Pressure of being hosts
Pressure of being hosts
Batting legend Virender Sehwag said he was “99 per cent certain” the hosts India would win the trophy after a run of 10 wins out of 11 in the build-up. But in the end M.S. Dhoni’s men had a tournament to forget, beaten in their opener against New Zealand and only just edging past Bangladesh before losing in the semis to the Windies. Playing on home turf may have its advantages but these were negated by the added expectations that come in a cricket-mad nation.
England really have changed We had glimpses of England’s “fearless” makeover last summer, without being convinced their new look would survive when the pressure was on in a major tournament. They refused to be intimidated by any situation and instead stared down all-comers on their way to the final. Even while reflecting on the “cruel” nature of the game after defeat in the final, skipper Eoin Morgan signalled there would be no compromising his principles.
South Africa still choking Skipper Faf du Plessis acknowledged on the eve of the tournament that South Africa’s reputation as big-match chokers had become “a monkey on the back” that they would only shed by winning the trophy. Failure to defend a formidable total against England, followed by defeat against the West Indies, showed they still tend to lose their nerve when it matters most.
Afghanistan deserve more games They were the only team to beat the West Indies, albeit in a dead rubber, and they also gave England and South Africa a bit of a scare. But if Afghani stan are to continue their pro gress, they need more time at cricket’s top table. With the next major international tournament three years away, the game’s big names must find space in their schedules for an inspirational team of exiles.
Never write off the Windies The conventional wisdom was: get Chris Gayle out early and the Windies will crumble. After his brilliant century in the opener against England, Gayle failed to spark and instead left his teammates to prove they were more than a one-man band. Losing early wickets was a constant theme of the team’s journey to the final, allowing their opponents regular sniffs at victory. But time and again, unsung heroes such as Andre Fletcher, Lendl Simmons and Carlos Brathwaite came to the rescue.
