Young & on a roll

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Team India youngsters have stepped up the performance in the absence of star players.

India’s title triumph in the final edition of the Champions Trophy pleased former skipper Rahul Dravid, who said “balance” and “fantastic fielding” were key to the team’s campaign in England.

“They were the best team,” Dravid was quoted as saying in an interview to a website. “They did not panic in crucial situations, they won the critical moments towards the end of both the innings.
“India’s batting, to get them to 130, the partnership between (Virat) Kohli and (Ravindra) Jadeja and also bowling towards the end. So India were the better team on the day as well.”
India remained undefeated in the tournament, and capped off their brilliant run with a five-run win over England in the rain-curtailed final, that was reduced to 20 overs per side.
“I think the great thing that India had in this squad is balance. The conditions in England surprised us, I mean look at how much the ball spun, so because of the nature of wicket, it helped India play seven batsman with (Ravindra) Jadeja at number seven and actually five frontline bowlers. In the past, India didn’t have that luxury. They played brilliantly,” Dravid said.
Fielding was another area that stood out for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men and Dravid agreed.
“It is not often that you can say that India were the best fielding side in the competition. They were fantastic. You can see the energy on the field. They played well,” he said.
“Credit to the selectors. Sometimes we tend to forget them in times like this. But I think they have done a very good job.
“A lot of people felt the squad was light on experience but they have been proved right. They went with energy, they went for young legs and for people who had lot to prove,” the 40-year-old said.
India’s next big assignment will be a bilateral series in South Africa in November and Dravid cautioned that it would be a “tough challenge”.
“It is going be a different test. In ranking, we are number one in ODIs but in Tests we are number four or five, we are behind South Africa, who are the number one side, so it would be a completely different challenge, much tougher challenge, especially if Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander are fit.
“To win in South Africa, India will need to get 20 wickets and to find four bowlers who will get those 20 wickets is going to be the key.
“India would have odd bad innings but with their batting lineup that they will take, they will score runs in one or two innings but will they have the bowling to knock over South Africa quickly enough is going to be the question,” the former skipper said.