Those teams that have built from the bottom have been rewarded, while those with mediocre Indian contingents, like Bangalore and Hyderabad, prop up the table
Dileep Premachandran11-May-2008
Virat Kohli’s agility has been a silver lining in an otherwise gloomy Bangalore set-up © Getty Images
By the end of this Indian Premier League season, Yusuf Pathan should havean identity of his own. He strikes the ball cleanly and with breathtakingpower, a lot like his brother really. The Deccan Chargers were destroyedby his strokeplay at the top of the order on Friday night, and with ShaneWarne giving him license to express himself; they might not be the last tosuffer.The progress made by Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Siddharth Trivedi and thepint-sized Swapnil Asnodkar is a slap in the face for those teams that putall their best eggs in the foreign-player basket. More than halfwaythrough the inaugural season, two of the most expensive franchises aresinking quicker than a torpedoed submarine. Bangalore’s travails are notentirely unexpected given the rather bizarre composition of the squad, butHyderabad will wonder how an envied collection of heavy hitters haveperformed like pea-shooters under pressure.With the mercury soaring and limbs tired from the constant travel andplay, bench strength will become even more important as the tournamentnears its conclusion. If the opening three weeks have taught us anything,it’s that even the abbreviated format rewards team work. Sprinklings ofstardust can bring in the crowds, but if you have too many weak links,they tend to be ruthlessly exposed. Those teams that have built from thebottom have been rewarded, while those with mediocre Indian contingentsprop up the table.For Bangalore, the failure of Jacques Kallis, Shivnarine Chanderpaul andCameron White will be the subject of much heartburn. Rahul Dravid workedon the assumption that quality would prevail no matter what the format. Ithasn’t, and the South Africans, the charged-up Dale Steyn apart, haveexhibited the lethargy that you’d expect from men who’ve just playedmarathon international seasons.The local back-up has been non-existent. The Chennai Super Kings can boastof special talents like S Badrinath and Suresh Raina, while even astruggling Mumbai side has unearthed gems like Abhishek Nayar, DhawalKulkarni and Rohan Raje. For the Royal Challengers, B Akhil, Bharat Chipliand Vinay Kumar have all looked short on quality, while Sunil Joshiresembles someone who wandered in expecting a veteran’s game.The fielding of the Indians, Virat Kohli apart, has been diabolical, andcontributed in no small measure to three narrow defeats. The only silverlining from the loss in Kolkata was the batting of J Arunkumar, aKarnataka exile who was perhaps unlucky not to be capped in the late1990s.The Chargers’ plight is as pitiable. VVS Laxman has played a couple offine innings, but more often than not, he has looked as much of a misfitas Leonardo might have in an Andy Warhol world. But with him missing gamesthrough injury, they have been reduced to a two-card trick. When AdamGilchrist and Rohit Sharma don’t score, the game is as good as over. ScottStyris and Herschelle Gibbs have been shown up for what they are, oldstagers whose halcyon years are long gone.When AdamGilchrist and Rohit Sharma don’t score, the game is as good as over. ScottStyris and Herschelle Gibbs have been shown up for what they are, oldstagers whose halcyon years are long goneShahid Afridi has been more bust-bust than boom-boom, and while PragyanOjha has shown flashes of inspiration, you can’t seriously expect a sidefielding D Kalyankrishna and Arjun Yadav to be challengers. Yadav’spresence in the squad is merely proof that India’swho-you-are-and-who-you-know culture is alive and well. You can onlywonder how much more successful they would have been with someone likeAmbati Rayudu, an ICL ‘rebel’, in the picture.Even an erratic Kolkata team has done well in the local stakes, with AshokDinda, Wriddhiman Saha and Laxmi Ratan Shukla all impressing at varioustimes. Bangalore haven’t even managed to squeeze much out of Kohli’sundoubted talent. The batting line-up has gone through more changes thanCher’s face, and he’s had no opportunity to get into any sort of groove.Contrast his fortunes with those of his great friend, Shikhar Dhawan, inthe Delhi side. Dhawan has excelled at No.3, and the Daredevils have piledon the runs largely as a result of a settled top order.It’s probably too late for the Royal Challengers and the Chargers torevive their seasons now. Those that make the tough decisions will learnfrom this though. No matter how many flamboyant [or not, in the case ofBangalore] cowboys you bring in, you’re only as good as the weakest Indianin the ranks. It’s time for the talent scouts to earn their corn anddiscover a Manpreet Gony or two.
