Bask in the Glory With an Eye on the Future

India’s world cup win has brought cheers to a nation ailing from scores of scams tumbling out of closet every minute. The win was sweeter in the sense the number of strong opponents India faced during its succesfull campaign of dominating the world. Many records were broken and new made by this team comprising of a balanced blend of youth and experience. The most interesting and obvious change is in the team’s attitude. The desire, hunger and confidence exuded in every single battle is now reflected in their performances wherein they face their rival with the same intention, respect without undermining their potential the same way the Professional team of Australia of bygone golden era used to.

A Moment to Remember

How a captain brings a change in a team’s attitude is best understood from the way Dhoni lead the blue boys in this particular edition of the cup. Their previous two outings viz. In 2003 and 2007 produced some astonishing results on both sides of the graph. In 2003 the two defeats came from the same team- Australia while they put up a strong show against teams like South Africa, Pakistan etc. However, in 2007 i.e. during the reign of Greg Chappell the team had a mini crisis when it put up a performance unexpected of it considering the fact that it was one of the favorites to lift the coveted trophy. The defeat against Bangladesh is considered to be one of the worst by the fans.

If Ganguly is the one who taught the team to shed their inhibitions and answer the opponents in the same language (read aggression) then his successor Dhoni taught team what consistency is about. His super-cool attitude in the field speaks volume about his character. His brave decision to promote himself ahead of Yuvraj in the final says a lot about his intention of leading from the front and being the “go to guy’ when in times of trouble and need. Ganguly infused the team with new enthusiasm and vigor that lead the team to achieve some famous wins in the toughest backyards of towering opponents.

The much debated role of a coach in a team is best exemplified by former South African batsman Gary Kirsten under whom the team played to its true potential in a consistent manner. The role of a coach is that of a mentor and someone who irons out the problem a player faces. His three year tenure has seen Team India transforming from a team failing when it mattered most to a one for whom winning became a way of life. The team performed consistently well in both formats of the game reaching the pinnacle in Test cricket and bringing home the world cup after 28 years.

However, Gary Kirsten also became the first South African to win a world cup trophy even though he did it as a coach.

It is not that the team is the best in the world. The immediate concern of the team is to search for a pace bowler who will partner Zaheer Khan. The flashes of brilliance that Ishant Sharma had shown during the contoversial tour of Australia has now faded away from the memory. Munaf Patel‘s econimical bowling is an asset but his inconsistent wicket taking abilities undermine his performances. Maybe the bowlers are in a need of a county stint that helped reviving Zaheer’s dying career.

Maybe, this might not be the right time to question any of their abilities as now they are free to enjoy and bask in the glory of the much awaited triumph. But in the long run after the celebrations die out and the business starts as usual there are some thing that need to be taken care of. Fielding being one of the key areas where improvement is certainly important.

To be at the top one needs to maintain and exhibit some standards. The chinks in India’s armor were exposed one or more times during the world cup but thankfully they didn’t cost them much. Things are not going to fall in right places for them everytime. The time is right to iron out the remaining kinks to ensure they continue their world domination. Meanwhile, Congratulations world beaters!!