How does a team pick itself up after having its gut wrenched out three days ago? That is the question MS Dhoni and his men must address after the debacle of the fifth ODI against Australia.
After a steady improvement in the bowling post the Champions Trophy, the bowlers seemed to be back to square one in the last match. True, the pitch was a batting beauty, but that only meant that the bowlers should have bowled tighter lines, and in no way excuses short and wide bowling or balls drifting down the leg-side for easy pickings. The fielders were equally culpable as the age-old disease of converting ones into twos and twos into threes for the opponents manifested itself yet again. It is a strange thing with the Indian fielding – whether there is a fielding coach or not, whether the team is filled with young players or old, whether a special fielding camp is held prior to a series or not – nothing seems to change. The current Indian team must believe in themselves more on the field and not wilt under pressure. They need to only look back at the fourth ODI, in which the same team put up a sterling performance to know that they can do it. The only thing is, they must do it more often.