As India take on Australia in the hotly-anticipated semi-final clash in the cricket World Cup on Thursday, you would have expected the pre-match buildup to revolve around key aspects about the game. Maxwell's form, for example. How would India tackle Starc? And yet surprisingly, all the talk about the match seemed to revolve around an aspect of cricket that makes most cricket-watchers cringe: the aspect of mental disintegration, which is what Australia like to call it and which India calls ‘sledging’.
Clarke fired the opening salvo, guaranteeing at a press conference that “there would be sledging”. Mitchell Johnson went a step further, saying he was willing to take up the sledging cudgels if his mate Warner wouldn’t. Faulkner went on record asking viewers of the game to "expect sledging" during tomorrow’s match.
Not that the Indian contingent has been quiet. Rohit Sharma gave a measured reply dismissing it as ‘part of the game’ and hoped that Australia would not go over the line. Kohli, who wastes no time in getting into a slanging match, was at his sneering best, proclaiming “There couldn’t be a better time for us to beat Australia”.
Acrimonious spats
What do we make of it? It’s true that India and Australia have been involved in quite a few acrimonious spats on the field in recent years, with neither team coming out smelling like roses. While Australia’s history of using sledging as a tactic of mental disintegration is legendary, in recent years, India have had none of it. Their players don’t hesitate before getting in the face and responding to barbs from the opposition. Whenever the two teams clash, things are heated out in the middle, with always the chance that it may bubble over.
But is it a good idea to discuss such unsavoury stuff at this time? Common sense suggests that it isn’t. Clarke and Dhoni are also not stupid; they’ll be aware that this kind of talk from members of their teams isn’t really reflecting well on either of them. The fact that both of them are willing to let it go on could be an indicator that this is a deliberate tactic being used by both the skippers.
Australia were rattled against Pakistan and especially Riaz. Their tactic of sledging him backfired and how. Riaz was so pumped up by Starc’s words to him while batting, that he let it rip while bowling. Watson was at the receiving end of among the fiercest spells ever seen in a World Cup. Had Rahat Ali taken that catch, Australia might not even have been here.
Blustery tactics
This, usually, does not happen to Australia. Could it be that this shook them a bit? Perhaps, this bluster is their way of trying to show that they’re not affected. This could be a deliberate move to try and prove to detractors that despite their tactics backfiring in their last game, they’re willing to stick by it thick and thin.
And to stretch that argument forward, perhaps MSD, among the canniest captains of this era, has latched on to this. He’s found Australia’s weakness and wants to exploit it. By telling his players to continue the mind games, he wants to get inside Australia’s head. Try and make them think a little more. Sledging backfired against Riaz last time – do they want to take the risk and try and sledge Kohli? For all Australia may know, it might just make Kohli more determined to perform against them.
A Machiavellian sense of cat-and-mouse has dominated the pre-build up. Mind games are being played and each team seems to be trying to out-think the other. Dhoni is a canny operator who’s been in this situation before and will know what to do. Clarke, on the other hand, will back his instincts. The winner of the match will probably come down to who keeps their wits about them.
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Clarke fired the opening salvo, guaranteeing at a press conference that “there would be sledging”. Mitchell Johnson went a step further, saying he was willing to take up the sledging cudgels if his mate Warner wouldn’t. Faulkner went on record asking viewers of the game to "expect sledging" during tomorrow’s match.
Not that the Indian contingent has been quiet. Rohit Sharma gave a measured reply dismissing it as ‘part of the game’ and hoped that Australia would not go over the line. Kohli, who wastes no time in getting into a slanging match, was at his sneering best, proclaiming “There couldn’t be a better time for us to beat Australia”.
Acrimonious spats
What do we make of it? It’s true that India and Australia have been involved in quite a few acrimonious spats on the field in recent years, with neither team coming out smelling like roses. While Australia’s history of using sledging as a tactic of mental disintegration is legendary, in recent years, India have had none of it. Their players don’t hesitate before getting in the face and responding to barbs from the opposition. Whenever the two teams clash, things are heated out in the middle, with always the chance that it may bubble over.
But is it a good idea to discuss such unsavoury stuff at this time? Common sense suggests that it isn’t. Clarke and Dhoni are also not stupid; they’ll be aware that this kind of talk from members of their teams isn’t really reflecting well on either of them. The fact that both of them are willing to let it go on could be an indicator that this is a deliberate tactic being used by both the skippers.
Australia were rattled against Pakistan and especially Riaz. Their tactic of sledging him backfired and how. Riaz was so pumped up by Starc’s words to him while batting, that he let it rip while bowling. Watson was at the receiving end of among the fiercest spells ever seen in a World Cup. Had Rahat Ali taken that catch, Australia might not even have been here.
Blustery tactics
This, usually, does not happen to Australia. Could it be that this shook them a bit? Perhaps, this bluster is their way of trying to show that they’re not affected. This could be a deliberate move to try and prove to detractors that despite their tactics backfiring in their last game, they’re willing to stick by it thick and thin.
And to stretch that argument forward, perhaps MSD, among the canniest captains of this era, has latched on to this. He’s found Australia’s weakness and wants to exploit it. By telling his players to continue the mind games, he wants to get inside Australia’s head. Try and make them think a little more. Sledging backfired against Riaz last time – do they want to take the risk and try and sledge Kohli? For all Australia may know, it might just make Kohli more determined to perform against them.
A Machiavellian sense of cat-and-mouse has dominated the pre-build up. Mind games are being played and each team seems to be trying to out-think the other. Dhoni is a canny operator who’s been in this situation before and will know what to do. Clarke, on the other hand, will back his instincts. The winner of the match will probably come down to who keeps their wits about them.
