Hubris is still India's problem in Australia

[Junaids]

It is astonishing that India's 2024-25 tour of Australia has collapsed with the same hubris which wrecked their 2007-08 tour.

In both cases, the Indians had done misleadingly well on their previous Test tour Down Under, because they had played an under-strength Aussie team. On both occasions they wrongly arrived the next time believing that they were the Aussies' betters, or at least equals, and as their team fell apart they found a litany of excuses - umpires, bumptious Aussies etc - to blame.

Consider 2007-08. Four years earlier when they toured Australia, Glenn McGrath was injured and Shane Warne was banned due to drug offences. India in 2003-04 managed to resist a devastating attack featuring legends like Nathan Bracken and Andy Bichel, and concluded that having drawn 1-1 in Australia that time they could call the tune in 2007-08.

What India didn't understand in 2007-08 was that McGrath and Warne had been replaced by Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson. So India lost the First Test by 337 runs, and the Second Test by 122 runs. The second defeat was the one ruined by the Monkeygate scandal, but India's collapse to a spell of 3-5 by Michael Clarke to lose a match they had already saved summed up their plight. India then threatened to go home, before winning the Third Test to lose the series 2-1.

Ironically the 2007-08 Aussies were themselves a terribly weak team, with Jaques and Rogers opening as absolute rookies. But they were still better than India.

2024-25 has been so similar. India arrived bristling with overconfidence after beating understrength Aussie teams on the previous two tours.

The 2018-19 Aussies had been without the banned Warner, Smith and Bancroft, and were reduced to playing a red-ball nobody called Aaron Finch as a Test batsman, even with a First Class average of just 35 and only 7 lifetime red-ball centuries. The team had been massacred in South Africa and was flat and demoralised. India's victory was as hollow as their 1986 victory in England against a traumatised team which had just been blackwashed in the West Indies.

The 2021-22 Aussies were arguably even weaker. They failed to qualify for the World Test Final, and were so weak in batting that they played a second wicketkeeper (Matthew Wade) as the Number 5 batsman! India squeaked home in the series, and failed to process their 2021 and 2023 World Test Championship defeats and instead mis-read their two recent series victories in Australia as meaning that they were Australia's equals in 2024-25.

Of course they were massively inferior to Australia. There was no longer a Dravid or a Pujara to bat Australia out of the game.

In 4 Tests in 2024-25, India has passed 260 in just 2 innings out of 8.

Australia has not been much better, but they passed 260 3 times in 7 completed innings.

Both teams are in serious decline in 2024-25. The Aussie team has 3 veteran batsmen in terminal decline (Khawaja, Labuschagne and Smith) and one mercurial hit/miss merchant in Travis Head. The bowlers are in their dotage, with only Cummins anywhere close to as good as he was 5 years ago.

But that's why India's hubris is so misplaced. Like Pakistan and the West Indies a year ago, they came up against a fading Aussie team which was there for the taking. But India and Pakistan failed to arrive and acclimatise properly and missed their chance. Ironically even the West Indies outperformed both Asian nations.

 

[Varun]

If the same hubris got us back to back series wins too, it's a price worth paying.

 

[MP2011]

If the same hubris got us back to back series wins too, it's a price worth paying.

Yeah.

How many supposedly better teams apart from SA, have won a test series in Australia during last 3 decades, let alone 2?

 

[PAKFAN12]

India is Best touring side to tour Australia.

 

[MP2011]

India is Best touring side to tour Australia.

That's what makes some people's stomach churn.

 

[Buffet]

India is Best touring side to tour Australia.

To put it in context,

Since 2018, all teams, except India, combined have won 1 test in Aus and lost 20.

India won 2-1
India won 2-1
India lost 1-3

All other teams can use same hubris when touring Aus. It may get them some test wins.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

We didn't play tall fast bowlers and paid the price.

 

[Farabi]

I don’t agree—2-3 players missing from a side is always expected.

That said, the Indian team has done exceptionally well in Australia in recent years, winning several Test matches there. Their talent is competitive, and while A tours and side games help which other teams don’t always get, credit must go to them for their performances.

I’ll add, though, that this series got interesting because rain saved India in Adelaide. That said, they won a Test on tour anyway—a feat we haven’t achieved since 1996, despite coming very close a few times.

 

[Farabi]

We didn't play tall fast bowlers and paid the price.

