Down And Out - India out of T 20 world cup again

Three years after they crashed out in the first round of the World Cup in the Caribbean,Team India hasnt fared much better this time.And just as in the last Twenty20 World Cup in England,India lost all their Super Eight matches and was shown the door.But the manner in which Team India capitulated will rankle for a long time.While the last match against Sri Lanka was close,India was completely outplayed in the games against Australia and West Indies.The Indian batsmen were at sea against the short-pitched stuff,and that too on a track that offered true bounce,nothing more.What is galling is that Team Indias weakness against bouncers had been exposed in the last T20 World Cup,but nothing was done in the intervening period to rectify it. Indian skipper M S Dhoni has admitted that the intense six weeks of IPL played on flat Indian pitches which ended five days before the T20 World Cup began wasnt the ideal preparation.India was the last team to arrive in the Caribbean and opted out of practice matches before the tournament.The lack of preparation and the fatigue were there for everyone to see.If India is to recover,long-term measures will be needed.One,it is apparent that the younger batsmen are not a patch on veterans such as Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid when it comes to playing bouncers.For any improvement to happen,domestic matches would have to be played on pitches with bounce and carry.Two,the Indian cricket board will have to take a long hard look at pruning the overcrowded cricketing calendar.Otherwise,India will continue to perform poorly outside the subcontinent.