In the last three or four world events, India hardly made an impression. The ODI World Cup in the Caribbean, the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup 2009 in England and now the T20 World Cup in Caribbean again.

In the latest edition, India managed to win only two games, one each against South Africa and Afghanistan. While the win against Afghanistan hardly matters, the one against South Africa set hopes for a better next round. But India managed to lose all three against Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka. One wonders why?

The Preparation before World Cup – The IPL

Each of India’s team members, except Ravindra Jadeja, played the IPL. Though IPL is a world class event, it doesn’t guarantee a world class competition. This was proven when not a single Indian team could make it to the semi finals of Champions League tournament held in India itself.

Drain Out – Not an Issue?!

Dhoni, after being kicked out from the T20 World Cup 2009 said that players were drained out after a long IPL. This time though he said that drain out was hardly an issue!

But looking at dropped catches, and the running between the wickets even in key situations it looked like the players were tired or purely depressed.

Overall India failed as a team, when not a single player tried to stand up in crunch situations. Here’s a player by player analysis.

India @ T20World Cup - Player by Player Analysis

Murali Vijay (4 innings - 72 runs) – He was selected after Virender Sehwag was declared unfit, on the basis of his performance in IPL, where scored a century against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He also scored few runs against Afghanistan. Incidentally both teams aren’t considered the best of teams in the respective competitions. Also incidentally, he belongs to Tamil Nadu, from where the BCCI Selection Chief Kris Srikanth also comes.

Murali Vijay struggled against the rising bounce, a sure guarantee on any Caribbean pitch since ages. He was dropped for the last match!

Gautam Gambhir (4 innings – 69 runs) – Only till recently he was called the perfect batsman for all formats of the game! But a dip in form, which happens to the best of the batsman, ensured that he wasn’t timing the ball well. But surprisingly, being a test opener, he struggled against the rising ball, and got out twice to such treatment. Looks like a bout diarrhea didn’t help his cause!

His lack of commitment towards converting ‘two to threes’ or ‘ones to two’ in the last match, raised doubts over his fitness. He didn’t field later too. If he wasn’t fit, why was he actually playing?

Suresh Raina (5 innings - 219 runs) – He is the most talented player, but only in the most suitable environments, like in India or at St. Lucia! Having gained immense trust of Captain Dhoni, he is sent up the order. He almost kept his promise with a century against South Africa. But let’s accept it - his first thirty five runs in the same innings had this stroke of luck. He is no Virender Sehwag, who chances with power, but more a timer of ball.

When the ball is rising you duck or slash it with power. His power was evident when he slashed a rising ball against Aussies. The ball went high, and fielder caught it – right beside the stumps from where he hit it.

Yuvraj Singh (5 innings - 74 runs) – One look at him and you’d ask what happened to him. It looks like he hasn’t recovered fully from the recent surgery he underwent and looks lost on the field. His mind is fighting. It is only because of his spirit he provides those breakthroughs with his bowling or times the ball well when batting. But it looks like his body is giving way to the pressure of playing international cricket for almost a decade now. It was evident with his fielding, where you can see him not so comfortable diving or running.

M. S. Dhoni (5 innings – 85 runs) – The thinker, the talker, but somehow ending up as a loser. Dhoni won the IPL for CSK. It was his pure batting brilliance that took CSK to semifinals. Unfortunately India doesn’t see it more. Though he promotes himself sometimes, his batting has taken a back seat. As a result, he is slowly turning into an achor, helping others rally around him and only sometimes shifting gears.

As a captain, his selection of bowling, especially of Ravindra Jadeja, who was thrashed by the Aussies, requires some serious questioning. May be he didn’t want to discourage an upcoming talent. The encouragement cost India the tournament! But how seriously was Ravindra Jadeja a better talent than Piyush Chawla, especially when there are ONLY three specialist bowlers in the team?

There is definitely a group of players in the Indian team who get special encouragement from Dhoni – Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar over players like Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, or a Munaf Patel! One was okay. The other was worse. And the third was not in the final eleven most often. Dhoni should seriously question himself and find reasonable answers. Seeing him so far, we know he will.

Rohit Sharma (2 innings - 84 runs) – In one match when Rohit was promoted up the order, he proved his talent. When wickets were tumbling around him, he played a brave innings. It was his innings that gave India any chance in the last match at all. He was unlucky to be given out in few other matches. But why doesn’t he play well more often and why he isn’t on the favorable side of Dhoni are few questions he should ask himself.

Being photographed by ever curious media with a beer can and a few girls around, doesn’t do this immensely talented kid any good. He doesn’t have to look for advice elsewhere – Rahul Dravid, Laxman and Sachin will be eager to help him.

Yusuf Pathan (4 innings - 42 runs) – The impossible man. You put Yusuf Pathan into any situation, he manages to surprise you. When every one’s hitting, he fails. When the team situation is real bad, he surprises with shocking shots. Knowing thus, when you expect him to bail the team out more often, he surprises again – He FAILS

Harbhajan Singh (20 overs, 7 wickets economy; 5.6) - The turbanator was used to open the bowling. He didn’t have the luxury of more than two fielders to make an impression. It was his pure talent and experience that he sneaked out with good economy rate. But otherwise he cannot be blamed alone for his lack of wickets, especially when his first two overs were spent containing batsmen.

Ravindra Jadeja – No one wants to read about him, but this guy did no good for himself with the IPL fiasco. He was suspended from Rajasthan Royals team, thanks to Lalit Modi, and that must have done something to his confidence. Being hit for too many sixes by Aussies didn’t help either. And captain’s confidence seemed to be added pressure. Over all, he would rather go to a holiday spot to forget the tour or to Mount Everest to practice meditation!

Zaheer Khan (16 overs, 4 wkts, economy 7.9) – This experienced; talented and slowly overweight growing left arm seamer acknowledged that he didn’t bowl well against the Australian side. He also said he will be back with fire for the next match. After the next match with Windies, he was replaced by debutante Vinay. Looks like there was too much fire and it had to be extinguished in the changing room. Otherwise how would one explain more full toss balls than Yorkers!

Ashish Nehra (20 overs, 7 wkts, economy – 7.9) – the last good thing everyone remembers about Ashish Nehra was his stupendous bowling against England in ODI World Cup 2003! Later on he was left out of the team, fought his way back and surely is on the way back to being left out. Or else how can anyone explain bowling to the legside having the fine leg fielder inside the ring, again and again! But lets be honest, his occasional brilliance with the seam wasn’t balanced well the field.

The Others -

Dinesh Karthik (two innings – 29 runs), doesn’t need to play tests – he’s got a test hundred. He doesn’t need to play ODIs – there is Dhoni. But his proven talent, fielding and spirit of trying till the death makes him an automatic choice in final eleven. Why he wasn’t in it in more matches, only Dhoni should explain. His 29 runs didn’t do him a favor too.

Praveen Kumar got two matches, in which he bowled 4 overs, took three wickets and gave only a meager 14 runs. Was he ill? Piyush Chawla (7 overs, 1 wkt, economy: 7.8), got two chances, and he is sometimes too predictable.

Over all as a team, not a single player seemed to stand up for the failure of others. When everything was going well (in the won matches), only few performed – Raina, Vijay, Dhoni and Harbhajan. When everything was not so good, not one stood up. Only one player did – Rohit Sharma!