Indian skipper MS Dhoni admitted that his side had taken time getting used to the new regulations for fielders in the last 10 overs of matches.
Twice in this series against South Africa, his side has looked on course to chase down targets, only to limp in badly, losing momentum in the final stages.
In the new rules, five fielders are allowed outside the circle, in what is called “Powerplay 3”.
The result of this, coupled with some good bowling plans, has been sides finishing with a whimper instead of a wallop.
In the ongoing series between India and South Africa, the team chasing has fallen away in each match, as the pressure of trying to hit boundaries, to well-placed fields, has proved too much.
“Whenever there is a new rule, it does take some time to get used to it. At this moment, we have played three or four games, and we are struggling with it. When there is one more fielder on the boundary that you have to clear, it makes it more difficult,” he said.
But many of India’s problems have been down to the pressure that South Africa’s bowlers have also been able to create, something which Dhoni admitted was key to success at the end.
“If your bowlers have good plans, and they execute well, then it is very difficult to score at the end. But, of course, if the execution is not there, then good players will always find those boundaries. Execution is the key,” he emphasised.
India’s problems with the bat are further complicated by a batting order that changes almost every game. Dhoni has batted at four, five and seven, and the same musical chair business has happened to the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli.
Dhoni, though, defended the madness, saying it was important for players to be able to perform in various positions. He is keen to get rid of the “this is my batting slot and that is where I will bat” routine, he said.
“At times, I felt the Indian batting line-up becomes quite rigid… when you bat down the order, you get to know what the difficulties are. I won’t say it’s easy to bat up the order, but you always have the cushion of three or four batsmen behind you, so you know you can play your big shots.”
In a funny sort of way, India’s problems are not too dissimilar to what the Proteas are going through. They have a strong middle-order, but they don’t have a so-called finisher. So the pressure falls to Dhoni, who would prefer to bat higher, but is loath to leave the brittle tail exposed.
There is a great fascination with where the current skipper Dhoni bats, and where the captain-elect, Virat Kohli, slots in. “There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to the media side, because they want me to bat at four, but they want Virat to bat at three and they want Jinx (Rahane) to bat at four. It’s not really possible, there are only two slots and only three batsmen,” Dhoni said sarcastically.
Balance is a key fundamental in one-day cricket. South Africa seem to have enough of it, so much so that they are now juggling their order around. They have great faith in their triumvirate of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers to adapt to whatever match situation they walk into, and the adaptable JP Duminy also seamlessly slips into gear, be it in a rebuilding mode, or when he has to get on with it.
For India, though, the challenge is still proving very tricky.
Now, 2-1 down with two to play, they have no more room for failure.
The next match of the five-match series is in Chennai on Thursday. - The Star