My two cents on the debacle...
Immediately, one looks to scapegoat the team selection and are angry at the fact that India have been skittled over by a good (not great) side. However, we must note that we are missing four of our best ODI players in Tendulkar, Raina, Sehwag and Zaheer. Sehwag and Raina have both recently found great ODI form, for those who don't follow Indian cricket. We can't panic in the long term as we have these people to return, two of whom will be around for a long time to come. Moreover, we cannot complain too much about immediate results, we made a conscious decision with the dropping of Ganguly and Dravid to look toward youth and look toward 2011, we cannot turn back because of one bad result or a few bad performances.
However, the selection was misguided. Admittadly, I got caught up in the Dinesh Karthik as opener, experiment, but it is clearly not a viable long term option when we have Vijay sitting on the benches, who has opened for a great deal of his career, with great success. An issue is Ravindra Jadeja, his batting has shown itself solid, but he is, by no means, a specialist batsman and his performances in the IPL and in his three ODIs show that he is not a potent force at international level (or outside India, take your pick). Badrinath would be a far more effective pick or perhaps Nayar, if the extra bowling is desired.
On the topic of bowling, what a shambles of an attack. Nehra needs some wickets quick or should be discarded, and this three seamer strategy has little sense. Ojha and Harbhajan are quality bowlers and must play considering the lack of quality seamers. Speaking of seamers, I am not happy with any of the four in the squad, tbh, they all suck in ODIs in flat conditions but alas, there does not seem to be anyone knocking hard on the door and so this is mediocrity we must live with, for the time being.
: Thats not a good sign?
