Sachin’s form a worrying factor for India?

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Sachin Tendulkar’s lack of runs — more pertinently the manner in which he has been dismissed — has been the talking point of this series. Is this just a blip or something more far-reaching is the moot question.

Frankly, all answers and theories are speculative indulgence. Fact is he has played only two innings yet this series and in neither has he looked completely out of form.
Out of sorts yes, but this could be attributed to rustiness and lack of practice rather than loss of skills or motivation.
But then again, if Tendulkar is not authoritative it is not quite the same thing — for his team and certainly the fans, not forgetting the opposition who otherwise would be facing a massive psychological hurdle. The niggling worry is that this has been rather much the pattern over the past couple of series.
I can’t see Tendulkar risking his formidable reputation just for a few more matches. But whichever way you look at it there is little doubt that at 39 he is in the evening of his magnificent career. Just how much gas still remains in the tank is impossible to gauge, but still important to know in the context of Indian cricket’s present and immediate future.
Perhaps the second innings of the Bengaluru Test should provide some pointers. Unless Viru Sehwag goes berserk, Tendulkar should have an opportunity to yet stamp his authority on this series — and provide relief in sundry quarters.
Meanwhile, the good news is that India’s young players have come through with flying colours in this series so far. The architects of the victory at Hyderabad were R. Ashwn and Cheteshwar Pujara, and at Bangaluru Virat Kohli, Pragyan Ojha and Suresh Raina have joined Ashwin as stellar performers. Umesh Yadav too has been imprrssive even if the scorebook is unflattering of him.
This should alleviate much of the agonising and skepticism that had gripped Indian cricket in recent months about the whys and wherefores of playing youngsters at the highest level.
Given the nature of sport and the shelf life of players, team selection should weigh in favour of youth — or at least players who are young in body, mind and attitude. Experience matters a heck of a lot, but in the highly competitive world of international sport, jadedness is a cardinal sin.
An ageing team with players whose desire for contest has diminished is more likely to have its wheels falling off without warning, and unless younger players are encouraged and blooded without ado, the likelihood of setbacks increases dramatically.
It is not my case that players to the national team should be chosen only on age. A place in the national team should be on the basis of form, runs and wickets — making due allowance for encouraging players of caliber even when they are going through a rough patch.
It is also not my case that those who perform well at the junior level will also do so at the senior. Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Irfan Pathan are three who were outstanding at the U-19 level but have had modest Test careers for all the promise they held.
But it is my case that the country’s cricket administration needs to ensure that the potential and success at the junior level is actualized at the senior level too. Otherwise, going the whole hog in celebrating the U-19 World Cup victory is much ado about nothing.