Indian Cricket

Today was amused at the heading of a cricinfo match preview before the start of the third and final test match of the India-NZ series which boldly stated "India look to avert embarrassing stalemate" http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-new-zealand-2010/content/current/story/487914.html. Having grown up watching the Indian cricket team (it wasn't Team India then) fighting to save matches it came as a pleasant reminder of how much things have changed. Have to jog my memory a bit, just a bit to go to those days when a single drawn test in the midst of losses would come as a breath of fresh air. Yes we have had our success in the form of Prudential world cup of 1983 or the Benson and Hedges world series in Australia. But the wins were few and far between and mostly in the shorter form of the game. Spectacular wins were usually followed by drubbings.

Starting with the Azaruddin era, which coincided with the economic liberalization, we started expecting wins more regularly albeit at home. We became the dadas of our home turf. Reflecting a new India, which was tentatively feeling its way in to the global economy, while zealously guarding its home turf. In the dust bowls that were passed on for test wickets, we were a team to beat. We were Steve Waugh's final frontier. A win is a win, but those wins were not satisfying, they did warm the heart but evoked a desire for more. Wins on sporting tracks, tracks with even bounce, tracks in foreign countries. These wins were like a lovers first kiss, never satisfying but always leaving a hunger for more in its wake.

These disintegrated patches of soil made Anil Kumble a colossus on home turf. Not to take anything away from the great bowler that he was. The tracks were more an insult to his abilities than an ally in running through sides. Wonder how he did not protest the unfair advantage, which was reflected in the massive difference in statistics in home and away tests. The great bowler that he was, he did not need the unfair advantage offered by the uneven bounce on such pitches.

After the upheavals of the match fixing scandal and a very forgettable tenure of Sachin Tendulkar as captain, came like a breath of fresh air the Ganguly era. It again reflected the social mores of the time. An India basking in the success of Y2K implementation and the dot com boom fueled by IITians. India was on a roll, more confident in its dealings with the world. The home turf was safe, McDonald's was Indianized, now we were looking to foray in to the world. This is when the Indian side which was yet to be christened Team India started winning on foreign soil. A test win against Sri Lanka, a series win in Bangladesh, a win in Zimbabwe, but still wins against the mighty Aussies or the programmed Proteas was a dream. A splendid double century by Rahul Dravid combined with another Very Very Special gem from Laxman followed by magical spell by Agarkar in Adelaide put India one up in the series. Indians sitting back at home started harboring thoughts of a series win, of a victory in the lion's den, of the final frontier even before the Australians could do it. But alas that was not to be. The series was drawn and the series at home lost. The Australians had finally conquered their final frontier. Clearly the Ganguly era was drawing to a close. The new India brash and confident wouldn't take a loss for granted. They had tasted blood and were clamoring for more.

Ganguly who had brought India right out of the abyss, put Team India back there with his public ego clashes with the temperamental Greg Chappel. The Chappel-Dravid era started well with a record breaking 16 ODI wins, a test series win against the once mighty West Indies, against a depleted English side but Rahul Dravid couldn't handle the off-field pressure. An abysmal world cup performance was followed by a trial by the media resulting in a sudden resignation to pave the way for Anil Kumble.

With Sachin Tendulkar's reluctance and his abysmal record as captain, Anil Kumble was always supposed to be a stop gap arrangement till M. S. Dhoni was groomed to take over.

India lost a controversial series in Australia, a series they should have won, had it not been for the dubious umpiring and outright cheating by the Aussies. It was then than the great man put in diplomatic words the now famous "Only one team was playing with the spirit of the game, that's all I can say". Unlike in the past the team bounced back to win the next test and draw the last. Here was a team that would not be cowed down by the Aussies tactics. They went away with an unsaid we will be back.

India had lost the series but gained respect if not awe. Here was a team willing to fight, here was a team with a fire in the belly, here was a team looking for a win not reasons.

( Incomplete as yet : been 2 lazy 2 write bout the M S Dhoni era. )