India need a couple of clutch performers

First of all, who are clutch performers? Or indeed, what are clutch performances? Simply put, it is a defining performance by a player that ...

First of all, who are clutch performers? Or indeed, what are clutch performances? Simply put, it is a defining performance by a player that dictates the course the match takes. It is easy to perform when the foundation is strong, or if the atmosphere is in your favour. Or when things are going your way. But when the chips are down, clutch performers come to the fore and make their presence felt. India have had a few in recent times (see graphic) and would certainly need at least a couple at Rawalpindi.

Looking at the last 22 Tests India have played (including at Multan and Lahore), it’s easily argued that it is our batsmen who will have to make the difference. Yes, despite Irfan and Balaji. Which makes it an opportune time to look at some figures about our batsmen, and checking if they might indeed be able to put in that clutch performance.

• In the last 22 Tests, every top order Indian batsman has performed above their career averages except Sachin Tendulkar. Strange, but that’s what the figures say. Dravid (70.50 to 56.28), Laxman (62.10 to 46.22), Ganguly (42.96 to 41.75) and Sehwag (54.73 to 54.19) are playing above themselves, while Tendulkar has been averaging 54.42, some distance below his career 57.74.

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• The other important thing to check is how often a batsman gets out for zero or under 10. For Tendulkar, five of his 12 career ducks have come in this period. But more importantly, the top five Indian batsmen have a fair sprinkling of under 10 scores in the recent past. Dravid has eight, comparing against his seven 100s and eight 50s. Laxman has five, Tendulkar 14, Sehwag six and Ganguly nine.

• But when we see that in these 22 games we have batted first 13 times and crossed 500 (my benchmark for a good first-hit — first of the four innings — score) six times, it augurs quite well for India.

• A last point of interest is to find out how often our batsmen get out to the three dismissals bowlers cherish the most: bowled, leg before and caught behind. Again, Tendulkar is the worst offender in these 22 Tests with 73 per cent of his dismissals in one of these fashions. For Dravid, it is 31.6 (bowled + leg before) and 15.8 (caught behind). For Ganguly it is 30.0 and 20.0, for Laxman 16.7 and 5.6 and for Sehwag 33.3 and 16.7.