03-27-2007, 08:10 AM
SRT and Sehwag (and Dhoni) are suffering from the effects of over-exposure. World-class bowlers have trained enough to figure out their weaknesses, and that makes life very difficult for these guys.
SRT has a problem with leg-spin, and of course his height makes him vulnerable to the sharp rising delivery on pitches that favor the Andre Nel or Flintoff type.
Sehwag of course has to flash outside the off-stump, because his percentage there is very very good.
Dada was targeted for years using bouncers and rising away-swingers, because of his tendency to do that push towards point. Recently I don't see him doing that.
So these things make me wonder what the Coach haas been doing. A good technical coaching staff would go over videos and help the stars get these flaws out of their batting.
Sehwag for instance had got into habit of not moving his right foot to the off-stump, and not using a straight bat - these are very basic errors. The coaches didn't seem to correct these.
SRT is an opener by technique, and it's just a mistake to send him in down the order. He is NOT comfortable against spin, but he is deadly against pace, with that "forward defensive prod" that shoots to the mid-on fence. This is where his timing and wrist power come into play.
So my point is that as the opposition figures out the weaknesses of Indian star batsmen, it is essential for these batsmen to evolve their own tactics and eliminate those weaknesses. Sehwag and Dada seem to have learned the hard way. Now let's see if SRT and Dhoni will follow suit. Both SRT and Dada have lots of cricket left in them.
SRT has a problem with leg-spin, and of course his height makes him vulnerable to the sharp rising delivery on pitches that favor the Andre Nel or Flintoff type.
Sehwag of course has to flash outside the off-stump, because his percentage there is very very good.
Dada was targeted for years using bouncers and rising away-swingers, because of his tendency to do that push towards point. Recently I don't see him doing that.
So these things make me wonder what the Coach haas been doing. A good technical coaching staff would go over videos and help the stars get these flaws out of their batting.
Sehwag for instance had got into habit of not moving his right foot to the off-stump, and not using a straight bat - these are very basic errors. The coaches didn't seem to correct these.
SRT is an opener by technique, and it's just a mistake to send him in down the order. He is NOT comfortable against spin, but he is deadly against pace, with that "forward defensive prod" that shoots to the mid-on fence. This is where his timing and wrist power come into play.
So my point is that as the opposition figures out the weaknesses of Indian star batsmen, it is essential for these batsmen to evolve their own tactics and eliminate those weaknesses. Sehwag and Dada seem to have learned the hard way. Now let's see if SRT and Dhoni will follow suit. Both SRT and Dada have lots of cricket left in them.