Not really. I think the biggest strength of Indian fast bowling over the years has been their skill level—Shami and Bumrah, for example, are incredibly skillful bowlers. They have decent pace, but it’s their control and skills that has earned them success.

In the past, I could have think of Bhuvi, Irfan Pathan (pre all rounder confusion), Zaheer Khan, who were also quite skillful.

That said, the bowling in this series felt undercooked with Shami missing and no clear replacement ready, leading to reliance on some newer faces.

The batting, too, could use a lift.

 

[Farabi]

To put it in context,

Since 2018, all teams, except India, combined have won 1 test in Aus and lost 20.

India won 2-1
India won 2-1
India lost 1-3

All other teams can use same hubris when touring Aus. It may get them some test wins.

Yup. Indian fans should be proud of their team!

 

[Buffet]

We didn't play tall fast bowlers and paid the price

Not really. I think the biggest strength of Indian fast bowling over the years has been their skill level—Shami and Bumrah, for example, are incredibly skillful bowlers. They have decent pace, but it’s their control and skills that has earned them success.

In the past, I could have think of Bhuvi, Irfan Pathan (pre all rounder confusion), Zaheer Khan, who were also quite skillful.

That said, the bowling in this series felt undercooked with Shami missing and no clear replacement ready, leading to reliance on some newer faces.

The batting, too, could use a lift.

I think he is just being sarcastic. OP tends to come up with random theories and one of them was you need tall bowlers to do well in Aus. I don't think Bumrah is too tall and he had the best series by any pacers in Aus in decades.

Yup. Indian fans should be proud of their team!

Why? They lost the series. Outside of Bumrah team did not really play well.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Hubris is Indians problem in general.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

To put it in context,

Since 2018, all teams, except India, combined have won 1 test in Aus and lost 20.

India won 2-1
India won 2-1
India lost 1-3

All other teams can use same hubris when touring Aus. It may get them some test wins.

Actually goes back further. Last 44 Test in Australia , they have won 35, drawn 3 and lost 6, 5 of those to India.

 

[Ozeirk]

Despite being one of the most well-funded and resource-rich cricket teams in the world, the Indian cricket team has often struggled against Australia due to a combination of psychological pressure, playing conditions, and Australia's aggressive style of cricket. Australia's cricket culture emphasizes mental toughness, sledging, and relentless competitiveness, which can unsettle Indian players, especially when playing away from home. The fast and bouncy pitches in Australia also tend to favor their pace-heavy bowling attacks, often exposing Indian batters' vulnerabilities outside the subcontinent. Additionally, Australia has a history of producing world-class all-rounders and match-winners who thrive under pressure, while India has sometimes lacked such depth in critical moments. While India has made significant strides in recent years, the historical dominance and mental edge Australia holds continue to be key factors in their consistent success against India.

 

[Varun]

This broken record again, now powered by ChatGPT.

 

[mominsaigol]

It's a talentless nation plain and simple. Give India the same monetary resources as PCB and they'd be an even worse team then Zimbabwe.

Throughout india's history they have only produced 2 to 3 legendary test batters and 2 to 3 legendary odi batters. Only 2 quality pacer in bumrah and shami and 2 to 3 home track bully spinners.

Everyone else is overglorilfied to cover up for the fact that their talentless beyond belief.

Guys like vvs laxman, Dhoni, kohli and many others are an insult to test cricket yet their overglorified as >>>> every tom dick and Harry batter.

Aus is just better at everything compared to India.

For every Indian player ever produced, Aus has produced one better

 

[BCCI-Enforcer]

Defeat and loss is part of game. It is not embarrassing if team work hard and try their best.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Australia is a poor country? I mean do Indians pay 2 million dollar to buy a bat?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

It's a talentless nation plain and simple. Give India the same monetary resources as PCB and they'd be an even worse team then Zimbabwe.

Throughout india's history they have only produced 2 to 3 legendary test batters and 2 to 3 legendary odi batters. Only 2 quality pacer in bumrah and shami and 2 to 3 home track bully spinners.

Everyone else is overglorilfied to cover up for the fact that their talentless beyond belief.

Guys like vvs laxman, Dhoni, kohli and many others are an insult to test cricket yet their overglorified as >>>> every tom dick and Harry batter.

Aus is just better at everything compared to India.

For every Indian player ever produced, Aus has produced one better

You're being far too kind, we would've been worse than PNG with our lack of talent.

