THE first stage of the litmus test that coach Bob Woolmer had talked about before leaving for the triangular in Holland was basically washed away, with just around forty per cent of the allotted overs in the outing getting actually bowled. Though it is difficult to assess a team’s performance in such a truncated outing, it can safely be said that the team gave it its best shot, and, the boy, for sure, did not make a fool of themselves. They won it against India, and gave Australians a run for their money.
To have restricted Australia to a low score was not as big an achievement as was the start of Pakistan’s own innings. The effect that constant and heavy showers had on the track was quite obvious and the dice was heavily loaded against the batsmen. It had to be a low-scoring affair, but even then it was creditable on the part of the Pakistanis to have actually restricted the mighty Australians to something below 200. But what was much more impressive was the start of the Pakistani innings, with the openers keeping their heads down and doing their best to follow a certain gameplan.
It was a pity that while concentrating on not giving away their wickets, the Pakistanis got bogged down and could not keep the scoreboard ticking with singles. This ultimately put pressure on those coming latter down the order. This is one of the areas that need to be handled by the team. Every time some one tries to put a premium on his wicket, he tends to lose the broader focus of the game, which naturally involves taking every possible run that can be manoeuvred. This simply involves nothing but deft placement of the ball. Perhaps more than that, it requires a mindset on the part of the batsman concerned.
Not necessarily at the cost of your wicket, but once you are out there in the middle, the idea should be not just to make the most of every single opportunity that comes your way, but also to create opportunities. That lessens the burden on every one. Momentum matters a lot in cricket, and once batsmen on the crease get bogged down, it gives a lot of heart to the bowlers and they start sensing a wicket, which, in turn, gives them confidence. Nothing irritates the bowlers more than do six singles in an over. This is a lesson the Pakistanis have yet to learn.
I was somewhat surprised at the initial round of verbosity that marked Pakistan’s reaction to some of the umpiring decisions that supposedly went against the team in the final. As it happens, umpiring controversies go hand in hand with the game, and players have to take them in their strides. It was nice to see PCB Chairman Shahrayar Khan stepping in and distancing the Board from all such criticizm.
The focus for the next few days would remain on the ICC Champions Trophy. This, if you need a reminder, is the second stage of the two-part litmus test Woolmer had talked about. With Tendulkar likely to miss out, and with Pakistan having beaten India in the last two consecutive games — one of them being a truncated one — Pakistanis would take a lot of momentum into the game. As the format goes, it is a loser-gets-nothing situation for both teams, and that will have a pressure of its own. The team handling this pressure better is likely to elbow the other one out. Let’s see how it goes.
THE first stage of the litmus test that coach Bob Woolmer had talked about before leaving for the triangular in Holland was basically washed away, with just around forty per cent of the allotted overs in the outing getting actually bowled. Though it is difficult to assess a team’s performance in such a truncated outing, it can safely be said that the team gave it its best shot, and, the boy, for sure, did not make a fool of themselves. They won it against India, and gave Australians a run for their money.
