The current cricket structure of the domestic level has many loopholes. It does not throw the same challenges that the players face at the international level and it will give them false confidence. Not all teams plan meticulously as Mumbai teams do. There is hardly any change in the strategy management of Mumbai teams but the method of execution changes all the time.
An era dominated by the Mumbai players followed a simple mantra: When you bat, grind the bowlers and while bowling, test the patience of batsmen.
This strategy has earned Mumbai 41 Ranji Trophies which is a clear indication that this successful mantra will be followed by the future teams. Apart from the growing success, the Mumbai players are known for their ‘Khadoos’ (never- say-die) attitude.
But one can’t win with this strategy all the time. The Irani Cup completely exposed the negativity part in the strategy management. First, in 20 wickets that Mumbai lost there were only two bowled and one lbw which meant that famous ‘Khadoos’ attitude was missing especially in the second innings. They were seen bowling negative line obviously under instructions from the team management.
This season, the winning streak continued as the Mumbai team bagged the Ranji Trophy and Under-23 C. K. Nayudu Trophy, following their time-tested strategy. It worked.
Incidentally, the MCA collaborated with IDBI Federal Life Insurance Bowling Foundation under Jeff Thomson. Here, the practice sessions were conducted such that the batsmen got a variety to bat against which gave the bowlers time to recover. Meticulous planning was carried out during the offseason tournaments so that the various combinations were tried out in low humidity places in the southern part of India.
As the players followed their set strategy, one could assess the player’s ability to perform if he was made to change his style. A player has to adapt to the strategy of the Mumbai team. Shreyas Iyer with his aggressive play is changing the philosophy.
With multiple tournaments played in domestic cricket on docile pitches, the batsmen tend to take chances against mediocre attack without realising that he has been perfecting the imperfect way. But the same is not possible in international cricket and they struggle when exposed.
New talentsAmong the emerging players, Jay Bista and Armaan Jaffer are hugely talented. The former being a hand-eye coordination player; spanks on both the side of the wicket and cuts ferociously. His brand of cricket doesn’t fit into ‘grinding the bowler’ principle of the Mumbai school of batting though he is an opener.
On the other hand, Armaan Jaffer is a risk-free player and it’s a delight to watch him. He gets into position early and bisects the field placing without any risk. If Bista is a hard hitter, Armaan caresses the ball to the boundary.
There is Suryakumar Yadav too, who is becoming consistent by getting rid of the Twenty20 shots which always curtailed his knocks earlier. The pacers, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Singh Sandhu (Jr) are also working in tandem — each one sticking to his strength.
It’s only the spin bowling that has been the worry of Mumbai. Never in the history of Mumbai cricket have so many spinners been reported for illegitimate actions. It is very crucial to look into the same as spinners play a vital role in these tournaments.
Therefore, if Mumbai has to dominate domestic cricket and produce quality players for the country, there has to be a re-think on the tournament structure. The Mumbai tournament structure has to be modified so that the players are thrown into different routines and challenges. Excellence is the gradual result of intelligent planning and focused effort with never-say-die attitude being the key.