 

[Varun]

How would I fill up the hours of my day? Wdym by that?

Whether India exists or not or whether cricket exists or not has zero bearings towards myself.

Fill in:

1. The number of hours your brain has spent on the India - Australia series.
2. The number of hours your brain has spent on the Pakistan - South Africa series.

 

[mominsaigol]

Australia is a poor country? I mean do Indians pay 2 million dollar to buy a bat?

Where does the OP claim aus is poor?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Fill in:

1. The number of hours your brain has spent on the India - Australia series.
2. The number of hours your brain has spent on the Pakistan - South Africa series.

Checkmated lol

 

[jnaveen1980]

Where does the OP claim aus is poor?

Where is the fund coming into picture in a sports. Lot of poor countries have produced olympic winners.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Fill in:

1. The number of hours your brain has spent on the India - Australia series.
2. The number of hours your brain has spent on the Pakistan - South Africa series.

He's an Aussie, to be fair.

 

[mominsaigol]

Fill in:

1. The number of hours your brain has spent on the India - Australia series.
2. The number of hours your brain has spent on the Pakistan - South Africa series.

Yes cause it's a sport and I'm entitled to watch it, however if said sport didn't exist or let's say I never got interested in cricket and lifepath had me destined to be a football only fan that that's what I'd be?

Why would India not existing have any bearings on me? Or is this another copying mechanism where Indians are begging to seek my approval?

 

[Ozeirk]

The indian team often leans too much on a few big names like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. When they fail, the whole team can crumble instead of others stepping up. While on the other hand a team like Australia has players that come up with an excellent performance at any point and out of the blue.

Indian team carries a lot of passengers which is a reflection of talent available in the country despite being a population of over 1.4 billion people.

 

[mominsaigol]

Where is the fund coming into picture in a sports. Lot of poor countries have produced olympic winners.

What's that got to do with you claiming aus is poor? Or claiming that the OP claimed aus is poor, when did the OP claim that?

Aus is the 7th richest country in the world and it's hilarious that India is 5th despite India having 100x more resources + more land and more people.

If you combine Oceania as a whole then they are richer then India since aus and NZ share resources anyway. All aus pr/citizens are entitled to work and live in NZ without any foreign/extra visa requirements and vice versa. And the entire continent as a whole is vastly >>>>> India and Germany and would rank 3rd behind China and USA.

 

[Ice Man]

Where is the fund coming into picture in a sports. Lot of poor countries have produced olympic winners.

Mate, there are more sports that are played in Australia than just cricket. AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Tennis, Golf, Soccer, etc.

It's pretty amazing that we have managed to keep churning out winning cricket squads throughout despite other sporting codes.

 

[jnaveen1980]

What's that got to do with you claiming aus is poor? Or claiming that the OP claimed aus is poor, when did the OP claim that?

Aus is the 7th richest country in the world and it's hilarious that India is 5th despite India having 100x more resources + more land and more people.

If you combine Oceania as a whole then they are richer then India since aus and NZ share resources anyway. All aus pr/citizens are entitled to work and live in NZ without any foreign/extra visa requirements and vice versa. And the entire continent as a whole is vastly >>>>> India and Germany and would rank 3rd behind China and USA.

How do you think funding comes from? It is by using the superstars popularity. So superstars never get dropped. Performance suffers. But they generate millions. There is too much politics. India can come up with another team that will thrash the current Indian Test team. You don't see that in Cricket Australia. India doesn't select players on merit. You don't have PR machinery, fan base that dictate these things. It is way too complex in INida. Even at school level there is a lot of political influence. Just because players are playing everywhere they will all make it. You might miss some real talents. Bumrah himself would have been an obscure player had he not played for Mumbai Indians. Same goes with Ashwin who was MS Dhoni's pick becaues he played for CSK. Otherwise we would have lost in the system. We don't know how many such players are there. India often sends two teams to two different countries. When Indian team left for world T20, 2022 in Australia , they played a ODI sereis against full strength South afircan team and beat them. Can Australia come up with a second team that can compete? I doubt so.

 

[mominsaigol]

Yeah mate, from what I have read around on this forum, the general lack of knowledge around the Australian culture is pretty evident. All good though, it is a Pakistani cricket forum.

Pakistani's in this forumn aren't ignorant about aussie culture. Even if they don't fully understand it. They do have respect for the country.

