Virat Kohli did not touch a cricket bat on a month-long sabbatical in mid-2022. Mentally down, he hadn’t been enjoying training.
“I came to the realisation that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit,” the former captain had said. Kohli came back stronger and refreshed as he envisaged that there was “much more to life than just your profession”.
Are some of the Indian players going through a similar crisis? Or is it the dearth of technical nous, especially against spinners, and inadequate batting depth that have contributed to another series whitewash at home?
The BCCI’s decision to make it mandatory for players to participate in domestic tournaments had triggered a lot of debate. Rohit Sharma, the then captain, had argued that it was important for the players to have enough rest and stay fresh.
It is rare for all-format Indian players to miss international engagements, unless
injured. This non-stop cricket in a packed calendar often takes its toll. While cricketers from other countries have skipped the IPL ahead of important series, the Indian players haven’t enjoyed such luxury, mostly because of pressure from the franchises.
Jasprit Bumrah is a classic example of how excessive workload can affect a player, when he broke down in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Shubman Gill highlighted the issue on the eve of the Eden Gardens Test against South Africa.
A day later, by some quirk of fate, Gill suffered neck spasms and was ruled out of the series. Gill had arrived in Calcutta after completing his white-ball commitments in Australia.
“It’s mentally more challenging. There’s a good amount of time difference between India and Australia. So, the body takes a bit of time to get used to it... Definitely, it’s a bit challenging mentally and physically,” he had said.
The love for playing for the country also drives certain players to go full throttle without thinking about its effects. Mohammed Siraj played all five Tests in England even as others broke down in between. “In my mind, the plan is simple — give everything and rest will follow,” has been his mojo.
More than the physical, it is the mental fatigue that can restrict a player from delivering his best, unknowingly.
But does the team have replacements for Bumrah and Siraj? Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna performed creditably in England but they aren’t matured enough to lead the attack when one is off-colour or unavailable.
But have the BCCI and the national selectors done enough to unravel fresh talent? Are the selectors watching enough domestic matches to see the new crop of guys? The inexplicable batting order reshuffles have been largely responsible for the recent debacle and the Ajit Agarkar-led panel’s safety-first approach has spelt disaster.
The Gabba Test of 2021 stands out in this context, where India pulled off a miracle despite missing several of their regulars.
Gautam Gambhir hates using the word “transition”. The head coach, however, had to ruefully admit that this process had struck hard to haunt the team after another series whitewash at home.
Unless there’s a blueprint in place, the feeder line will continue to run dry.