India’s Concession To South Africa Was Turnable

India’s loss to SA was disappointing as India could have easily managed to win the match by scoring a few more runs in their inning. With Sachin hitting two century partnerships with Sehwag and Gambhir, India were perfectly poised at 269/1 and set for a high total. But the middle and lower order fumbled and collapsed. They completely succumbed to the situation. The fall of a few wickets is understandable but the total collapse was listless. India’s strength is batting. They should capitalize on their strength. They should build on the opening and top-order partnerships made by the upper-order batsmen. But the middle-order batsmen failed to do it. Now India may find it tough to go all the way in the tournament. Earlier they were seeming like favourites and were undefeated in the championship. But now losing a crucial game they may not be at the top of the table in the points tally and may have to face a tougher opposition in the quarter-finals. This loss to SA revealed India’s character and showed that they are not as strong in reality as they claim to be. A true champion team should win all the games in the World Cup and not just the title. Like the Australian team of 2003 and 2007 edition the World Cup winner should win all the matches in the tournament. Now it’s an uphill task for India and it’s a test of their mettle. If the have the steel inside them, they will bounce back and make up for the losses conceded in the past.