It's only Indians that are the issue mainly because they assume the world revolves around them yet at the same time are very desperate to seek approval from their American, Chinese, German, Australian, UAE overlords etc etc.

For Indians, they think every country is as obsessed with cricket as they are and that every aussie is just gonna bow down to them culturally and spiritually.

 

[Ice Man]

Pakistani's in this forumn aren't ignorant about aussie culture. Even if they don't fully understand it. They do have respect for the country.

It's only Indians that are the issue mainly because they assume the world revolves around them yet at the same time are very desperate to seek approval from their American, Chinese, German, Australian, UAE overlords etc etc.

For Indians, they think every country is as obsessed with cricket as they are and that every aussie is just gonna bow down to them culturally and spiritually.

Yeah mate, I meant no disrespect to the Pakistani posters. I was just trying to say since this is a Pakistani cricket forum, I wouldn't expect full understanding of our culture.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I am asking what's that's got to do with you claiming that you and op claimed aus is poor?

What's cricket sports/ 2nd teams/ you being American Indian got anything to do with anything?

You are aussie pakistani lol why are you passionately opening threads about "What is wrong pakistan test" "Why babar and rizwan are bad" lol You are just a glory hunter. Just use AUstrlaia to troll India. You are embarrassed to use your team's performance against India.

 

[mominsaigol]

I am just saying "Funding" . without funding lot of poor countries produce olympic winners. Why do you need funding for that? Has Australia ever won 100 meter sprint?

What's Olympics got to do with this thread?

 

[jnaveen1980]

What's Olympics got to do with this thread?

It is called an example. jeez do i have to spoonfeed you?

 

[mominsaigol]

You are aussie pakistani lol why are you passionately opening threads about "What is wrong pakistan test" "Why babar and rizwan are bad" lol You are just a glory hunter. Just use AUstrlaia to troll India. You are embarrassed to use your team's performance against India.

What's this got to do with any of your comments earlier?

Funding / Olympics/ etc etc have zero bearings on this thread or Australia being a poor country as you claimed.

 

[jnaveen1980]

What's this got to do with any of your comments earlier?

Funding / Olympics/ etc etc have zero bearings on this thread or Australia being a poor country as you claimed.

Because you are mocking India not doing well despite funding. I am sure AUstralia has funding for 100 meter race. More than Jamaicans. Why are they not winning?

 

[mominsaigol]

Poster is not capable of any sort of reasoned argument. God bless Australia if these are the sort of people they are taking in.

Indians burn down stadiums and cry 24/7. God bless India, I hope and pray they don't burn down their entire country.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Indians burn down stadiums and cry 24/7. God bless India, I hope and pray they don't burn down their entire country.

Again. A stupid , triggered argument. Par for you of course. @mominsaigol mate. Your arguments have really gone down the drain of late.

 

[mominsaigol]

Because you are mocking India not doing well despite funding. I am sure AUstralia has funding for 100 meter race. More than Jamaicans. Why are they not winning?

No, I'm mocking India for being talentless.

Funding is important in everything. Olympics is a different ball game cause some games like javelin throws are mostly natural talent coupled with strong genes and a bit of coaching and practise. Same with running.

Cricket is a full game that requires proper coaching to iron out technical flaws, improve fielding and bowling and ampung other things.

A richer nation will obviously have an advantage.

Secondly the cases you're highlighting are outliers not the norm.

A country like Zimbabwe will never outshine Australia in anything be it sports or something else.

In the same way a country like India will always be second fiddle to aus and try to mimick everything from silicon valley to hollywood to masterchef to shark tank and just he 2nd fiddle in comparisom

 

[Ice Man]

You are aussie pakistani lol why are you passionately opening threads about "What is wrong pakistan test" "Why babar and rizwan are bad" lol You are just a glory hunter. Just use AUstrlaia to troll India. You are embarrassed to use your team's performance against India.

Australia is a multi-cultural country, mate. Doesn't matter if he is originally from Pakistan or Timbuktu, as long as he is a citizen, he is considered an Australian and he is free to support whoever he likes.

Also, there is no one true definition of an Australian unless you are referring to the Aboriginals who are the true owners of the land. Everyone else are basically generational immigrants in some way.

 

[mominsaigol]

Again. A stupid , triggered argument. Par for you of course. @mominsaigol mate. Your arguments have really gone down the drain of late.

If someone responds to me with an insult such as this poster said this and that, then they'll receive a similar response.

Go tell your people to calm down and argue properly.

