Writing on the wall

In what can be described as the worst possible season for the Men in Blue in general and their Captain Courageous in particular, the famed Indian cricketers have become sitting ducks of international cricket, so to say.

The ODI series loss to South Africa has once again raised questions about the ‘Midas touch’ of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who now has the dubious distinction of not having won a single series this entire year. He seems to have lost touch with the realities and has no inkling of the team’s strengths and weaknesses.

The season has been a disaster on every front – as defending champions of the ODI World Cup, the team’s campaign ended in the semifinals, which became worse with the surrender to Bangladesh later. To rub salt into the wound, South Africans have registered their first ODI series win in India.

Although uncalled for at this point in time, there is a distinct possibility that pressure will mount on Dhoni with the selectors likely to look to Virat Kohli as the ODI captain, as well. The humiliation suffered in the backyard must be a bigger worry for the team management.

It is ridiculous to take umbrage in the oft-repeated optimism that the team has it to bounce back. On the one hand, the team has failed to cultivate enough bench-strength as a back-up strategy, and on the other it has to depend on the ‘talent’ that is available, a talent that has become notoriously inconsistent even on home soil.

The same bunch cannot be expected to bring in any dramatic changes into its mindset that is laced with a negativity that is spilling onto the middle. Blaming only the bowlers is a tad harsh on the attack that India fields, which has no match-winner in the ranks. But then even the batsmen have come a cropper on the very ground the overseas players launch blitzkriegs with patented nonchalance.

The failure to find at least three spearheads is a ludicrous reality and makes a sham of investments