Gary Kirsten was at the helm of the Indian team’s management when the Men in Blue lifted the World Cup in 2011. His ally, the captain of that victorious outfit, MS Dhoni, is one of the only four surviving members from that squad going into the 2015 edition. Kirsten, who knows the Indian captain all too well, feels it would be perilous to write India off in this World Cup with Dhoni as their leader.
“They are a quality outfit and I wouldn’t write them off,” Kirsten said. “They have got one of the most successful captains ever and in terms of closing off the events, let’s not discount the Dhoni factor. A lot of things have changed and shifted in his life at the moment but when it comes to these events, he steps up and he is at his best.
“A lot of people seem to be writing India off but they have a very strong batting line-up. They have played a lot of cricket in Australia. There would be no reason to suggest why they wouldn’t have as good a chance as any other team.”
Despite the fact that India have not yet registered a win on their ongoing tour of Australia, Kirsten remains optimistic for the team he successfully coached a few years ago. “They are misfiring at the moment but maybe it’s a good thing. I don’t think we should read too much into it. I think it’s healthy that teams that aren’t playing well now, it’s not a bad thing.
“This team has been together for two years and they won the Champions Trophy, so they still have some credibility. You have got to be wary of them and not take them for granted.
“You need to be playing at your best in a month’s time. They have got a lot of time with practice game and seven round robin games, to work out the combinations. For me that’s where the tournament begins. They might not be playing their best at the moment but they have got a good chance.”
Kirsten felt that perhaps it is a good thing that everyone has started to write India off as that could ease the pressure off them and enable them to play freely. “They are not batting well as they can now. It is probably a good thing. I think it’s an advantage. Everyone writes them off, there is no expectation. It’s a beautiful place for a team to be in, when there is no expectation.
“They can plan with less pressure and play with more freedom. I don’t think they would be too concerned about the criticism they receive and I think it is going to work in their favour,” Kirsten said. India have been experimenting with their batting order in ODIs of late, sending Virat Kohli in at No. 4. Kirsten was of the opinion that the vice-captain should bat at 3.
“He is a champion cricketer. He is going to work that out. Sometimes it’s a good thing. He is a bit out form so can take some learnings. The coaches would be working with him and saying what are your strategies. Maybe he is thinking too much. He will be a real factor this World Cup.
“I am always a big fan of your best batsman batting at number three because he has the ability to score hundreds and you want him to have the best chance of doing it. I think they are talking about shifting him to four because they don’t want to expose him to the new ball. It would be nice to get your best batsman got a front up. It will be interesting to see what they do,” the former India coach said.
By: BCCI
