The CWC 2011 until now has been a roller coaster ride. I must say, that the pitches have been anything but predictable, to my own surprise. We have seen 327 being chased down. We have seen England defend a below 200 total and Netherlands making a fight of 209, against arguably the best batting lineup in the WC. We have had the usual cliches from a band of commentators ably led by Ravi Shastri. But the injuries have been the most talked about pattern in this WC.
However, in my opinion there are two injuries which might be blessings in disguise for their teams. The first is that of Dwayne Bravo. He was referred to as the “energizer” of the team and his loss was a big blow for West Indies. But if I am not mistaken that might have done enough to wake the gentle giant up. Kieron Pollard hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since his ODI debut and coming into the WC he has still been living on his reputation gained through 20-20 exploits. But he seems more confident and mature now. He has a role to play. The WI weren’t quite sure how to use them but with Bravo gone, there could only be one person who could fill that spot. Even as I write this article, he is playing a blistering innings against Ireland, having walked out at a juncture where you might have expected Dwayne Bravo. Once he gets the confidence that he displayed playing with Mumbai, he is a guy, who like Yusuf Pathan, could change the game in a few overs.
The other high profile injury is that of Kevin Pietersen. He wasn’t doing too badly as an opener. But his loss has brought England Eoin Morgan. I wouldn’t be tempted to call that a loss. I have been a fan of Pietersen’s belligerence but cricket is not about always about superstars. It has never been. Eoin Morgan on the other hand is perfect as an ODI player especially on Indian pitches. England can use Bell as an opener or even Bopara who had opened for Punjab in the IPL. But Eoin Morgan at 5 or 6 is an awesome finisher. Probably against India he would have ensured a victory, unlike what was suggested by the ugly hoick played by Collingwood. They need him more than anyone.
On a concluding note, I am sure an injury to Piyush Chawla, ( no disrespect to him or Dhoni) could be the tonic India needs. It could bring in either Pragyan Ojha or Praveen Kumar( if he is fine). I am almost tempted to say, even Rohit Sharma could do a better job, but that’s more heart than mind I guess, still gutted about the 2 sixes he gifted to England.
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