India T20 Failure

In the context of the failure of the Indian team to do well in the T20 format, a lot has been written and I do not want to be repetitive. All teams and countries in all sports have a basic way of playing and certain in born traits and the Indian team is not an exception to this. The T20 format started a few years ago and an unfancied young team under the fresh captaincy of a new leader won the inaugural tournament. They played fearless, uninhibited cricket and were not under any pressure to perform. In those days T20 cricket was a simple slogging affair and the bold fearless approach was ideal. The Indian and Pakistani teams were full of talented wristy players who could play innovative shots and on flat pitches where the ball came on to the bat we could hit through the line and make runs. The IPL tournaments played on the flat slow pitches of India with shortened boundaries on most grounds and heavy wooded bats lulled our players into a feeling of near invincibility, although 10 months back in England our shortcomings were exposed. My point is that no amount of training can change the basic nature of our players and their abilities. Our inability to play short-pitched stuff in a game where evading these deliveries cannot be an option is as natural as the inability of South African players to score runs of spinners. Indians are not natural athletes and brilliant fielding is an effort rather than a natural off shoot of an athletic body. To do well in these situations we needed exceptional players who can bear the chin music and have an effective answer to it on a consistent basis. I fear such players are just not there in the present team or in the missing reserves or injured players. Tendulkar and Sehwag up the order were needed to counter the 140+ kmph. barrage dished out to our team on the fast pitches of Barbados. Besides, I wonder where has our bowling gone wrong? Zaheer, Munaf, Irfan, Ishant and a few more came with 140+ pace and have all lost pace and wicket taking abilities. Suddenly, the cupboard is bare. Well let us become detached from our team as they will play like India plays, come what may. One day, brilliant and the next day they are a bunch of novices. But, for the sake of Sachin Tendulkar I hope that we win the 50 over format world cup and repay him for all that he has done for India and Indian cricket.
Vispi Jokhi