Stop over experimenting Greg!

It is time some one tells the Aussie import and Indian coach Greg Chappell to stop over experimenting with the Indian team.

One wonders if the Indian cricket board appointed coach is trying to knit a winning unit for next year’s World Cup or is he totally confusing the ‘Men in Blue’ and playing with the sentiments of millions of cricket fans in the country.

His remarks on his opponents seem to backfire repeatedly and instead of inspiring his boys, it seems to motivate the rivals like it did the West Indies during India’s tour of the Caribbean early this year till yesterday’s crucial Champions Trophy tie, which the hosts lost by three wickets.

As far as his experimentations are concerned, the Indian public, who pay through their nose to watch their dear team in action, are running out of patience. It really makes one sick to see Mr Chappell’s persistent indulgence with failed experiments and the team’s continued failure to pick the right combination.

Probably Greg does not believe in ‘right horses for right courses’ theory, which on sub-continent wickets is a ‘must’ follow theory.

Take for instance his so-called experimentation with Irfan Pathan, which has been a disaster in the team’s recent outings especially in yesterday’s Champions Trophy tie against the West Indies. Our man never seems to learn from his mistakes or he is just dumb or both.

There was no need to promote Pathan in the batting order ahead of skipper Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni or even out-of-form Suresh Raina. Usually a pinch-hitter is sent in to accelerate the scoring during a run chase with the team’s best batsman dismissed early.

In the crucial match against the West Indies there was no need to send Pathan as a pinch-hitter as India’s best batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, was still batting at the other end and the Indians were setting up a target.

With part time bowlers like Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle turning the ball appreciably, the need of the hour was an additional spinner and not four new ball bowlers, which ultimately turned out to be a luxury.

Ramesh Powar, who had bowled beautifully with Harbhajan Singh in home series against Sri Lanka, South Africa and England, would have been a better choice than Rudra Pratap Singh and it would have been a wise move if out-of-form Suresh Raina was replaced with Dinesh Mongia.

With the World Cup just five to six months away, the team looks totally unsettled and players who have been flopping repeatedly seems to be enjoying the confidence of the coach.

Was it necessary to send Pathan as the pinch-hitter?

Why is Raina being persisted with when the team think-tank has a replacement in Dinesh Mongia, who will be an asset on the Indian wickets with his left arm spin?

Why was off-spinner Ramesh Powar not played at all on the spinner-friendly Motera wicket?

What was the logic in playing four new ball bowlers when the whole world knew that the wicket would assist the spinners?

Why was Dhoni not asked to accelerate the scoring rate much earlier than the team management eventually did?

These are some of the questions, which begs to be answered, before the do-or-die match with world champions Aussies on Sunday.

If our unsmiling coach comes up with the right answers, who knows India can still be in the semi-finals of the mini world with a shock victory over the mighty Australians.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope some sense prevails before it is too late.