Why This Notorious Scrutiny On Proven Players?

Habits die hard, especially of the notorious ones. Notably, nay irritatingly, of India’s cricketers — in particular the men in blue — getting dissected every ball, every inning and every match. The team led by Shreyas Iyer lost 0-2 to Ireland and critics across platforms are twisting the knife on batters who won the recent World Cup for the country in spectacular fashion, but failed to get going in Belfast.  The selection committee and the team management have placed their faith on the opening pair in Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson whose opening stand scores delivered 195 in four Twenty20 World Cup matches at 48.75, the best by an Indian opening pair in any World Cup in the shortest format. Samson dropped for a few matches, scored 321 runs off 161 balls in five outings with scores of 97*, 89 and 89 in the last three matches of the World Cup in India and Abhishek, after a 3-duck start and three more light scores made two 50s. The admirable part was the team management continued with Abhishek because of his approach – quick scoring ways in the power play. Samson’s scores in three innings in Ireland and England have been 5,0 and 1 facing a mere 12 balls. Clearly the likes of Head Coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Iyer are firmly behind the Abhishek-Samson pair; they have not succumbed to pressure, but will be forced to introduce the rollicking and rip-roaring 15-year-old left hander Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to international cricket very soon. The circumstances will create opportunities for Sooryavanshi to show his talent in two-three matches of the remaining four remaining Twenty20 matches in England. Hopefully he will not be dissected every time he goes out to bat. Hits and flops come with the format.