Sachin’s Ideas That Changed Indian Cricket: It hasn’t been easy being an Indian cricket fan lately. India was knocked out at the Super 4 stage in Asia Cup. They failed to lift the T20 World Cup yet again despite boasting of all the riches. India then headed to New Zealand. They won the 3-match T20I series 1-0. India went down in the ODI series failing to win even a single game.
Disastrous ODI series against Bangladesh:
Their next stop was Bangladesh where they had lost an ODI series in 2015. India couldn’t fare any better this time around too as they went on to lose the series in the first two games itself. The team is clearly in need of a reboot ahead of the ODI World Cup next year. We look back at times when cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar helped change Indian cricket with his fantastic ideas.
#3 Swapping Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid positions:
Sachin Tendulkar’s captaincy stint was seen as one of India’s lowest phases. But not many realize that it was his process that help India achieve the results later. He was someone who read the game brilliantly. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made celebratory debuts against England batting at number 3 and 7 respectively. The duo had solid averages batting at 3 and 5 but Tendulkar foresaw something else.
Dravid at 3 and Ganguly at 5:
He asked Dravid to bat at 3 as he felt Dravid had the calmness to negate the new ball challenges. Tendulkar felt Ganguly’s freewheeling batting was more suited at number 5. Both the batsmen went on to ace their positions. They were so good that India still doesn’t have quality replacements for them yet!
#2 Sourav Ganguly’s ascension as captain
India had nowhere to hide post the match-fixing fiasco. Tendulkar-led team was routed completely in Australia in 1999-00. He soon gave up captaincy. Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja’s names cropped up in the match-fixing saga. India needed someone to lead them into a new dawn. It was at this juncture that Tendulkar recommended Ganguly’s name for the top spot. The rest as they say is history!
India halted Australia’s victory march in 2001-02. They registered overseas wins in England, Australia, and West Indies. India won the Natwest series, were joint winners of the champions Trophy in 2002 and were 2003 World Cup runners-up. The team didn’t just start winning overseas but gained the respect of their opposition too.
#1 MS Dhoni’s name for captaincy
Rahul Dravid had tendered his surprise resignation as India’s captain post the England tour. The inaugural T20 World Cup was just a few months away. It was mutually decided that the big three – Tendulkar, Ganguly, and Dravid would skip the T20 World Cup. The team was to appoint a different captain for the shortest format.
Tendulkar’s touch to Midas MS:
BCCI supremo, Sharad Powar revealed that it was Tendulkar who had recommended MS Dhoni’s name for captaincy. It was on his suggestion that the BCCI took a leap of faith and appointed Dhoni as captain of a young team. India went on to win the T20 World Cup title.
The trophy wins during his tenure:
Dhoni-led India climbed up to the top of the Test charts, won the ODI World Cup in 2011, and also won the Champions Trophy in 2013. Tendulkar felt that Dhoni had the nous to stay ahead of the game. The master blaster had picked his brains when he was in the slips while Dhoni had the gloves. It was yet another masterstroke from the little master.
The need of the hour:
India once again needs inspiration from their most revered cricketer. Tendulkar’s ideas have metamorphosed Indian cricket earlier. It is time that he comes up with another pathbreaking idea. The team will do well to implement it no sooner they receive the idea from the greatest of all time.
