India's bowling is their Achilles' heel and recalling Rahul Dravid to prop up the batting order is a retrograde step, according to former cricketers Wasim Akram and Sanjay Manjrekar.
India's bowling is their Achilles' heel and recalling Rahul Dravid to prop up the batting order is a retrograde step, according to former cricketers Wasim Akram and Sanjay Manjrekar.
Both reckon that Zaheer Khan's absence would render India a lesser force in this month's Champions Trophy and unless their batsmen step up to the plate to compensate with those extra runs, the team would be found wanting in South Africa.
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"Their bowling is their weakness. The batsmen made up with some extra runs in Sri Lanka and that's how they won the tri-series there. To win Champions Trophy, the batsmen would have to do it again," said Manjrekar, who will be one of the 13 commentators for ESPN STAR Sports for the September 22-October 5 tournament.
He said the only positive outcome of it was that Harbhajan Singh took the onus on himself and conjured up a five-wicket haul to wreck Sri Lanka.
"It brought out more from Harbhajan who indeed bowled like the leading spinner and I think it has to happen in Champions Trophy as well," Manjrekar said in a programme also attended by commentator Harsha Bhogle and RC Venkateish, MD of ESPN Software India Private Limited.
Akram said India would feel Zaheer's absence even though he was expecting Ishant Sharma to do better in South Africa's lively pitches.
"Zaheer's absence would affect India. At this level, experience does matter," Akram said.
"Ashish Nehra has been doing well since his comeback and I expect Ishant to do better since he has the height and would generate more bounce in South Africa.
"These days, Ishant tends to go wide of the crease. His bowling coach should tell him to run straight and I thing it would be okay with him," Akram advised.
Dwelling on the Indian team, both felt Dravid's ODI return was a matter of temporary convenience and not any long-term plan. Manjrekar went on to say that it was a step in the backward direction.
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"I don't see any long-term plan behind that. It's because India were knocked out of the Twenty20 World Cup, and the way they were knocked out, that prompted Dravid's recall.
"Our frontline batsmen got exposed in the tournament and that's how Dravid came into it. I think it was a backward step," said the former India player.
Akram said Dravid's return would make sense only if he was in India's 2011 World Cup scheme of things.
"Dravid is one of the greatest players but he has not played ODI for two years and is now back. I think India should look ahead for the next World Cup and either keep Dravid as part of it or groom Rohit Sharmas and Suresh Rainas," the former Pakistan captain said.
Both Manjrekar and Akram felt by dropping Raina down the order and drafting in Dravid for the No 3 slot would dent the youngster's confidence. Instead, they argued, Raina should be allowed to face the fire and come out unscathed to regain his self-belief.
"Raina will never get back his confidence if he is made to bat at No 5 or 6. He has to stay at No 3, face the short-pitch balls and get some runs to regain his confidence.
"Right now, the team seems protecting him but I'm not sure if that is a good idea. They should have accepted it as a challenge and (coach) Gary Kirsten should work with him," Manjrekar said.
Akram said Raina would have to lift himself again to return as the No 3 bat and there was no good chickening out.
"Once the world discovers that you are vulnerable against short-pitch bowling, the word spreads fast. Batting at No 6 is no help, Raina has to come back at No 3," he said.
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