Saturday, 31 January 2015

World Cup 2015- (Dissecting the Chances of Indian Team)

Source: rediff.com



White Hat- Facts and Figures
By- Erick Massey


The stage is all set for the biggest extravaganza in the world of cricket and yet again it is team India, One of the hot favorite team and the defending champions in the battle for the biggest title. The title ‘Defending champions’ is sufficient to explain the responsibility that the champions have.

We are aware of the fact that team India has done exceptionally well and there has always been that one player who has emerged in these battles as a savior for the team be it Yuvraj , Sachin , Sehwag or the captain cool dhoni but since it’s not a one-man show, all eyes are on the  entire batting and bowling department.

India has always been resilient which we have witnessed in previous world cup and other series and that is when a new start emerges with stupendous performance with the bat or with the ball.
The other thing is the record of certain players have been good in these fast and bouncy pitches that they will encounter in days to come but the other thing is the team now has been in that condition for a while now and is aware of all the odds and evens of these track.

The absence of experienced players like sachin, Yuvraj, Sehwag and Gambhir is a point of concern as it would be mere a gamble to just hit the field with new comers who have not been into such conditions much, so the nerves would be tight definitely, However the captain knows well how and when to use his resources which we have witnessed in his entire career which has been instrumental in the making of Kohli, Jadeja, Ashwin and Rohit Sharma.

The bowling department looks meek but once the ball starts swinging it is enough to take the stumps off the ground. The same has been the case with bowling and now we have a fresh spinner in the form of axar patel.

The temperament of the team is balanced with aggression and calmness in equal amount, attainment of which is enough to destruct the opposition.

  
Yellow Hat- Optimism/Support
By- Raza Naqvi


The performance of the Indian Team in the recently concluded Test Series does not inspire much confidence. The triangular series that is currently on was billed as one final opportunity to get used to the conditions in Australia in a format that the team is more suited to. However, the performance that has surfaced will worry the Indian fans, and concerns will be raised about the team’s competence to defend the world cup title.

The Achilles heel of the Indian Team has always been the extra bounce that is a common phenomenon on the Australian pitches. This new team has showed enough credentials to handle this enigma with aplomb, but then will this promise be translated into results. The solace that the team and the fans can garner is that India will play their matches in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The history of these venues can offer comfort to the batsmen, as apart from Perth, no other surface is conducive to too much bounce.

The sudden retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni from test cricket did raise many eyebrows, and many rumours were flying everywhere, speculating a rift in the team. He is back leading the team in one format he excels in, and the urge to prove his detractors wrong might instil in him one final push towards glory. Moreover, Sydney and Adelaide aid spinners and Dhoni becomes a different captain when it comes down to handling spinners. Expect a rejuvenated Dhoni, and this augurs well for the team.

The advantage that the team also carries is that it is not going into the competition as strong contenders considering the conditions, and this often pushes any team to scale that extra yard. All predictions and presumptions will cease once the team takes on the field, and this bunch of young Turks, have sown considerable mettle to fight on, and hopefully the fight becomes synonymous with victories. 
Bring home the cup boys!!!


Black Hat- Criticism
By- Manish Pathak


The defending champions are heading into the World Cup with a heavy cloud dangling over their head. The chance to defend their crown seems to be as frail, as the chances of searching a needle in a haystack.

The tag that the Indian team has carried for a long time now of being pussycats abroad has only assumed a more significant proportion considering the trail of disastrous performances the team has dished out in the recent past.
Even after spending close to three months in Australia, the failure to cope with genuine pace and bounce is a serious worry, and the application shown by the batsmen to rise and play the bouncing ball is also not very encouraging.

The bowling attack appears to be toothless. The lack of any genuine wicket taker, and also the infuriating tendency of the bowlers to present boundary hitting deliveries almost every over is appalling. Wickets have to be earned at the International level, and few good balls, followed by loose deliveries never allows pressure to be mounted on the batsman.  This has been a long tour, and the issue of burnout, particularly for the bowlers, is also a case for concern. Death bowling has always been the Achilles heel, and the trend the bowlers have been showcasing all but confirms the apathy for Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Slip catching assumes great significance in conditions conducive to fast bowling, and this particular department does leave a lot to be desired. Catching in the slips is a specialized job, but the Indian team has played musical chair to allot positions, which has resulted in multiple catches being grassed.
Most of the teams, have almost settled into a team they will play in the World Cup. India meanwhile is still tinkering with their options. The extended lean trot of Shikhar Dhawan has created a gaping hole right at the beginning. Rohit Sharma has an injured hamstring, and the experiment to send Virat Kohli at number four, revels the humongous problems the team is facing at the cusp of a World Cup.
Barring Virat Kohli, R.Ashwin, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni, no other player has the experience of playing in a World Cup. Lack of experience will impede the already flawed chances. Bowling remains the major worry, but the batting collapses and the inability to cope with genuine pace is also aggravating the concern.

Defending the Cup seems like a far-sighted dream, for there are too many question marks lingering, and the cupboard of answers is empty.


Green Hat- Creative Solutions
By- Sanjay Kumar Bissoyi


With the teams arriving the final phase of their planning for upcoming World Cup, defending champions India is one of the favorite to win the game's showpiece event. Back to back world cup win will be a nice mile stone for this young team.

