Steve Waugh one of the great Australian skippers, who led his side of champions to a sixteen match winning streak in Tests, labeled the 2001 tour of India ‘The Last Frontier.’ He did fail to cross it, losing the series 1-2 but the Aussies went back with the thought that it was a great series regardless of the result. “Every Test made for compulsive watching.
The Aussies won the opening Test in Mumbai by ten wickets. They put their faith in place and were not to be disappointed. Of course, they also had a certain magician named Warne in the side.
The Eden Gardens Test will always go down as one of the most remarkable ever played. Following on 274 in arrears, the Indians ended up winning by 171. Laxman (281) and Dravid (180) combined forces and talent in a 376 run partnership for the fifth wicket. Harbhajan with thirteen wickets in the match was justified as dominant. His hat-trick in the first innings accounted for Ponting, Gilchrist and Warne.
The final dramatic episode was at Chennai and India set a target of 155 stumbled over the line with two wickets to spare. Harbhajan, fifteen wickets in the match and thirty two in the series, fittingly was in the crease when the winning run was made.
Ponting is the sole survivor from that great Australian side, while Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, despite the passage of time, have shown that they have a little more in the tank and also that India cannot do without them as at this point of time. Controversial and colourful Harbhajan will not be part of this campaign, one suspect it is for reasons other than cricket.
The scenario now is very different from what it was in 2001. World champions then Australia are trying hard to find adequate replacements for the great players who left them more or less as a group. Predictably, the Aussies have chosen brittleness and inconsistency, the 47 against South Africa was one of their lowest points. The next test was probably one of their highs – but only just.
The conspicuous lack of success ‘enjoyed’ by Ponting, the recent dismal failures of Hussey, who was so brilliant on the tour of Sri Lanka, and the lack of a formidable pair of openers have made the team from Down Under, at times, ripe for the plucking.
On the other side of the ledger is the fine form shown by the new captain, with hundreds in Sri Lanka, South Africa and against New Zealand at Hobart. There is also the unearthing of fast bowlers – eighteen-year-old Pat Cummins, JamesPattinson and Mitchell Starc who compete with the slightly more experienced Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Ben Hifenhaus. The pace riches are startling though certainly not as potent and destructive as the Caribbean mean-machine of the late 70’s and 80’s.
The Indians possess, arguably, the finest line-up in the world, batting wise. The coruscating brilliance of Sehwag at his best, the solidarity of Gambhir, the classical trio of Tendulkar, Dravid and Luxman most certainly must be causing nightmares for the young largely untried Aussie pacies. The number six slot should go to Kohli for his consistency in recent times. The explosive but unaesthetic Dhoni at seven can drive bowlers to frustration and ineptness.
Raina who made a debut hundred against Sri Lanka at the SSC not so long ago, seems to have been overtaken by Kohli, in the shorter version, by Rohit Sharma.
The batting should look after itself. India’s problems could be with the bowling. Zaheer is a proven paceman and one of some eminence. But a breakdown seems to be round the corner, always. Ishant Sharma bowled beautifully on the last tour of Australia, yet his form has been fitful. Varun and Yadev are rookies. They are not expected to rock the Australians on a consistent basis. It’s probably a learning curve for them. One, if not both, will be there for the experience.
This brings us to the bowlers. Ojha and Ashwin who enjoyed phenomenal success on slow turners against Sammy’s men. The faster, bouncier Australian tanks may not be there cup of tea, but they add a welcome dimension to the Indian attack. Only time will tell if India has discovered another Bedi and Prasanna. My gut feeling is that the Indian attack will struggle a bit to get the twenty wickets.
Casting aside the hype surrounding the series, it must be admitted that the Aussies are vulnerable. Yet they could raise their game, especially in home conditions. A couple of failures could write finis to Ponting’s great career which is a sad thought.
The Englishmen caught the Indians on the hop by combination of superb swing bowling and excellent batsmanship and cut them down to size. The number one team in the world slid from heroes to zeros overnight. Dravid, certainly, and Tendulkar, probably, were the only batsmen who could hold their heads high.
Now sitting at number two, the Indians will be straining at the leash to go atop of the table once more. This could be the beginning of their ascent. As for the proud Aussies who don’t give in easily, the number four slot must be a little demeaning. The Indians are but a short step away while the Aussies have some distance to go.
All this adds certain piquancy to the series, which should be closely fought. More importantly, the series could be lit up by brilliant individual performances – more Indian than Australian. |
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