Image courtesy: ESPNCricInfo
It was disheartening to see India knocked out of the World Cup. The finish was much tighter than what the scorecard says. A swing and miss or a wicket would have put this in a situation similar to that of the India/Bangladesh game.
Now, what can we takeaway from this game ?
1. Clearly the better performer won - Though India put up a 190+ score, they had to work very hard for it in the final overs. Again the running between the wickets by Dhoni and Virat helped with keeping the scoreboard ticking but the Windies were able to get home thanks to Simmons and Russell
2. Make the most of the opportunities given - Simmons made the most of both the opportunity to play and also the chances he got. More often than not, we see opportunities wasted (like batsmen throwing away their wicket after a life)
3. Always have a plan B - India were struggling to find a plan B when things did not go well for their mainstream bowlers except for Nehra and did not have a clear thought of what to do next
4. Do not make basic mistakes - The no balls not only gave the batsman a life but also the extra ball means extra runs. One could view this as the difference in the final two balls
5. If something is not working for you, change it to get a different result - If bowling back of length or full worked so far, it ended up being in slot for big hitting Simmons and Russell
Nevertheless, good effort by team India with not giving up even if it is not your day and taking it down to the last over.
Now on to the finals at the Eden Gardens..