No matter how strong teams like South Africa, Australia, England may be, with all their pace bowlers alternatives and bench strength, the Indian team, under MS Dhoni, has to show as always, like some trick roll up its sleeve, particularly in the one day international formats. He himself is one of the best finisher of world and strong leader in the shorter forms of the game, so he has to use full potential to win the title.

With one of the world's best limited overs batsman Kohli and captain like Dhoni together in the side, the batting looks very proficient. Players like Rohit, Raina and Rahane can always chip in with match-winning contributions and the concluding batsman already have enormous limited-overs capability and the performances too. With Ashwin and Jadeja, you have two players who can bat really well sometimes and not letting the opposition batters get away, most of the times. The pace department has to show consistently intimidating performance when we have bowlers like Yadav, Ishant, Shami and Bhubaneswar.  They have to read the pitches and bowl according to situation like using of bouncers, variation on pace etc.

Ground fielding is going to play a vital role in this world cup; youngsters like Jadeja, Binny and a couple more will enthuse the fielding department too, it will help the bowlers and become difficult to score for opponent batsman. We have to improve our slip catching technique, which is also an important factor in bouncy tracks, especially on pitch of Perth.


Blue Hat- Expert Interview
By- Namit Hans


Devang Gandhi, Former test cricketer, Commentator in on-going Ranaji trophy

Q.) What are the chances of Indian team in world cup 2015?

Ans) I think the team has a good chance. Let’s not go by what happened in the recently concluded series. It has been a long tour and I think players will get ample opportunity to regroup and refresh before the first match against Pakistan. I think it is a well-balanced side and they have to give a collective effort and it can’t be a one man show.

Q.) The team does not have any senior or experienced faces like Sachin or Yuvraj this time. How will this affect the team's performance?

Ans) I think Sachin’s retirement was already on the card and yuvraj has not been in a good form lately. Indian team has to come to terms with the fact that Sachin cannot be there in the team forever and also the team has won the champions trophy in his absence. They will definitely be missed but the team has moved on.

 Q.) Dhoni retired from test format recently which sparked controversy. Do you think it will affect his captaincy during the world cup?

Ans) I don’t think it will affect his captaincy at all because it was just one format which he did not want to play and so he retired from it. So far as the controversy goes, people will always speculate different things in our country and I don’t think it is going to bother Dhoni. In fact, his captaincy is going to be burden free and perhaps he will perform much better this time.

 Q.) Australian pitches are known for their bounce. Does Indian batting and balling line up have the capability to adapt to these situations?

Ans) The team has done well in the test series. Even though they did not do well in the one day series but playing against Australia is never easy. Also, the gap of four five days will give them a break from the game and they will be able to mentally adapt to the situation before the tournament starts. It is going to be a challenge of mental adaptation.

 Q.) Any personal comments or views? Please share.

Ans) They are the defending champions and the expectations are going to be high. As a former cricketer I can assure that the team will give its best to win.



Red Hat- Public Opinion
By- Prateek Kumar

 
Uma Banerjee, Student, Delhi University


Q.) What does world cup mean to you?

Ans) Living in country where cricket is transformed into a religion, people are waiting to see their team win and bring back the title. People have already started mentioning about cricket in their daily prayers. Hence not only me but the whole nation is waiting for India’s victory.

Q.) Who according to you is a better captain, Dhoni or Kohli?

Ans) Dhoni is good as a captain and Kholi as a player. The question of Dhoni’s retirement is popping up in media for quite a long time resulting in many controversies. But experience matters and you can’t choose Kholi over Dhoni as a captain. Maybe after world cup, but for the time being Dhoni is the only option.

Q.) Selectors chose young brigade over top guns. What according to you should be the ideal team?

Ans) The decision of including young guns in the team cannot be perceived as mere experimentation, it is the place earned by the promising young cricketers to face the fierce battle in the arena.



Sahil Kashyap, Writer, Mumbai

Q.) What according to you are the major advantages for the Indian team in upcoming world cup?

Ans) One of the biggest advantages that our team has is that they have been playing in Australia since the beginning of this year, so now they might be familiar with weather and pitch conditions which might help their bowlers to perform better.

Q.) Is the selected squad capable enough to defend the title?

Ans) While some might call it a gamble, the fact remains that the heroes of the world cup 2011 such as Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan have not been able to clear the acid test and could not make it to the final list. But still the caliber of selected players is good enough to play oversees and win the series.

Q.) What are your expectations from the team?

Ans) Indian selectors have chosen the best possible squad they could, even if it lacks experience. The team of 15 players is strong enough to tackle the situations and defend the title under the captaincy of M.S. Dhoni, ignoring the fact that masters like Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have been overlooked.



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Introduction:

Erick Massey, 23, Graduate in B.Sc from Delhi University,  Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Raza Naqvi, 21, Graduate in Business Administration from Gauhati University, Former Journalist at Hindustan Times, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Manish kumar Pathak, 23, Graduate in electronic engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Worked in Mitsubishi electric automotive India, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Sanjay Kumar Bissoyi, 22, Graduate in Sociology from Behrampur University, Pursuing Diploma in Odiya Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Namit Hans, 23, Graduate in Economics from Delhi University, Former Gandhi Fellow at Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Prateek Kumar, 23, Graduate in English Literature from Delhi University, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal 

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