On The Highway To Ignominy

India’s implosion in T20 tournaments will continue unless team management admits some deep problems

- Anand Vasu

On highways in Australia, a driver who has spent a long day on the road, or is preoccupied with her thoughts, might occasionally make the mistake of slipping into a lane where she should not be. WRONG WAY! GO BACK! The signs scream out, repeatedly and in the largest font sizes possible, a red background warning of danger. The Indian team saw this sign about a year ago, when they began planning in earnest for the T20 World Cup Down Under, but they largely ignored it.

Getting the pace wrong

On highways in Australia, the speed limit can be as high as 130 kmh, in the Northern Territory, and 110 kmh everywhere else. This means that you do not go faster than that, give or take a small margin, unless you want to risk life and limb and an almost certain fine. But, equally, you cannot be pottering around at 60 kmh on these roads, because this also makes you a danger to others and yourself. The Indian team recognised that they had to bat at a certain pace in the shortest version of the game, and yet played in the traditional manner that had brought them success in 50-over cricket.