Dravid-Pandya ‘experiment’ falters more after India’s disastrous T20 series loss to West Indies

The experiment chatter is biting back hard to all the Indian cricket fans.

Dravid-Pandya ‘experiment’ falters more after India’s disastrous T20 series loss to West Indies

(L) Hardik Pandya and Rahul Dravid, (R) West Indies team with the T20I winning trophy (Image Credits: AFP/Getty)

Dubious history was created by Team India in Florida, United States of America, on Sunday as the Men in Blue lost a five-match T20 international series to the West Indies 2-3. In what can be termed as an eminently forgettable series, nothing went right for India as a team.

On Monday, the palpable sense of outrage on social media had to be felt. It reflects the emotions of millions of cricket fans in India, as well as overseas. After all, the NRIs settled in Lauderdale would also not be happy their weekend was ruined by Team India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcA17-3Njq8&pp=ygUcdGVhbSBpbmRpYSBsb3NzIHdlc3QgaW5kaWVzIA%3D%3D

First things first, do not believe the barrage of excuses or illogical statements made by coach Rahul Dravid or captain-under-fire Hardik Pandya. If one thought Rohit Sharma as captain was a nightmare, Pandya has come even more short.

There is a big difference between leading a side in the Indian Premier League — Gujarat Titans — and the national team. Former cricketers like Venkatesh Prasad, Wasim Jaffer, and Parthiv Patel have opened up while evaluating Pandya the captain. The general feeling is Pandya has been a failure, though, the more considerate call him WIP — work in progress.

Going back to the old saying “success has many father and failure none,” there are two people who have failed as leaders — Pandya and Dravid. Pandya’s body language was never that of a captain in command. He looked more like a part-time leader, though he is billed as the next big thing in white ball cricket. He may have won many fans when he led in the IPL in two successive seasons, but as Team India captain for a major part in the ODIs and then the T20 internationals, he looked an apprentice.

Tilak Verma hits 6 to Alzarri Joseph
Tilak Verma was one positive in the series (Image Credits: AFP/Getty Images)

It is easy to say the takeaways are good, Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma. How about the captain? He was a failure. At a time when all-rounders in Indian cricket have become extinct like the dinosaur, Pandya has been hyped as an all-rounder. Sadly, his batting, bowling and leadership, all lacked fizz.

At a time when the new kids on the block got runs, Pandya was in ruins. He never scored big, including the decisive fifth match on Sunday in Florida. Questions are being asked if he is even worth his place in the ODI squad or a certainty in the forthcoming ICC World Cup. The danger is the search for an all-rounder continues and compared to Pandya, Team India could rely more on players like Ravindra Jadeja and even R. Ashwin in the World Cup this October/November.

For his part, Dravid has spoken about the experiment process and youngsters being blooded. He has also talked of more players being tried out in the Asia Cup, a prelude to the World Cup. Will this policy of picking players at random work? There is a strong temptation to believe Indian cricket is caught in a quagmire.

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No stoppage of confusion for Team India

Hardik Pandya Bowled
It’s been a mediocre show by Pandya and Team India (Image Credits: AP)

After the benumbing loss in the ICC Test Championship final in England, winning a pedestrian Test series against the West Indies was no big deal. The real challenge was in the ODIs, where the host showed pluck. For a side that failed to qualify for the World Cup, West Indies have restored their pride in many ways. They seem to have more clarity in what they are doing. After all, in 2024, they will be co-hosts of the ICC T20 World Cup with the USA.

To be sure, there is confusion about what planning India are attempting. Is it building the best side for the World Cup or is it more like experimenting for next year’s T20 World Cup? Right now, it’s a muddle and two men have been exposed, Dravid and Pandya. Carping critics are coming down hard on the two. Dravid knows he is good at wordplay, but that will not take him far.

There may be a temptation to bring back unfit warriors like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, two players who Dravid seems to be in love with. There is a chatter players like Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi and Tilak are certainties for the World Cup. Hold your horses, the Indian selectors are known for messing up. Someone like former India captain MS Dhoni believed in a process and how players needed to be experienced.

Dravid has no such clarity in what he executes. What he is doing reflects adhocism, and he is very good at confusing the cricket fan. Maybe, it’s his own survival stage by word-play, but it will not help him in the long run. After all, coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli were booted out for not winning India an ICC title.

For the record, pundits feel Indian white ball cricket needs a more dynamic coach!

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