The Offside

John Wright has not done that badly as coach. In fact, in 14 Tests, India have won seven and lost five - a good record, considering the team we have. He has also managed to gain the respect of his captain, Sourav Ganguly, as also the rest of the team. The healthy relationships that Wright has forged with Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar will prove vital to the fortunes of the team.

Bear also in mind that Ganguly has clearly stated his mind on the issue. "Wright is not going to lose his job," was his response to pointed queries from journalists. That speaks volumes about the captain-coach relationship. It would then only be sensible to ensure that this relationship is allowed to bloom further. Another factor in Wright's favour is that he has not stopped shy of embracing technology. As any modern coach or player would vouch, that definitely helps.

True, we have still not thrown away our tags of tigers at home and lambs abroad, but we should not have expected overnight miracles like those. A coach needs time to transform players, and one year is not enough time to change the attitudes of Indian players used to defeats on foreign soil. But even in this brief period, there have been glimpses of a new attitude; the Port Elizabeth Test against South Africa and the Bulawayo Test against Zimbabwe are fine examples. We must also remember that the Ganguly-Wright combo was in charge when India fought off the spirited challenge from Steve Waugh’s ‘winningest’-side.With no capable Indian coach on the horizon, Wright must be allowed to continue.

The Onside

Wright is a costly coach, a foreigner who was paid a lot money to turn Indian cricket around and fast. Looking back at our performances in recent times, there is no doubt that he has failed miserably. Yes, we might have won a big series on home soil and three Tests abroad, but we would do well to remember that two of our wins came against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and the third on sub-continental wickets in Sri Lanka. We also have to consider the defeat in Bulawayo against Zimbabwe, when a previously unheard-of Andy Blignaut turned tormentor-in-chief, as also the flop-shows that were the first and third Tests in Sri Lanka and the recent series in South Africa. This is where Wright was expected to make the difference; he was expected to change the attitude of the boys and help them handle the pressures of playing on foreign soil.

As for the use of latest technology, it does not seem to have made any significant difference to the fortunes of the side. To quote a striking instance, Harbhajan Singh still struggles when handed a Kookaburra ball, and neither technology nor Wright seem capable of sorting that out. Then there is the fielding front, on which India continue to be as woeful as ever. The running between the wickets is also ludicrous. Wright, if he was a good coach, would have ensured a significant improvement in at least those two mentioned areas in the year that he has been in charge.

Last but not least, the Kiwi has also not been forceful enough; the unnecessary hullabaloo over the opening slot at Port Elizabeth was a case in point. One cannot help but wonder, at this point, why Wright should be allowed to continue. Maybe we should add a few more million to Wright’s current pay and hire a passionate Sunil Gavaskar or Ravi Shastri instead. Among the best Indian cricketing minds, the two also have their hearts in the right place. They would surely be better bets.

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