THE AFTERMATH OF ‘THE MOMENT’

The hangover continues as images of THE MOMENT revive the frenzy and euphoria that a 121 crore strong nation underwent and is still reeling under. I shared the golden moments of India’s historic world cup win with our team in the newsroom. I am still intoxicated , as is the entire nation .A sense of emotional vaccum slowly takes over as we ready ourselves for the aftermath of the World Cup glory.

Was watching a post-win debate on TV which brought up the very important question of the aftermath of THE MOMENT. Are we ready for total dominance in international cricket now that we have been crowned world champions? A majority agrees that we are indeed a formidable force when it comes to the batting department, with the likes of the living legend Sachin Tendulkar , Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh , Suresh Raina, and of course, Captain Cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni gracing the line up.This should be sufficient to sustain us as an unbeatable ODI- side but, to continue being at the top in the test side as well , Dhoni’s team will have to majorly spruce up the bowling department which has failed to deliver consecutively in the current and previous tournaments.Except for Zaheer Khan, we do not have sufficient weight in our strike arsenal. Harbhajan also needs a second spinner support.Agreed that Yuvraj, the proud man of the series, has proven his all round skills in the current tournament.We have seen him bat, bowl and field with equal élan and panache , but, a consistently aggressive bowling line up is indeed Team India’s biggest requirement on its path to total international dominance. We must not forget that it is this very drawback, i.e., a floundering bowling line up, that has led to the downfall of the unassailable and invincible Australians.

Another challenge would be finding a suitable successor to Guru Gary Kirsten who has just completed his three-year tenure. Gary Kirsten, with his unassuming, quiet and calm manner not only totally gelled with team India, but also , together with Captain Dhoni and his men, led Team India to its moment in history. Considering the fact that there have been major coach-related issues in the past, this indeed will be a very crucial factor for the Indian team. Equally relevant would be the manner in which Captain Dhoni adjusts and adapts to the changes happening around him, including his equation and rapport with whoever takes over as the new coach.