Time for Yuvraj to click

[The Outsider]

At his best in limited-overs matches, Yuvraj Singh gives Indian fans and the dressing room a feeling of assurance few others can, and that is the reason he is integral to the country's dreams of a World Cup victory at home. A case in point is India's ill-fated campaign to defend their World Twenty20 crown in 2009. Having entered the tournament as one of the hot favourites, with the country's love affair with the newest format burgeoning, India were staring at a humiliating early elimination during the second Super Eights game against England at Lord's. The top-order was floundering to a bouncer barrage and after the youngsters, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma, fell cheaply, Gautam Gambhir and Ravindra Jadeja poked and plodded at one-day pace. With the asking rate touching double-digits and the title defence in tatters, Yuvraj walked out in the 11th over and gloriously lofted his first ball for a huge six, the first of the innings. There was another nonchalant hit for six more before a brilliant, quicksilver stumping from James Foster ended his 14-minute stay. India went on to lose but for those 14 minutes, irrespective of the odds, fans believed victory was possible. That is where Yuvraj towers over the gaggle of youngsters with whom he is now jostling for a middle-order berth. He has always been a man for the big occasion, whether it was the dazzling 84 in his first one-day innings after a top-order collapse against Steve Waugh's Australians, the star-making turn in the NatWest series final in 2002 or the jaw-dropping 70 off 30 balls in a take-no-prisoners semi-final against Australia in the inaugural World Twenty20. There hasn't been any addition to that highlights reel in 2010. A spate of injuries, a ballooning waistline, indifferent form and those never-too-far-away questions about his attitude culminated in his axing from the one-day side for the Asia Cup. That was meant to chasten a man who had perhaps taken for granted a spot in the ODI middle order after eight years of being a guaranteed starter. And it left Yuvraj in the peculiar situation of being in the Test side and out of the one-day team. Ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka, he spoke of the tough training his father put him through as part of a bid to regain full fitness. It seemed to have paid off as Yuvraj, more streamlined than the butt-of-all-jokes who turned up in the IPL, started with a flawless century in the tour game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI and followed it up with a brisk 52 under pressure in the first Test. It started to unravel again when flu forced him to miss the second Test. Raina grabbed his chance to make a debut hundred that ensured the match was a draw and elbow out Yuvraj, bringing an end to his first extended run as a Test starter in a decade of trying. And, to make things worse, he responded to taunts from visibly drunk fans provoking a flurry of unflattering headlines which reinforced the impression of Yuvraj the brat. The tri-series is his first chance to steer the focus back to his cricket, away from the fitness issues, away from Page 3. It is his first chance to remind us of the man whom MS Dhoni calls "the main strength of our middle order". It is his first chance to add to that highlight reel. As the most experienced player in the line-up, Yuvraj remains the proven performer India need in a middle order in which several players still have the learner's wheels. It's a middle order that looks particularly shaky if there is an injury to Dhoni, who has managed to so far steer clear of fitness troubles despite playing the triple role of wicketkeeper, key batsman and captain. It's a trick Yuvraj will love to learn after an injury-filled year.

http://www.cricinfo.com/sl-tri2010/content/current/story/471800.html It's absolutely crucial that Yuvraj puts up a strong show in this series and the other ODIs in the year. If India are to win the World Cup, I can't see it happening without an in form Yuvraj. The World Cup format has 3 knockout games and the nature of the format means that one player is unlikely to deliver all three wins. Yuvraj will just have to play a critical role for India to have hopes of lifting the trophy. Hopefully, the earlier drop from the ODI side and now the test side will serve as motivation for him to come back really strong. Yuvraj, Dhoni, and Raina at numbers 4, 5, and 6 in the ODI middle order are pivotal to the team's fortunes and with each of them experienced, capable of rotating the strike, playing big shots, and most importantly timing tough chases India's ODI team cannot afford to have even one of them out of form.

[Manny_Pacquiao]

yuvraj always has his ups and downs, especially in recent times, but he has always bounced back hard. the guy is a confidence player. if he is happy and in good touch, he is unstoppable. like when england came to india and he tore up a strong bowling attack which had beaten south africa 4-0 earlier in the year he beat up the lankan bowlers in the tour game and then hit a pretty fluent fifty in the 1st test. i think he is gonna have a big series against these 2 teams

[Shehezaada]

Tendulkar, Yuvraj, and Dhoni are the biggest match winners we have in the ODI team. As Outsider said, without Yuvraj in top form we will not win the WC. Our batting lineup is ridiculous for the WC: Sehwag Tendulkar Gambhir Yuvraj Raina Dhoni Kohli/Pathan Jadeja/Mishra/Ojha Harbhajan Singh Zaheer Khan Praveen Kumar the bowling looks weak though....

[cowboysfan]

our MO at home in odis have been to outbat the opponents on flat wickets.this might work against most countries except the aussies who i think have bigger hitters in their lineup.The pitch will be the decider in the world cup,if it offers the spinners something then we will start favorites over everybody.

[saneindian]

This series is crucial for the two of our best ODI batsmen, Sehwag and Yuvraj. Both have had an below par last 12-15 months in the ODIs, often racing off to a great start and then throwing it away. Our inconsistent run in the ODIs off late is primaroly due to these two being out of form. When they were scoring big, we were almost unbeatable in the ODIs (From the SL series in 2008 till about the NZ series in 2009). Need these two to score those big 100s and get back to their best ODI form.

[Lord]

i'm more inerested in how our bowling does.if Jaddu doesnt do well,he should be replaced by Irfan at 7.

[saneindian]

i'm more inerested in how our bowling does.if Jaddu doesnt do well' date='he should be replaced by Irfan at 7.[/quote'] Irfan isn't interested in playing competitive cricket at the moment. Is not doing rehab at NCA, is not training at BAroda's cricket academy, is not playing for Baroda in Kenya, is not playing for any of the corporate houses in a tournament in Mumbai!! A friend of mine in Singapore told me Irfan has been in Singapore for the last few days. Apparently he is doing some coaching clinic for about 10-12 days for a cricket academy!! Not sure how true that story is. With Kirsten openly saying that Irfan bowling at 120 kmph does not serve team India well, its upto Irfan to prove Kirsten wrong and show him what he can do with the ball in his hand. Needs to play any form of competitive cricket where there is a chance and take good number of wickets.

[DomainK]

In agree that an in form Yuvi will play a very instrumental role if India has to win the WC. As far as our bowling is concerned, I dont think we have enough time to solve that problem by WC. We just have to strengthen whatever we have and rely on a very strong batting lineup to compensate for the bowling shortcomings.