5 Things Indian Cricket Team Needs to Improve

Well, an exciting finish to the first ODI between India and Zimbabwe at Harare may have given some sense of relief to the Indian camp. But if closely analysed, there is a lot to learn for the Indian Cricket team in the upcoming time so as to prevent any future mishap like the one in Bangladesh. Here have a look at five such areas where the Indian team lacked in today’s match too.

1. Dismal batting performance: Had it not been for Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny, India may not have even crossed the 200 mark and then it would have been a pretty easier task for the host batsmen. The openers have not been able to give a good start to the innings which is clearly visible in the past 3-5 ODIs and that too, with all due respect, while playing against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Then, the middle order failures are also something which the team management needs to think upon. And it’s better not to say anything about the lower order of the Indian team. In today’s match too, a score of 77 for 4 never looked pleasing and thanks to the 160-run stand between Binny and Rayudu that helped reach a respectable total. For a team that boasts of a batting line up till No.7 or 8, it’s an utterly serious issue if they are not able to pose big totals.

1. Lack of discipline in bowling: Any budding 14-year-old fast bowler would tell you to bowl yorkers in death overs. But, it seems the Indian pacers have their own uniqueness of bowling short without any considerable pace or line and length. The same was evident in today’s match too. Dhawal Kulkarni kept bowling short and wide as if there was no one to tell him how to bowl a normal straight delivery. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar kept trying for yorkers, but most of them were offered as full-tossed deliveries. Though he did well to deny Zimbabwe a victory in the last over. Binny seemed a bit okay and the spinners also performed well. So, the pace battery needs a recharge.

1. Slackness in fielding: It was like the Indian fielders were wandering in the ground. There has to be something that this so-called team of “young” players needs to do, so as to lift up its level of fielding. It seemed that the players were tired as hell as the Zimbabwe batsmen kept taking doubles at will. There were so many fumbles while picking the ball by the Indian fielders. One would wonder if instead of appointing a costly coach, the BCCI would have appointed a talented fielding-coach for the side.

1. Taking undue pressure: The Indian team seems to take undue pressure and that too at undue times. It was a nightmare for the players like Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay, Robin Uthappa and Manoj Tiwary & Dhawal Kulkarni. The selectors as well the nation hoped that these players, who comprise the so-called “bench-strength” of the Indian cricket team, will try to leave a mark. On the contrary, they all colluded to fail together. Whether it was the pressure of getting the chance to play in the national team or something else, the point is these players seemed to be a nin-com-poop in today’s match.

1. Choking at decisive moments: This is a trait that has been learnt by the Indian team in the recent times and with great efforts. At one stage, Zimbabwe were 160 for 6 and needed 96 runs at a required rate of close to eight, with just one specialist batsmen left. But, the Indian team proved to be successful in choking once again to take the match to the last over and seize an utterly unworthy win. Earlier in the Indian batting, the score suddenly turned from 60 for 1 to 77 for 4 in no time. The same happened in the entire Bangladesh series too. This showed how well we are learning to choke at decisive moments, which needs to be curbed at the earliest.