World Twenty20 - India and the incumbency factor

In cricket the West Indies and the Australians are the only teams to have beat the odds and won World Cups in succession. Now the Indian team has a similar opportunity in the 2009 edition of the Twenty20 World Cup. Can they beat the incumbency factor and the burden of expectations?

Back in 2007, the Indian team was just a bunch of eager beavers who unexpectedly won the World Cup. Sachin, Dravid and Ganguly opted to rest thus giving the selectors an opportunity to not only name a new captain but also to name a team of young studs eager to play the field.

No doubt, these newcomers could make their mark but leave enough room for the ‘resting’ mainstays of Indian cricket to reclaim their rightful place. The 2007 World Cup team was in a holding pattern.

The impression that the Indian team was sent to make the numbers was enhanced by the fact they had an acting coach- Lalchand Rajput and a bowling and a fielding coach with no proper contract.

Surprisingly, for a young team and stopgap support staff, they were prepared. The first match where they beat Pakistan through a ‘bowl out’ exemplified their preparedness. The Pakistan captain revealing that they had no clue about the ‘bowl out’ illuminated this.

Dhoni inculcated some street smartness in the team. There was some surprise performances too. Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir provided the impetus. Yuvraj was at his best; Joginder Sharma was the pick among the bowlers with Sreesanth adding the edge. Thus, the Indian Twenty20 surprised everybody and won the World Cup.

However, in 2009, things are different. They are the favourites and the team to beat. Dhoni appears to have lost the freshness of thought that made him the captain with a Midas touch.

The team members have also seen their fortunes dip and revive in the interval. Some like Gambhir, Raina, Rohit and Yusuf have enhanced their reputations. Yuvraj and Dhoni are struggling to regain their batting flair. The team has an abundance of bits and pieces players who could prove a burden.

The problem with these bits and pieces players is the fact that they are mostly spinners. As the World Cup is in England, there is a doubt whether they will be as handy as medium pacers.

The second edition of the IPL in a sense has been a blessing to the Indian team for obvious reasons. However, it may well turn out to be a curse.

There were a whole lot of foreign coaches who were a part of the IPL teams. Similarly national team captains, like Smith of South Africa, Collingwood of England, Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Daniel Vettori of New Zealand who were a part of the IPL jamboree will have learnt what will work and what will not work in Twenty20. Damningly, they also had the opportunity to study many of the Indian players at close quarters.

So is the Indian team at a disadvantage?

Not so, but they will have to prepare thoroughly and perform mightily to overcome these factors. Dhoni should come out of his set ways and shed his preference for 11 players. Instead, he should trust the whole squad of 15 and give them the opportunity they deserve.

Can the Indian team beat the incumbency factor and win the World Cup?

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