Yuvraj Singh: The down and almost out prince
Posted on Aug 31, 2008 at 23:09 | Updated Sep 08, 2008 at 08:38
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New Delhi: Sometimes, only talent is not enough and Yuvraj Singh is realising that the hard way. A year ago, India’s batting superstar was red hot. His consistency, which had been in question from the start of his career in 2000, had become his strength. The southpaw was churning out one match-winning performance after another and it seemed that the country’s most gifted stroke-player had finally arrived.
But cricket is a funny game, they say. It takes you to dizzy heights and just when you are enjoying the view from the top, it brings you crashing down. You then become the view.
When India began their three and a half-month tour to Australia in December 2007, Yuvraj Singh was their trump card. In the form of his life, the southpaw’s career was at its peak and he was almost leading the batting when India landed in Australia.
His six sixes off Stuart Broad in the Twenty20 World Cup and the annihilation of Pakistan had him on the top of his game. He had the scores to back him and he got a place in the Tests for himself in the packed middle-order, something, which had eluded him for a long time.
It seemed like Yuvraj could do nothing wrong, but two Tests later, the time had turned and he was stranded. The cock of the walk attitude was amiss and with 17 runs in four innings, suddenly the sky-high confidence was plummeting down. The tour ‘down under’ had suddenly brought the flamboyant southpaw down and under a lot of pressure.
And from there began Yuvraj’s fall, which eight months later is reaching new lows.
2008, Yuvraj’s big fall year
| Year | Matches | Innings | Runs | HS | Avg | 100s | 50s |
| 2008 | 22 | 22 | 568 | 76 | 25.8 | 0 | 3 |
| 2007 | 36 | 33 | 1287 | 121 | 45.96 | 1 | 9 |
| 2006 | 22 | 21 | 849 | 107* | 53.06 | 2 | 5 |
| 2005 | 26 | 25 | 839 | 120 | 41.95 | 3 | 3 |
| 2004 | 31 | 28 | 841 | 139 | 30.03 | 1 | 5 |
| 2003 | 26 | 25 | 600 | 102* | 31.57 | 1 | 3 |
| 2002 | 26 | 21 | 659 | 80 | 36.61 | 0 | 7 |
| 2001 | 15 | 12 | 238 | 98* | 23.80 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | 13 | 12 | 260 | 84 | 21.66 | 0 | 1 |
In the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka, which India won, Yuvraj’s contribution was almost zilch. He was Ajantha Mendis’s guinea pig, falling to him thrice in the five-match series. Against Muralitharan too, who he has been facing for a number of years now, Yuvraj looked like a teen-aged boy pitted against an international bowler.
Perhaps at a time when the southpaw should be leading the young Indian batting brigade, Yuvraj is almost competing with them to keep his place in the side.
His grievance of batting too low down has been taken care of under the leadership of MS Dhoni. His elevation up the order created even more problems for Yuvraj as he seemed all at sea against the pacers and was bamboozled by the spinners.
It does help when you have something to blame, but in Yuvraj’s case his options are drying up fast.
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Total Comments: 20
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Posted By manikandan
well every player has a bad run .its obvious that even best bats man in the world gone through this
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Posted By ankur suman
perhaps yuvraj should be dropped.
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Posted By g.v.ranganath
Yuvraj is the greatest hitter of the cricket ball in the recent times.At the same time It is true that
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Posted By j.venkatesh
Mr. Ghosh write up about Yuvi\''s form is spot on. I think he has taken his place for granted. He
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Posted By M.Sudhakar.
Come on my dear friend ! Raina, Badrinath and Rohit sharma Follow these guys what they are doing right now
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