That's South African great Barry Richards' verdict after India's poor bowling and fielding show against England on Sunday
That's South African great Barry Richards' verdict after India's poor bowling and fielding show against Englandu00a0 on Sunday
South African batting legend Barry Richards reckons the exposure of India's weakness in the bowling and fielding departments during the thrilling tie against England on Sunday will give other contenders in the World Cup enormous confidence going into the knockout stages.
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| India skipper M S Dhoni (right) talks to leg-spinner Piyush Chawla during their tied match against England in Bangalore. Pic/Suresh KK |
Rating India's bowling attacks "as one of the weakest" in the competition, Richards said the host nation would have to post totals in excess of 350 to secure a victory. "India's bowling is a huge worry. Everyone was tippingu00a0 them as the favourites at the start of the event, and so did I. But that tag isn't apt anymore. They have fielded their best possible attacks in both games and have leaked a lot of runs on both occasions. In the past, their spinners used to inflict fear in opposition batsmen, but these days there is no surprise element in their attack," Richards, who is an expert for a television channel in Mumbai, told MiD DAY.
"Most teams are quite comfortable against their bowlers, are a lot more confident against the spinners. They need to change their strategy. Also, their part-time spinners might be giving away 40-50 runs against a weaker team, but will go for plenty when up against teams like Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka," added Richards.
The 65-year old batting great said the perception of visiting sides (to India) has changed drastically in the last decade. "They are a lot more comfortable in India not just because they are more used to the playing conditions, but also other factors. I have seen visiting teams giving up easily while playing in India before because their minds were not totally on the job. The surprise value of playing in India has disappeared. Now they feel at home here. A lot of credit goes to the IPL. It has negated the home advantage that India had. In a way, it has worked against India because players know conditions here like the back of their hand," said Richards, who now resides in Australia.
Richards, who travelled to India for the 1996 World Cup, said he didn't imagine Sachin Tendulkar to play a World Cup 15 years later. "Sometimes I wish I could try and get into his mind and understand what he's thinking. The reason he's so successful is because he's kept himself very active. If you allow your mind and body to sync with passion and love for the game you will be able to achieve what he has. I don't think he'll quit the game until he stops enjoying it. That's a long way off," said Richards.
He asserted that the best bowling and fielding side would win the WC.
"SA's chances have always been good, they have a really good all-round team. This is one of the most open World Cups of all time. I won't count out Aus, England or Pak. At this stage, I would tilt a little towards Australia because they have three bowlers who can bowl at 145 KMPH plus and have the best fielding side,"
he said.
