by Samvit Tandan

Samvit Tandan is a graduate research assistant in molecular cardiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is also an avid cricket fan, having represented his school and club in several tournaments (including tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa). In his free time, he writes poetry, short stories and his fondness for literature has led him to try his hand at amateur journalism.

As if the international cricket schedule isn’t tight enough. If any further proof was needed to dissuade you, as a reader and non-believer, then this is as good an example as any. Literally two weeks after the lifeless India-Pakistan test series (Dec. 12^th), another series is about to begin (India vs. Australia, Boxing Day – Dec. 26^th). Fourteen days, after a grueling and unrewarding series is not enough time to introspect and rest before being thrown into arguably the most important series of the season! All senior players have called it their ultimate test, to win in Australia, the home of the greatest team of their generation. Yet, none has been given any time to reflect and recuperate, the assumption being that momentum is enough after consecutive victories against England and Pakistan. Time will tell how this ideology bears out. Nonethless, as always, I recount some key lessons from the last series, and look ahead to the upcoming one that promises to be more captivating:

Captain Kumble!  

India’s lifeless series against Pakistan featured Anil Kumble at the helm for the first time. At first I was averse to the idea, and leaning towards Mahendra Dhoni as the automatic choice. Dhoni has had much success in the ODI format (Indian fans will never forget the Twenty20 tournament victory) and has played enough test cricket to not be overwhelmed by the duties. But then again, the automatic choice, after Dravid’s stepping down, was interestingly Sachin Tendulkar, who fortunately and quite rightly turned down the offer. Tendulkar has served as captain before, and having witnessed the toll it has taken (not only on himself) but then on Sourav Ganguly and now Rahul Dravid’s batting, he has made the correct decision.

Anil Kumble, then, in many respects was the last senior left (no disrespect to VVS Laxman or Zaheer Khan). And Kumble is a good choice. He is well-respected by his peers both within the team and internationally, and has always been known as an astute technician. His fighting qualities and never-say-die attitude are also in line with this new India – one that will not back away or lie down against anyone, including Australia. And his 584 test wickets at an average of 28.66 and economy rate of 2.65 are the stuff of legend, catapulting him to third-highest behind the retired Shane Warne and relentless Muttiah Muralitharan (700+ club). I suspect it won’t take Kumble long to surpass 600 test wickets, and it may even occur in the upcoming series against Australia. How fitting would that landmark be in the home of Warney himself!  

But most importantly, it is time to shift focus ever so slightly. India has not had a bowling specialist as a test captain for a long time (perhaps since Kapil Dev). As sublte as this may seem, it is significant. India’s weakest link, and one that was glaringly apparent in the Pakistan series, is their bowling attack, or lack thereof. That the team scored mammoth totals of 616 and 626 in back-to-back matches is testament to their batting prowess (no surprise there), but that they could not turn around such first-innings totals and inflict heavy losses on their opposition, in this case a somewhat weakened Pakistani batting lineup playing under a relatively young captain, Shoaib Malik, is a red-flag. Flat pitches were blamed for this, but I guarantee an Australian side, under the same conditions, would have fabricated a win somehow. That a lower-order pest, such as Kamran Akmal got stuck in to prevent the inevitable in the second test could have been forgiven as a one-off fluke saving act by Pakistan. But to rack up 600+ again and again be unable to bowl the opposition out in the subsequent test does not bode well for the Indian side.

Not only will the bowling unit be feeling the heat, but two more important consequences may come to light. One, that the batsmen will be feeling somewhat hollow. They will be wondering what have they done wrong to have drawn two tests despite posting such heavy totals. They will be wondering if it is worth all that effort each time when their bowlers cannot deliver at the other end. And, most importantly, they will wonder what if Pakistan had batted first and piled up a similar total, would we be able to respond? This last question is crucial, because at the back of everyone’s mind there is an eye to the upcoming series, and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and all those names that strike fear into a bowler’s heart, will pile up big totals, and scarily enough, will do so quickly and consistently. Kumble et al. need to take 20 wickets, and this isn’t happening, so far. The second consequence is that you can bet your bottom dollar that the Aussies have been closely following the India-Pakistan series. They are probably the ones who celebrated India’s victory the most, not because of the victory, but the flat nature of it. The Australians, and everyone else, know that they have a far superior bowling attack and think-tank to Pakistan’s, and they will fancy their chances at home in restricting India from scoring such big totals so frequently. That will then put increasing pressure on the Indian bowlers, who we’ve already concluded are going to struggle.

Therefore, the importance of Anil Kumble as captain. He will be at the center of this maelstrom, and he will be the one who will have to pacify his batsmen whilst simultaneously lifting up his bowlers. It is a tall order, but I cannot think of anyone, not even Tendulkar or Dhoni, better than Anil Kumble to carry such a burden on his shoulders with grace and poise. Kumble will be able to read the minds of his bowlers very well, being a bowler himself, and will take on the responsibility of leading from the front and attacking the Australian batsmen when the others are struggling. Whether all this will be enough for India to pull off a(n unlikely) victory remains to be seen.

Dada’s Resurgence

But before we get too cautious, one significant gem was unearthed from the India-Pakistan series which demands special mention: the resurgence of Dada Ganguly! While captain Kumble now carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, another man has soared to the highest echelons with the weight removed. Sourav Ganguly’s 48 runs in the second innings of the first test was the beginning of an emphatic return of form for the stylish southpaw. Since retirement from captaincy, Ganguly has been unfortunate to carry another weight on his shoulders, being branded the person everyone loves to hate (okay, so except in the state of West Bengal!). Just until recently, Greg Chappell, India’s former coach, fanned the flames further, and Ganguly was removed from the side altogether. But all this falling out with public preference, the replacement of Chappell with emptiness/fresh-air, and focusing away of the spotlight on Dhoni’s young team had given Dada exactly what every beleaguered soul needed – time away from it all to get back to basics. Ganguly returns a more composed, collected and hungry batsman now, no longer reminiscing but re-living his role primarily as an outstanding and fearsome batsman. From that 48 in the first test followed a 102, 46, 239 and 91 in his four next visits to the crease, each at a strike rate above 65% (substantial in test cricket). And for good measure, let us add the 59 runs against the Victorians in the rain-drenched warm-up match, Ganguly’s return of form and the timing of it, are crucial to bolster the confidence of the Indian team as they prepare to take on Australia. With Rahul Dravid suffering (and I don’t expect that to last long), Ganguly’s form will comfort the already consistent Tendulkar and Laxman as they prop up the spine of India’s batting, and with it any chance of defeating the mighty Aussies.

Defeating Pakistan in cricket may always (unnecessarily) be viewed as the most important achievement for India, but after a listless series all our attention will now turn to what promises to be a far more captivating series down under as India square up against the greatest team yet in their own backyard. Merry Christmas to everyone, and enjoy the day for all its glory and joy. I will see you all next year! Until then, don the gloves and enter the ring for Boxing Day will set the stage for the battle of all battles to come.