huge blow because Ashwin has been the only bowler in the team who has been able to create at least some sort of an impression.
Clearly, the South Africa tour hasn’t gone too well for MS Dhoni, the longstanding captain of the Indian team. His tactics have been questioned by both the press and Indian cricket fans. Even his place in the side is being questioned. Dhoni could not finish the match at Kanpur despite his best efforts. He looked out of breath while running between the wickets and looked a shadow of his former self. He could hardly get anything away.
It’s clearly time for India to look at other options. Dhoni is more than anything else, a true team player, and it’s possible that he would quit international cricket himself, if he feels not up to it, rather than being told to do so by the selectors.
But all is not lost, and Dhoni simply has to look at the opposition and their the approach to the game. Under AB de Villiers, South Africa are a fabulous outfit and it’s hard to find any weaknesses in them. Man-to-man, South Africa clearly have better players than the Indian side, and what’s more, they are also a better outfit than a sum of their parts.
The team spirit shown by them is phenomenal and it’s clear that they really enjoy their cricket and are in it to win. Unfortunately, one can’t say the same thing about the Indians, who seem crushed under the weight of expectations carrying the hopes of a billion cricket fans.
Some Indian fans have complained that the Indians don’t care enough – that’s far from the truth. Indian players such as Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni are the proudest Indians you’ll ever meet. It’s just that they are being beaten consistently by a much better team who are on the top of their game.
So can the Indians fight back, if at all? Well, for a start, they should start selecting the right players. Case in point – Stuart Binny. The lad can’t bat, can’t bowl and yet is in the team as an all-rounder. It’s a crying shame that a country with a population of 1.3 billion has someone like Stuart Binny representing them at the highest level!
So who’s going to win tomorrow at Indore? Well, if you were a betting man, you would no doubt bet on South Africa. But as never-say-die Indian fans, we still hope for an Indian comeback. You never know, it might happen.
The Teams
India: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohit Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav
South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 David Miller/Chris Morris, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir
Match Conditions
Runs galore – that’s what we expect at the Holkar stadium in Indore. 325 would be a par score here. The side batting second will have all the advantage. It’s going to be hot though, over 37 degree.
Watch India take on South Africa in the 2nd ODI at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, live on Star Sports!