 

[jnaveen1980]

No, I'm mocking India for being talentless.

Funding is important in everything. Olympics is a different ball game cause some games like javelin throws are mostly natural talent coupled with strong genes and a bit of coaching and practise. Same with running.

Cricket is a full game that requires proper coaching to iron out technical flaws, improve fielding and bowling and ampung other things.

A richer nation will obviously have an advantage.

Secondly the cases you're highlighting are outliers not the norm.

A country like Zimbabwe will never outshine Australia in anything be it sports or something else.

In the same way a country like India will always be second fiddle to aus and try to mimick everything from silicon valley to hollywood to masterchef to shark tank and just he 2nd fiddle in comparisom

Match USA then talk. If you pose as an Australian, i can do the same. You can't even match in cricket against USA lol

 

[mominsaigol]

Match USA then talk. If you pose as an Australian, i can do the same.

I'm not claiming to match USA. Never did and won't as their obviously > Aus.

I have no clue why you've gotten so triggered but ig your true colours are showing.

You goofed up on the aus is poor claim, Backtracked and turned this argument to explain why funding doesn't matter and then when I explained why it does, you turned this into a sausage fest between countries.

It is not my fault.

 

[mominsaigol]

His only badge of honour. Petulant milksop who thinks he's an expert on cricket and backtracks a thousand times on his own opinions

When have I backtracked? Also I find it hilarious you guys high five each other yet run away.

Right now almost all of your buddies are sulking and hiding based of BGT results.

Like had hoti hai yaar. It's a cricket/sports game and you guys vanish and cry in corners like children .

India is the biggest cry baby nation in the world ong, and its reflected by the quality of Indian posters on this forumn.

 

[Hellion]

When have I backtracked? Also I find it hilarious you guys high five each other yet run away.

Right now almost all of your buddies are sulking and hiding based of BGT results.

Like had hoti hai yaar. It's a cricket/sports game and you guys vanish and cry in corners like children .

India is the biggest cry baby nation in the world ong, and its reflected by the quality of Indian posters on this forumn.

Nobody cries as much as you so just stop it

 

[Junaids]

To put it in context,

Since 2018, all teams, except India, combined have won 1 test in Aus and lost 20.

India won 2-1
India won 2-1
India lost 1-3

All other teams can use same hubris when touring Aus. It may get them some test wins.

Again, a post which fails to acknowledge that players deteriorate as they pass through their fourth decade.

And ten of Australia’s playing eleven are over 30.

The whole point is that Pakistan, West Indies and India all caught Australia at a vulnerable moment. And Pakistan were so badly led/selected/coached and India were so old and mediocre that they still lost.

The Australia which beat England and NZ at home was much closer to its peak than these has-beens.

 

[mominsaigol]

Nobody cries as much as you so just stop it

Incorrect, I wasn't even talking to you when you shoved your @^#^# into this conversation.

The amount of rona dhona i have seen is astounding. Maybe stop living in a bollywood movie and grow up. I don't have time to deal qith pesky children.

If you and your mate can't argue on your claims and don't understand why money and funding matters in a world which is 100% revolving around money then I'm sorry, you don't deserve to live in such a world.

 

[Hellion]

Incorrect, I wasn't even talking to you when you shoved your @^#^# into this conversation.

The amount of rona dhona i have seen is astounding. Maybe stop living in a bollywood movie and grow up. I don't have time to deal qith pesky children.

If you and your mate can't argue on your claims and don't understand why money and funding matters in a world which is 100% revolving around money then I'm sorry, you don't deserve to live in such a world.

I wasn't talking to you either when you shoved your low IQ head in between .

 

[Varun]

It's not, never claimed it was. It's just the moment you guys lose an argument you start highfiving and riding each other.

Your funding argument is flawed by nature. It's very clear you have no grounds to stand on amd hence you're obsessively diverting topics.

Hey wannabe Aussie, you didn't reply with numbers to this post. Let me try again:

Fill in:

1. The number of hours your brain has spent on the India - Australia series.
2. The number of hours your brain has spent on the Pakistan - South Africa series.

 

[jnaveen1980]

It's not, never claimed it was. It's just the moment you guys lose an argument you start highfiving and riding each other.

Your funding argument is flawed by nature. It's very clear you have no grounds to stand on amd hence you're obsessively diverting topics.

