ODI series defeat a wake up call for Team India with SKY & KL under scanner

The defeat to Australia in the just concluded ODI series is a timely wake up call but there is no need to press the panic button yet as far as Indian teams World Cup preparations are concernedSuryakumar Yadavs hattrick of golden ducks first ball dismissals has already led to scathing criticism But if Shreyas Iyer is unavailable for the World Cup in OctoberNovember Suryakumar remains the best bet at No 4 going into the big eventSuryakumar got a delivery each in the first two ODIs from Mitchell Starc that moved in the air and jagged back in after pitching on fuller length and 8 out of 10 times batters would get dismissed from such ballsThe last ODI in Chennai saw Suryakumar playing a delivery which he ought to have played on the front foot by going back and he got out first ball again It showed he was confused and a certain amount of fear of failure which he had not known till then has crept in on himAlso Read Over and rout India suffer rare series defeat at home as clinical Australia avenge Test lossThe string of low scores this month may actually be a blessing in disguise for him as he still has enough time to work on his flawsSuryakumar has problems with deliveries that seam after pitching on hard lengths and that is perhaps something he can work on in the next few months while playing the IPLTo be fair Iyer despite his fine ODI record still struggles against bouncers and short pitched stuff but the Indian team management gave him chance to succeedHowever Rahul Dravids obsession with matchups and shuffling of Suryakumars batting order to bring out his T20 avatar in the 50over format by keeping him for last 15 overs can do the Mumbai batter more harm than goodThe next set of ODIs will start from July and hence if there isnt any fitness issue Suryakumar should be backed to the hilt and given a chance to settle at No 4This is more so as Iyer might not get enough time and matches to be ready for a tournament like the World Cup after his back surgeryKL Rahul and a case for Sanju SamsonThere is an outcry to try Sanju Samson in the middleorder but even if he is tried it should be as a keeperbatter in place of KL Rahul Indias highest run getter in the series with 116 runs who still isnt looking the part with his distinct lack of intentRegarding Rahul one can cite the 75 against Australia in Mumbai or the half century against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens after top order collapse on seaming tracks as examples of good performances but the counter argument could be low chaseable targets on both the occasions when there was no scoreboard pressureA case in point on how Rahul lets the pressure build was that he was not able to hit a boundary till the 44th delivery he faced in the third ODI He finally got out for 32 off 50 balls in a chase of 270Rahul batting in the middle order while chasing 320 and above may not also be a sureshot proposition unless he is playing second fiddle to someone who is going hammer and tongsIn that case and since Rishabh Pant is not available Samson is the best option on offerRajat Patidar who was part of a few ODI series wasnt tried out by the team management and that was an indication that the team management does not want to cast the net too widePitches during World Cup will be differentThe World Cup starts on October 5 and with six months left Indias preparations will actually start three months prior to the tournament proper that is in July when the team management would zero in on the best 13 players who will form the core groupAnd to put things in perspective even if the Indian team is at its worst during the World Cup it can afford to lose a maximum of four games and yet make it to semifinal where it would be a case of having two good knockout days just like it happened in Mohali and Mumbai back in titlewinning campaign in 2011In that context a series played in March on tired and endofseason tracks would not be a fair indicator as to how things will pan out on fresh pitches just after receding monsoon that will be on offer during the marquee eventHowever there are a few loose ends that perhaps needs tying up and one of them would be the approach of the team in terms of battingSave Rohit Sharma the top order isnt showing the requisite intent of attacking the opposition during first PowerplayOf late Indias approach has been a bit outdated Its similar to 1990s approach of consolidation in the beginning quiet phase in middle over before trying the final flourish in back 10 against quality teamsAgainst Australia in first two games the approach wasnt deliberate as Mitchell Starc and company bowled nippy spells to expose the poor technique or lack of it against moving deliveriesBut its the Chennai game which could be a cause of worry as the Indian batters werent able to rotate strike against the two Australian spinners on a surface where the home team players are more equipped than the visitorsRotation of strike in the middle overs has been a problem and it is yet to be sorted outThe loose ends that Indian team currently has can be tied up and the loopholes can be fixed But it would depend on what kind of fix is coach Dravid looking at a quick fix or permanent solutionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever