Five areas the Indian team needs to work on

The first Test is in the bag and it is time to uncork the bottles and start celebrating. The Indian team was thoroughly professional as Dhoni once again demonstrated his love for Chennai. After watching his blistering knock, I wondered whose love for the ground was greater – Sachin’s or Dhoni’s. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t get into that for the fear of invoking the wrath of ‘The Sachinists’. Speaking of which, Sachin was awesome as well, finding his feet at a crucial juncture. The selectors would be breathing easy now, betting on the old horse.

I think we have finally found a suitable rejoinder for Dravid. The way Pujara plays reminds us of the Wall and it is finally time to credit him for his solidity at the top of the order. They say “Form is temporary and class is permanent”. Pujara couldn’t have exhibited his class in a more exceptional fashion as he was rock-solid during his sojourn. Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were lauded for their batting exploits in the first Test, but experts neglected the evidence that it was Pujara who resurrected the Indian innings along with Sachin as India were looking down the barrel with the loss of two early wickets. The way he handled the bowlers suggested that he is in splendid form. He would categorically be the player to keep an eye out for in the upcoming Tests.

It was a clinical performance to summarize; but as a critic and a fan, quite a few questions popped into my head – What would have transpired had Dhoni not scored those runs? What if he had gotten out on his endeavour to score quickly? What would have been India’s situation a day later?

I was intrigued by the queries and I felt that it would have been a reiteration of the England series. India would have squandered the match, and who knows, the result might have been very different. Therefore, India needs to be focussed and plan well to maintain this great run of form.

Here are the five areas that the Indian team needs to work on:

The opening conundrum:

How many chances will Sehwag get?

Sehwag was listless and Vijay was pathetic. Period. There isn’t much to argue about the fluctuating form of the openers, as this concern has plagued India severely in the past. Added to that, Sehwag has been sloppy in the slips as he dropped a catch of David Warner – one that could have proven costly. Vijay should not be written off as yet. His charming cover-drives could still come in handy when India go out to bat in Hyderabad. India does not have a better option here unless the board is considering Jaffer as a replacement for Vijay in the middle of a series.

Shikhar Dhawan is a raw talent who could be a vital prospect, and India wouldn’t exhaust anything at this point by providing him with a chance. On the flip side, if he performs well, it could be an added bonus to the team. Rahane is a credible option as well. It is time he left the bench and took to the field.

Need to swing it hard, bowlers:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was expected to threaten the opposition and perform magic with the ball. But he was completely clueless, way-ward and in contrast to his Australian counter-parts. It could be attributed to the nervousness and cold feet, but initial breakthroughs with the new ball would let the spinners ease in when they would come in to bowl. He should be able to prise out a wicket or two with the new ball.

Ishant Sharma is mediocre even after playing 47 tests. His contributions with the new ball are very minimal. He should iron out his flaws to stake a claim in the team in the future as talented fast bowlers are awaiting their opportunity. India did not need the services of the fast bowlers in the last match; however, their presence would be crucial since reverse swing is a key weapon in sub-continent conditions, as demonstrated by Zaheer Khan many times in the past.

Bye-Bye Harbhajan:

End of the road?

Enough is enough! India does not require his services, at least at the moment. Pragyan Ojha is in form and India would rather have the “spin-twins” bowling in tandem, especially against the likes of Clarke and Watson. He is crucial to the team’s balance as Jadeja bowls a conservative line. Ojha would be a perfect foil to Ashwin and could re-create the magic of West Indies and New Zealand.

Moreover, Harbhajan has been quite mediocre, except when he picked the two wickets in the second innings. It isn’t enough for the Turbanator to hold his place in the team. He should sort the glitches in his bowling before making his return to the big stage once more.

Jadeja in an ‘unseen’ turf’:

The skipper has entrusted his preferred batting position to his lieutenant Sir Ravi Jadeja in the hope that he would live up to his “triple ton” name. But Jadeja has been patchy in the two opportunities he had as a batsman. His contributions with the bat are vital in case the top order falters. He should be accountable for his wicket and start putting a price on it.

Throw in the dives, fellas:

The volatile nature of the Indian fielding is proverbial. While they may exhibit their brilliance once in a while, they have been scratchy for the remainder. They need to take a leaf out of their opponents’ fielding manual; Australia have been very sharp on the field, putting in the dives and throws and making life difficult for the batsmen. India did drop a couple of half-chances and they could surely improve on that aspect!