When you attack India you become Australia as it gives you a safety net as that is a top team. Easy to be a glory hunter. Your comment about Laxman as an "aussie fan" is a massive red flag. I am 100 %sure from MCgrath to Brett Lee will laugh at you. You have zero clue about the single most guy who dominated ATG Australian team and yet you call yourself an Aussie fan.

You win a series after 4 straight series losses that too without a bowler for India and you act like you achieved something big. Sure Australia did. But as a fan you should be embarrassed to gloat a home series win like it is overseas win. May be you should consider becoming a new zelanad fan. Immediately a thread about funding, economic, resource pop up. What an arrogant reaction after just 1 series win after losing 4 series.

 

[BouncerGuy]

You guys need to talk about the topic instead of getting personal...Will not warn any of you again

 

[BouncerGuy]

You guys need to talk about the topic instead of getting personal...Will not warn any of you again

YOU GUYS MISSED THIS I GUESS

 

[BouncerGuy]

We must put Indian cricket ahead of an Indian great

It’s a phenomenon that befalls Indian cricket every 11-12 years, when the Test team’s performance takes a nosedive. India lost 0-4 to England and 0-4 to Australia in 2011-12. Twelve years later they have gone down to New Zealand 0-3 at home, and now, they have lost 1-3 to Australia. If not for the rains in Brisbane, the score line would have most likely read 1-4 after Australia had taken an almost 200-run lead on the first innings.

India are a sought-after cricket team that the world wants to eagerly host. They play a lot of matches in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, so it is fair to be judged to the highest standards. This ‘generational slump’ is inevitable for all teams. It’s what we know as the transition phase and among the best teams in the world, I believe it affects India the most.

The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011-12 or now, it’s the same scenario that gets played out -- iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances.

A weak bowling attack never helps, at least we have Jasprit Bumrah now who ensures that India aren’t lambs to slaughter when their iconic batters fail to deliver. The other top teams’ slump is not as sharp they bounce back sooner, only because they haven’t sunk that deep in the transition period.

When India lost 0-8 to England and Australia, Tendulkar averaged 35, Sehwag 19.91 and Laxman 21.06. Only Dravid stood out and got runs in England (he averaged 76.83) but in Australia he too was given a harsh reality check (he averaged 24.25).

Thing is, when it comes to the big players, we as a country are just not able to stay rational. Emotions run high and those in positions to take decisions on these players are influenced by this climate. Cricketing logic goes out of the window and then the selectors hope the player leaves on his own so that they don’t look like the villains who brutally ended the career of a great who millions of fans worship. They just fear the backlash.

If the player does not quit on his own, then Indian cricket has a problem. As a rule, our icons---barring very few---stay around too long well past their prime with their performances dropping to abysmal levels. In their heart, selectors and the administration know that they are essentially conforming to the sentiments of the masses.

The Australian cricket culture had once empowered a little-known former cricketer and selector John Inverarity to drop an all-time great Ricky Ponting. He was dropped, not ‘rested’. That’s the other trend now unique to India. Gill was not dropped for the Melbourne Test, he was unfortunate. Rohit opted out. Only low profile players in Indian cricket get dropped these days.

By sugarcoating the dropping of a player, the team management squanders the opportunity to make a critical statement---that it’s about the value you add on the field and not your brand value. Actually, we don’t realise how impactful the job of a selector is. He can make a far bigger difference to the fortunes of the India team than any coach can, that is if he does his job right. Our media gives the coach far too much attention and importance.

Australia got better as a team as the series progressed because of some bold selections. Nathan McSweeney was dropped after a fighting knock to get Sam Konstas in. Mitchell Marsh was dropped to get Beau Webster. Both selections did wonders to Australia’s chances of winning the series.

Former cricketers are appointed as selectors so that they can use their acumen and instinct to make a judgement, say on Rohit Sharma at this stage of his career. Does Sharma still have the potential to make up for all his recent failures? I would like to think that the current selection committee has a pretty good idea about this.

But now comes the tough part---can the committee actually take a tough decision in sync with their observations? For Mr Ajit Agarkar to take a pure cricketing decision no matter who the player is, we have to make his job easier. Us as former cricketers, the media, the administrators, and the fans who are the most influential force, must put Indian cricket ahead of an Indian great. Australia does not wait for a player to retire; they drop him before he becomes a huge liability.

