Having gone down 3-0 in the ongoing Test series against England, Team India - and Indian cricket - stand at a crucial juncture. The fall from the No.1 Test ranking may be hard to swallow, but it will serve a purpose if it leads to serious introspection and a much-needed rebuilding process. M S Dhoni and his men were found ill prepared, jaded and out of their depth in this series. The English, on the other hand, were clinical and played to a well laid-out plan. They outplayed India in every department. So how could the world champions capitulate in such a fashion? A combination of factors stemming from intrinsic weaknesses is the answer. Barring individual excellence from Rahul Dravid, the batting crumbled under sustained English attack. With the youngsters not stepping up, the team was relying heavily on the senior batsmen - most on the wrong side of 35 - to see them through tough English conditions.
The same could be said of the bowling department where injuries to Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh left Indian bowlers at sea. But seniors can't carry the team forever. Spotting young talents and blooding them for the international arena need to be prioritised. Instead of mollycoddling them, youngsters need to be baptised through hard foreign tours. Although he did not say so openly, Dhoni also alluded to players being tired courtesy a hectic playing schedule. The BCCI must deal seriously with this issue, so that the team can arrive fresh before each tour and have at least three warm-up games under their belt. The English series defeat is a wake-up call for Team India. It cannot afford to rest on its past laurels.
