seven batsmen irony...

during the wonderful debate on my last post - first thoughts on team india world cup squad selection - and even elsewhere one point that stands out is that almost everybody considers it given that only way to go out in this world cup or even in general is... pick seven batsmen... that, naturally, i find bit baffling...

the first thing that crosses captain's mind whenever he sees tinge of grass on pitch is how to beef up the batting to cover for the exaggerated movement of ball swinging or seaming or both...

going by the same count... why not then the same captain should not trust his batsmen on patta wickets to come good and aid his bowling instead where the bowlers will be reduced to the level of just being there to make up for the numbers...?

i think not only the cricket but fans too in general are getting more and more defensive and don't demand positive or attacking cricket from their respective teams...

so next time when you see a captain deploying a fielder at the rope after just one hit to the fence... think again before calling him a defensive captain...

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why seven batsmen theory of dhoni is flawed...

"The balance of our side doesn't encourage it (five bowlers). It's tough to play with just six batters for if you lose early wickets, it's difficult to make a comeback," said Dhoni on the eve of the match.

there is not much problem when you want to go with seven batsmen... sourav did it with good results in 2003 world cup... but for that to happen... you have to have 4 bowlers in top form so even if one bowler has off day that can be made up with other 3 going for the kill backed up ably by decent part timers... not when all four bowlers you have are in worst form of their lives... struggling to send ball to batsman at other end leave alone thinking it of landing at right places...

another flaw with seven batsman theory with dhoni version is where is seventh batsmen...? can you call yusuf pathan a batsman...?

earlier we have tried kaif, raina, karthik and even dravid (i think) but the common thing in all these options was that all these batsmen have game to survive and not just close eye and hoik across the line types... no wonder that kaif on many occasions came so low down and still scored a century or finished the game coz he had the game for it... while if yusuf survives for more than couple of overs even he seems to surprise himself...

opposition teams too are smart these days... they know that once you are entering with seven batsmen and your four front line bowlers are not in any kind of form they don't mind even losing two three wickets like pakistan did knowing that by deciding that you will step in ground with four bowlers only you have in a way declared your intent that you are not looking to take wickets in crucial middle overs... hence they could take it easy...

and that's exactly what happened... in spite of being under pressure and struggling to rotate strike... specially malik... they went unchallenged in middle overs... coz india could not find any bowler to challenge them... stifle them into submission with his guile and variation in spin friendly conditions...

so the question is... can india still make it to semi final stage...?

to that my answer will be... highly unlikely...

it would be nothing short of miracle and probably first time in the history of cricket if this will happen... coz no team till now has reached semi final stage of any cricket tournament without having bowlers in their ranks...

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