World T20 disaster notwithstanding, it cannot be forgotten that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side in the West Indies is a successful unit.
World T20 disaster notwithstanding, it cannot be forgotten that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side in the West Indies is a successful unit.
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As the Men in Blue prepare for Friday's first of the four ODIs against the West Indies, more than pondering over the Gayles and the Bravos, Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be more bothered about the F-word. No, not the abusive word but Fitness.
After the Virender Sehwag injury fiasco, India's early exit from World Twenty20 due to "fatigue", according to coach Gary Kirsten was followed by the leaking of the team physio's report. The India captain seems to have been plagued by the fitness issue.
"For me, it's the team first and then the individuals and I'd hope it's the same with everyone else in the group," Dhoni reportedly told his teammates in the West Indies. "If rest is the cure for an injury, a cricketer ought to opt for it rather than let fatigue or niggles become a major setback to him and to the team.
"If anyone wants to take a break from the game, please let me or the BCCI know."
Of course, Dhoni's statement has come from the grapevine. But since the captain seems more concerned about fitness of his own team rather than thinking of the opponents who are on a high after their success in the World Twenty20 does not augur well for the coming series.u00a0
"Timing is the most important factor in cricket both on and off the field. A captain needs to be aware of it while talking to his team members or the Press," former international and India coach Sandeep Patil told MiD DAY.
"He (Dhoni) has raised the issue while the team is on tour. Instead, he should have discussed it with the selectors before leaving for the tour. And he should have been aware that even HE featured in the list of players with fitness concerns. When you are pointing fingers at someone, you shouldn't forget that fingers are pointing at you," said Patil, who was in charge of India A when Dhoni was on the fringe of breaking into the Indian team.
Patil, who coached India briefly in 1996 after his successful stint as a player in the '80s, reckoned too much emphasis shouldn't be given to injuries. "In cricket, 90 per cent players perform despite carrying niggling injuries. It's not that the Indian team had no injury problems in the last two years but they did not make such a fuss since the team was winning. For me, it's not such a big issue," Patil said.
How did Patil tackle fitness problems during his stint as the national team's coach? "A coach doesn't figure in such a scenario. The issue has to be resolved by the concerned player, captain and the selectors before selection.
"For a coach, performance is the key and we have enough instances of cricketers excelling despite being 100 per cent fit. Gavaskar scored a century in Nagpur (Reliance World Cup, 1987) with 104-degree fever. I scored a ton in Adelaide after being hit on the head in the previous Test (in Sydney, 1980-81).
"Anil Kumble came on to bowl in Antigua 2001-02 with a broken jaw. If you are physically unfit and mentally fit, you can perform. But if it's the other way round, it doesn't work. The need of the hour is to prepare yourself mentally."
It will be interesting to see whether Dhoni's men are mentally fit when they take the field on Friday. That could generate some interest in an otherwise meaningless series.
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