Can we say with authority that Team India has graciously accepted its decline, considering its presence in the ICC T20 World Cup? Though MS Dhoni’s mentorship could have decisively shaped and toned the selection of the 11 players, many players including Bhuvi, Bumrah, Shami etc. lacked pace and prowess. It became challenging for them to keep track of the momentum, falling flat on pitches making a decent comeback wasn’t at all tricky and testing. Professionally, Virat Kohli can brush away from the blame but that’s not enough as the boys will have to amend their mistakes in this series.
T20 is all about adjusting, adapting and accomodating to the changes and circumstances psychologically impacting the performance of the unit as a whole. The reason is the same for why we badly lost to Pakistan and New Zealand. It is for the fact that the T20 was taken and treated like any other tournament, with the IPL commercially crippling the potentials of players who are also big hitters turning the match upside down.
Secondly, too much reliance on the support staff for anything and everything made the players dependent on ready-made solutions sliding them into oblivion. Still, there is room for them to explore avenues and opportunities for staying alive and active in the competition. Rest won’t be history if the team displays admiration and adoration for a fightback.
Are they ready?