By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu
The value of a genuine all rounder can never be discounted. Having said that, if horses-for-courses is a concurrent theme for the World Cup, India need not feel at a distinct disadvantage at not being able to field one in time for the tournament that kicks off in February.
That all-rounders are a golden asset in the game of cricket cannot be emphasized enough. By recipe standards, all-rounders are the X factor ingredient that differentiates a gourmet meal from a ready-to-serve meal in the super market. When India won the 1983 edition, it was on the broad shoulders of Kapil Dev and the nifty resources of the likes of Mohinder Amarnath and Roger Binny.
That India have struggled to find an all rounder worth the wait is no hidden fact. If Gary Kirsten voiced that concern while mentally and deliberately omitting Irfan Pathan off his list, the Indian coach was merely pointing out the most obvious weakness in India’s World Cup preparations. However, India need not feel particularly handicapped in that aspect which is why neither the Indian coach nor captain look overtly perturbed about the prospect.
The great thing about this Indian team is that it thrives on its reputation for self belief - a direct trait of the captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni has shown it once before how it could work in the format of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 with a team that was still light on reputation but hungry to leave its mark. What Dhoni has done well through the years is apply his shrewdness in harnessing the resources at hand through a healthy mixture of thought and instinct. If those leadership faculties of Dhoni operate at their optimal level, what India will have in their fifteen member squad should suffice to make a strong case for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy.
Given the Indian sub continent conditions that provide significant advantage as hosts in terms of knowledge and experience of having grown up on these surfaces, India would know that talent and smart application can take them places without the fall back option of an all rounder. What India have done rather successfully at home over the past year and a half is use the full strength in their batting options while extracting the most of the part time bowlers. That they have been able to do so without some of the regular cricketers rested for the five deal ordeals has shown that their batting is probably their strength but their alternate bowling options are not dismal either.
If ever there is a time to make their berths count, Dhoni will be well aware that he can use his options as stock weapons. Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have worked as partnership breakers before and there has always been a comment about the Indian ODI team that it does not employ the bowling arm of either man near enough. The lack of a fifth bowler has sometimes worked to India’s downfall. However, in this case, Dhoni will know that apart from the four front line bowlers, he could use the slow part timers in an asymmetrical fashion, constantly keeping the opposition guessing, while stifling their scoring rate.
Yusuf Pathan has shown that he could be a rather useful component now that he has rediscovered his form with the bat and translated that into confidence with the ball as a part time bowler. Conversely, if Harbhajan Singh can be tempered to do what he did with the bat against New Zealand, India will have their bail out moments with him and Zaheer Khan.
With four main bowlers, a wicket keeper-batsman in himself which is a huge strength in the batting line up, and six specialist batsmen that include the ferocity of Sehwag, the precision of Gautam Gambhir, the pursuit of excellence from Sachin Tendulkar, and a hungry line up of options in Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Virat Kohli, and Yuvraj Singh who will all benefit from the fact that bounce will not be an option in the sub continent, Dhoni has a strong composition. It all boils down to the right skills and man management. It will be a test really for Kirsten and Dhoni who are believed to be remarkable exponents in that department. So, does India really need an all-rounder for this World Cup?
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