Twenty20 World Champion failed to live up to the image

The one off twenty-20 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between T-20 champion India and world ODI champion Australia does not stand up to the expectation of being an exciting and thrilling one as India first bundled out for only 74 and then Aussies batsmen demolish Indian bowling attack to register a nine wicket victory.

The so-called extreme young legs of our Indian, team who gave us a reason to cherish by winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa last year, this time only made us feel how important it to keep experienced players in a tour like Australia.

Australian opening batsmen Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke though showed a cautious start but it was impossible to defend such a low total against Australian who loves to play big shots. Gilchrist was the only wicket to fall as he left the crease while attempting an over the rope shot that was caught by Gautam Gambhir at long-on for 25.

Man of the match Michael Clarke (37) and Hodge (10) did the rest to put India in a humiliating defeat! Yes, it was humiliating and shame for a team that is full of enthusiasm but no sensible approach this time as Indian batsmen just threw away their wickets. None of the top order batsmen showed any kind of intelligence to stay in the crease.

Irfan Pathan was the lone batsman to reach a double figure of 26 in just 30 balls that though created some hopes for the bowlers to bowl for and Indian supporters to fly high our tri-colour. However, Australian needed just 11.2 over to set the winning score.

Now, as the game is gone and we are moving to a tri-series how can our selectors justify their young gun theory and who preferred to put experienced ones like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar on the back seat. After all it’s Australia, the three time world champion and to play against such a side you need to show the talent though not the spirit. No doubt our young emerging players need to learn a lot but not at the cost of India’s defeat.

Dhoni at a post-match press conference said that they took it as practice match for the upcoming tri-series but what he forgot that it is one of the International ICC conducted Twenty20 match and not a match of domestic level where one scored a couple of centuries and our selectors suddenly book a flight for him to replace in-form batsman like Sourav Ganguly.

No argument in giving chance to young players keeping in mind the future of Team India but then there needs to be better composition with young as well as experienced ones to have a proper balance, so that they can have a better learning process among those world class players, who have contributed a lot for Indian cricket.

Though it is just one T20 match but then there is much to think as players who can’t bat for 20-overs, how can they sustain in 50-over match???