New Delhi: The tri-series was touted as a dress rehearsal to the World Cup which could have equipped India with the knowledge of conditions in Australia and New Zealand where the mega event is going to be held.
As the team prepares in the defence of the coveted World title, there is more apprehension than self belief.
The team suffered back to back losses in test series and ODI tri-series and it was first time in 47 years that India didn't managed to win a single match on Australia tour.
Former Indian captain Kapil Dev believes that his countrymen are yet to appreciate the nuances of sports and democracy.
In an interview to a leading English daily, Kapil spoke about the Shikhar-Kohli spat during the Brisbane test when Virat was sent to bat in place of Dhawan who got injured on nets while practicing. “These days we have giant-sized egos, and that can't be the case when you're playing for the country. If one can't put it aside, he isn't a good countryman,” he said.
“The motive is to turn out for the country honourably, and as long as the larger picture is fine there's nothing wrong in having a difference of opinion,” Kapil added.
Kapil is not prepared to buy the logic given by Dhoni for poor performances saying, ‘the players should skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) if they feel they are getting fatigued. As a professional there can be no lame excuses like this if you are not performing upto the mark.”
After looking at the team's horrifying show in the recently concluded tri-series, he insisted that if the team starts on a winning note against Pakistan then the talks of poor build up will automatically die down. “If I look at it emotionally, I would say 99% but if I use my cricketing brain it would be 25% but only on the account of India reaching the semifinals,” Kapil said.
“If you have an experienced captain and six batsmen who can single handedly win a match for you, then you certainly are in with a strong possibility of defending the title,” he added.
Kapil ended by quoting, “The players also need to have a sense of ownership, even off the field.”
