Witness this battle between Experience and Youth

By John Cheeran
When cricket pundits sharpen their axe against Indian coach Greg Chappell and captain Rahul Dravid for investing in youth I can’t contain my amusement.
An experience versus youth theory has been put forward by a few spin-doctors in the Indian sport media.
They have successfully pointed out that India’s travails in South Africa – three consecutive losses in one-dayers – is basically because the team lacks experience. The lack of experience is especially applied to batsmen, who appear to be rabbits caught in the headlight of an oncoming vehicle.
Tragedy of Indian cricket is such that people are easily convinced with the experience argument.
Yes, Suresh Raina has failed though he has been given enough opportunities to prove otherwise.
Yes, Dinesh Karthick has failed in the couple of opportunities he has been given in South Africa.
But apart from these two who are the young batsmen who have failed the side?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has showed enough gumption in the last two matches at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth that he can take the battle into the rival camp.
Yes, still much more was expected of Dhoni, but considering the overall failure of the Indian side, Dhoni is proof that investing in youth is worth taking the risk.
If the fourth one-dayer played at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday was any indication, the 22-year old all rounder Irfan Pathan is piecing together his game back in shape. Though India lost by 80 runs, I take Pathan’s performance with bat and ball a huge positive from the game.
Pathan, coming after India lost five wickets, remained not out on 47 compiled from 55 balls, hitting two huge sixers and four boundaries. He was an improved bowler too, that is, if you consider his lackluster show in the recent past. In seven overs, Pathan gave away only 28 runs. If this is not proof for Chappell’s policy of investing in the youth what else is?And Munaf Patel, though sidelined by an injury, and S Sreesanth still remain India’s best pace bets. Dhoni, Pathan, Munaf and Sreesanth vindicate Chappell and Dravid for their youth-oriented policy. And what about experience?
It is a pity that apart from skipper Rahul Dravid, none of the experienced campaigners struck form with bat. That list includes Sachin Tendulkar, who could score only 1 at Port Elizabeth, and Virender Sehwag, who has been given a new lease of life by the injury to Dravid.
Do you consider Tendulkar and Sehwag as rookies?
Why have they failed in South Africa, despite their vast experience and their previous success in South African conditions?
And take Mohammad Kaif.
Kaif is no longer a callow youth but he has been with the Indian team for the last five years and has campaigned in the 2003 World Cup.
Take Wasim Jaffer.
Jaffer has been in playing in domestic circuit since 1996-97 and he is an experienced and seasoned player than Kaif for that matter. What about Ajit Agarkar, who has been promising Indian cricket rich returns since 1999.
Agarkar has played in two World Cups and at what level he has been batting and bowling in South Africa on this tour? Agarkar, again, is not a greenhorn.
Dinesh Mongia, another 2003 World Cup campaigner, too has failed to make the cut.
Sehwag, Jaffer, Tendulkar, Kaif, Agarkar and Mongia have all failed as batsmen and it is not lack of experience that contributed to their downfall. May be it is a lack of application and lack of hunger to prove themselves over and again. Sadly for Indian cricket, these guys have taken their game for granted and you do so at your own peril.
If anyone thinks that experience wins you matches, you are horribly mistaken. It is not experience but effort that wins you matches.
Ask Anil Kumble. After being ignored for one-dayers for too long a time, Anil has grabbed his opportunity with both hands on pitches that do not favour spinners, bowling splendidly at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
It was not again experience but effort.
Five years ago when India toured South Africa, it was a relatively callow youth called Virender Sehwag who captured world cricket’s imagination with an innings of pure daring at Bloemfontein.
Let me remind those wooly thinkers, who are bringing back Sourav Ganguly as Mr Experience, this. Such a move is hardly the need of the hour for Indian cricket.
Pump in more fresh blood to this side; bring on Robin Uthappas and Badrinaths.
Strengthen the hands of Chappell and Dravid. Strengthen Indian cricket.