A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested final
Test at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame
Partab Ramchand05-Nov-2002A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested final
Test at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame.
But the fluctuating fortunes and sudden twists and turns made for
a rather engrossing encounter particularly against the background
of the disappointing events at Mumbai and Chennai. Going into the
final day, any one of three results was possible and in the end,
India salvaged their reputation by comfortably drawing a game in
which West Indies had called the tune for most part.
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However, India can still take heart from events in the Kolkata
Test. Much has been said about the Indian batting might but this
has centered round running up massive totals on good wickets and
when things are running in their favour. At the Eden Gardens, the
Indians showed that their batting could be mighty handy even in a
rearguard action. A first-innings deficit of 139 runs with almost
two days left is enough to put immense and sustained pressure on
a side. It is to the credit of the batsmen that they did not
crumble, even after they were 87 for four. At this stage, defeat
was a distinct possibility but a closing total of 471 for eight
underlined the strength of the Indian batting.The recovery was scripted by Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman and
their 214-run partnership for the fifth wicket that brought back
vivid memories of the Laxman-Dravid record stand against
Australia in March last year on the same ground. Tendulkar’s
innings was really on a different plane altogether and even by
his own lofty standards, the 176 will take its place among the
finest of the 31 hundreds notched up by the maestro.The manner in which he made the runs confirmed his stature as the
world’s leading batsman. Even in a crisis situation, it was never
a typically rearguard action which is usually marked by dour,
defensive batting. Judiciously mixing caution with aggression, he
never gave the bowlers much of a chance. Soon after he came in,
his steely eyes, grim determination and intense concentration
were all there to see and he gave early indications of a long
stay at the crease. He did not disappoint, staying at the crease
for seven hours and negotiating 298 deliveries. But, as I said,
it was not a totally defensive knock, indicative of his having
stroked 26 fours.The little master realised that making runs was almost as
important as consuming time. Tactically it was a masterly knock.
Yes, the Indians are well served in their omnipotent department
by the likes of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Bangar and Laxman but
there is little doubt as to who is the of them all.I have often wondered why Laxman has been inconsistent. The
Hyderabadi stylist, a direct descendant of ML Jaisimha and
Azharuddin, is a batsman who has class written all over him. Some
of the shots he plays are all his own and beyond the reach of any
other batsman. That being the case, I am unable to fathom why he
does not play his full regalia of strokes, which are straight
from the textbook and with greater freedom, now that he is
certain of a place in the side.Under the circumstances, he should not be lacking in confidence
and one can only hope that his unbeaten 154 at Kolkata for which
he batted almost nine hours, will mark the final turning point in
his career. A true team man, he initially eschewed strokes, keen
to give Tendulkar as much strike as possible before going full
throttle himself after the dismissal of his partner. I refuse to
believe that Laxman’s current career average of 42 which is a
pretty big leap following events in the past three years is
reflective of his talent, class and skill. There is no earthly
reason why it should not be in the 50-plus category. But having
celebrated his 28th birthday during the Test, he has time on his
hands and the thought that his best could still lie ahead is a
good augury for Indian cricket.On a pitch that remained true till the end, the Indian bowlers
were up against it, though, Harbhajan Singh confirmed his rising
stature by finishing with another five-wicket haul. Fittingly
enough, he walked away with the man of the series award for his
tally of 20 wickets. But if the series underscored his rise, it
also signaled another step downward for Anil Kumble. There are
now distinct signs that India’s main strike bowler in the last
decade is in the evening of his career.
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I was never happy with Javagal Srinath’s decision to come back
and his subsequent inclusion in the side. With just four wickets
from 53 overs at an average of 31.75 in the series, he is quite
clearly another bowler over the hill and it is time the selectors
firmly installed Zaheer Khan as the spearhead of the attack while
keeping their eyes open for new talent – and there are a few
young pacemen around.From the West Indian point of view, the foremost feeling must be
one of relief that they avoided a clean sweep that was on the
cards on the eve of the Test. But then there must also be a sense
of regret that they could not capitalise on a winning position.
Of the two weak departments, there were certainly more question
marks over the bowling than the batting and this proved to their
Achilles heel. Also, the decision to go in with four pace bowlers
and no specialist spinner proved to be a tactical blunder. But
then in the ultimate analysis, the tourists never really had a
chance and a 2-0 result is a fair indication of the disparity
between the two teams. However, the one-day matches that follow
should be close-run affairs, particularly with Sachin Tendulkar
out of the series.
