Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Former chairman of selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar,during whose tenure India won the Test series in England in 2007 with Rahul Dravid as captain,believes the BCCI should monitor all contracted players injuries and fitness. In a chat with The Indian Express,the former India captain also warns it will take the team some time to recover from this defeat. Excerpts:
Did you expect it to be such a one-sided series?
* No,I did not. However,I knew that it wont be easy to beat this English team,which looked well prepared and playing on their own turf.
Where do you think it all went wrong for the Indian team?
* Right from the planning to injuries at critical junctures to poor form and the teams poor bench strength,everything contributed towards the defeat. And of course,we cant overlook Englands superb performance in all departments.
Do you think injuries have been a big concern?
* Its a huge concern. For,if you are playing with only four bowlers in the match and somebody leaves the field due to injury,its surely a Herculean task to not only bowl 90 overs a day,but also get wickets. India,unfortunately,did not have match-winning bowlers,with the sole exception of Zaheer Khan,and hence paid the price for it.
Are players too at fault for hiding injuries?
* Even if a player hides an injury,its the job of the physio and the trainer to certify him fit. A player must be made to go through rigorous fitness tests and only if the physio/trainer is satisfied with his fitness,should he be included. Besides,of course,he must be made to play a few games to ascertain his match fitness.
Is this MS Dhonis worst phase as captain?
* A captain is as good as his team. This game is all about mental toughness. When the team loses,it becomes very difficult to bring it back on track right away,unless somebody comes up with a match-winning performance. One could see the writing on the wall at Lords itself,given the body language of the team. Dhoni looked a tired man. He needs rest to rejuvenate himself. Its not easy to keep wickets,bat and then try and motivate players who dont have the fire in the belly.
Were you surprised by RP Singhs selection in the team?
* RP was roped in out of nowhere,and the result was there for all to see. It was really surprising for me to see RP being picked ahead of Munaf,who had played in the West Indies in the last series and was in the reserves. I feel those who are under contract with the BCCI must keep themselves not only physically fit,but match-fit as well. Unfortunately,there is nobody to monitor this.
How long do you think the senior players can carry the team on their shoulders?
* Watching great players like Rahul and Sachin bat is a great lesson for those who are padded up next or in the reserves. A young player can learn a lot from them how to adapt to different wickets and conditions. Unfortunately,the youngsters have failed to rise to the occasion. It was a great opportunity for the likes of Raina,Mukund,Yuvraj and Gambhir to grab the opportunity and establish themselves. Australia will be a tougher tour,they may not be the best team at present,but they would be more than a handful.