And that is why Australia never lose 0-8 in eight Tests when it goes through its periodic slump.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ahead-of-an-indian-great-101736508813158.html

 

[sweep_shot]

I think their downfall has already started due to high hubris.

I expect them to return to being a mid-tier team (like how they were in the 90's).

 

[Usman Chadda]

I think their downfall has already started due to high hubris.

I expect them to return to being a mid-tier team (like how they were in the 90's).

Doubt it considering the resources their cricketers have, but they should be expected to dominate the one sport they care about and rake in the most money in.

Unfortunately, the same goes for the other sub-continent teams however Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have poorly governed boards.

India has the advantage of a size-able pool of talent, infinite resources compared to other nations and a functioning cricket board (albeit corrupt still), yet they are struggling to dominate like West Indies and Australia did.

 

[RexRex]

We must put Indian cricket ahead of an Indian great

It’s a phenomenon that befalls Indian cricket every 11-12 years, when the Test team’s performance takes a nosedive. India lost 0-4 to England and 0-4 to Australia in 2011-12. Twelve years later they have gone down to New Zealand 0-3 at home, and now, they have lost 1-3 to Australia. If not for the rains in Brisbane, the score line would have most likely read 1-4 after Australia had taken an almost 200-run lead on the first innings.

India are a sought-after cricket team that the world wants to eagerly host. They play a lot of matches in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, so it is fair to be judged to the highest standards. This ‘generational slump’ is inevitable for all teams. It’s what we know as the transition phase and among the best teams in the world, I believe it affects India the most.

The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011-12 or now, it’s the same scenario that gets played out -- iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances.

A weak bowling attack never helps, at least we have Jasprit Bumrah now who ensures that India aren’t lambs to slaughter when their iconic batters fail to deliver. The other top teams’ slump is not as sharp they bounce back sooner, only because they haven’t sunk that deep in the transition period.

When India lost 0-8 to England and Australia, Tendulkar averaged 35, Sehwag 19.91 and Laxman 21.06. Only Dravid stood out and got runs in England (he averaged 76.83) but in Australia he too was given a harsh reality check (he averaged 24.25).

Thing is, when it comes to the big players, we as a country are just not able to stay rational. Emotions run high and those in positions to take decisions on these players are influenced by this climate. Cricketing logic goes out of the window and then the selectors hope the player leaves on his own so that they don’t look like the villains who brutally ended the career of a great who millions of fans worship. They just fear the backlash.

If the player does not quit on his own, then Indian cricket has a problem. As a rule, our icons---barring very few---stay around too long well past their prime with their performances dropping to abysmal levels. In their heart, selectors and the administration know that they are essentially conforming to the sentiments of the masses.

The Australian cricket culture had once empowered a little-known former cricketer and selector John Inverarity to drop an all-time great Ricky Ponting. He was dropped, not ‘rested’. That’s the other trend now unique to India. Gill was not dropped for the Melbourne Test, he was unfortunate. Rohit opted out. Only low profile players in Indian cricket get dropped these days.

By sugarcoating the dropping of a player, the team management squanders the opportunity to make a critical statement---that it’s about the value you add on the field and not your brand value. Actually, we don’t realise how impactful the job of a selector is. He can make a far bigger difference to the fortunes of the India team than any coach can, that is if he does his job right. Our media gives the coach far too much attention and importance.

Australia got better as a team as the series progressed because of some bold selections. Nathan McSweeney was dropped after a fighting knock to get Sam Konstas in. Mitchell Marsh was dropped to get Beau Webster. Both selections did wonders to Australia’s chances of winning the series.

Former cricketers are appointed as selectors so that they can use their acumen and instinct to make a judgement, say on Rohit Sharma at this stage of his career. Does Sharma still have the potential to make up for all his recent failures? I would like to think that the current selection committee has a pretty good idea about this.

But now comes the tough part---can the committee actually take a tough decision in sync with their observations? For Mr Ajit Agarkar to take a pure cricketing decision no matter who the player is, we have to make his job easier. Us as former cricketers, the media, the administrators, and the fans who are the most influential force, must put Indian cricket ahead of an Indian great. Australia does not wait for a player to retire; they drop him before he becomes a huge liability.

And that is why Australia never lose 0-8 in eight Tests when it goes through its periodic slump.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ahead-of-an-indian-great-101736508813158.html

Majrekar is scared to name Kohli in this article. Rohit Sharma is low-hanging fruit for everyone but nobody dare name Kohli for some reason. Pathetic.