Lets see - How is an Aussie coach different?

What is certain is that Pakistan is going to set India a HUGE total to chase. What is also certain (lets say most likely) is that India will not be able to play out till day 5 by batting for a draw. So either the Indian team can make a valiant (foolhardy, some might say) bid for the target or they can go down like a bunch of wimps.

In the past, faced with such a situation (in fact, a much lesser score to contend with), the Indian team has distinguished itself by repeatedly tucking in its tail between the legs and pathetically crashing to defeat while trying to play for a draw. It has never tried to go for the target ... such has been the Indian mindset.

When Greg C became coach, the biggest happiness for me was that Indian genius would be intermixed with an Aussie mindset ... something I felt could be devastating. So now I would be looking with interest as to how the Indian team approaches the task on hand.

Will the Indians even try to chase the target or will they try to defend from ball one. I am not saying that they should go hammer and tongs coz that would be foolhardy. But assuming the Indians get 2 sessions on Wednesday and three sessions on Thursday to bat, it is reasonable to assume that all things aside (4th innings, pressure, pitch etc etc etc), making 600 odd is possible coz it would be possible if it were the first innings ... in fact, even if they don't make the target, getting bloody close is definitely poassible.

So what will be the approach be ... Who will open? If they have to make an attempt (or at least put a scare in the Pakis by looking like they r making an attempt), then Dravid should be the last person to open. The plan should be to make a good try at the start ... and make further plans on the run. If things r going well, then keep going in the same vien. If things go horribly wrong, the SRTs and Dravids will be expected to play according to their stature and save the match for India.

I remember Greg C's comments when he was not the coach ... I think this was in Australia two years back when he was talking about SRT opening ... it sounded like a lot of hot air ... but I remember I was very excited at the thought of it. Now Greg C is the coach and actually he can have his wish. And SRT opening would send the strongest possible signal to the opposition ... and he owes the Pakis big time for the bang he took on his helmet visor in the first innings.

As I said ... a foreign coach ... a rejuvenated Indian team (suupposedly) ... what will be the mindset? Will it be different from when Madan Lal or Wadekar was coach?

Remember, it is not about whether they win the match or not ... only the mindset.

Lets wait and watch.

Cheers

The Chuckster

This blog ain't dead

I know it seems dead but it ain't ... ;-)

I been working so hard that I am actually feeling that I earn my salary. It isn't a nice feeling, really.

Anyway cheers guys ... the only positive thing I can say is that this series against Pak has been sooooooo boring that this is as good a time as any to be busy on non-cricketing fronts.

Just a thought here on Dravid opening .... capability wise, he was always capable even when he opened a couple of times under Ganguly's captaincy. It was just his mindset which let him down ... I remember his opening in South Africa and I had commented then "he came in looking like he was gonna be shot at dawn the next day". This time around the mindset seems to be different in the sense he has tuned himself mentally to the idea that for the good (read - balance) of the team, he has to lead from the front and take on the job himself. Which leads me to ask - is it bad to wonder why he didn't feel the necessity to do the same under Ganguly's captaincy? I have frequently talked about Ganguly's hypocricy when it comes to his bowling ... as a captain he never felt the need to work himself up over his bowling though it would have been helpful at times ... now every match he plays (domestic) he bowls a lot and "shows" everyone how useful his bowling is. Nonsense!!!

Anyways, back to the grind ... I cannot promise when my next post would be but can only say - This blog ain't dead.

Cheers

The Chuckster