Taking Guard Graham Gooch

Several important pointers have emerged about the two sides after the first one-dayer in New Delhi. Luck does become a factor when a pitch is as terrible as the one at the Kotla, but results are only incidental. It’s the mental make-up which is of greater significance.

England had no business losing from the overwhelming comfort of 117 for three, chasing 204 in the afternoon. They lost the next six wickets for 25 runs and the final seven for 47 in 18-odd overs. The last pair came together in the 32nd over, which was an absurd equation between required runs and the overs left with the last men standing. Juvenile is the first expression which comes to mind.

India, on the other hand, was battling overwhelming odds. They were fresh from the Mumbai mauling and were asked to bat first which they have patently sought to avoid in the recent past. They didn’t have Sachin Tendulkar or Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag is in a reversal mode. They were 80 for five and yet the lower order resisted. The back-up heroes were neither from the top order nor terribly experienced.

In the afternoon, India’s bowling and fielding were saviours. The twin strikes of Irfan Pathan ? this is the sixth time in the last 10 matches when he has struck either in his first or second over ? almost didn’t matter as England recovered. But Rahul Dravid was inspirational as skipper and some of the catching was as sublime as it was ridiculously inept in Mumbai.

The irony is complete. England as a Test side keep moving upwards while their stock in one-day cricket is slipping everyday. India is a side reborn in one-day cricket while in Tests, it’s almost on a life-support system.

I liked the way Dravid positioned his fielders around Andrew Flintoff’s bat even when the colossal England captain was hell bent on blowing India away. Dravid gave a slip and a short-square leg to Harbhajan and introduced the second power play. Flintoff swept at two deliveries in vain and another, fuller and flatter, caught him plumb in front of stumps.

Five of England batsmen were out attempting a sweep or toying with the idea at a critical moment of decision, as was the case with Geraint Jones.

Clearly, England think of it as a ploy to counter Indian spinners and upset the field. They were adequate with their defensive methods in Tests but in the fast-paced word of one-dayers, you need to score runs as well and hence the reliance on this method. They are still some way from leaving the crease to slow tweakers. It’s a skill which can’t be taught overnight.

(PTI)