Change of guard

Crossroads of Indian Cricket:

When Sourav Ganguly took over the reins from Azharuddin in 2000, Indian Cricket was in absolute turmoil. Not only had some of the distinguished players been banned from international cricket for match fixing, but also the Indian cricket fan had lost faith. As is the old saying trust once lost cannot be reaffirmed easily. Apart from Kumble, Srinath and the legendary Sachin , Sourav had to lead a relatively inexperienced line up. He was faced with the humongous task of reviving Indian Cricket as well as restoring the lost trust to the billions who worshiped the game.

It was baptism by fire when this young team met Steve Waugh’s Australia in the Indian summer of 2001. Having won 16 test matches in a row and after a thumping win in Mumbai, Australia had a stranglehold on India at the Eden. Reeling at 250 for 4 after following on and still being considerably behind Australia, no one in their wildest dreams fathomed what was to follow. The Aussies had truly run into the Wall. Rahul Dravid‘s belligerent 181, quite contrary to his nature and Laxman’s most special 281 piled on the agony for Steve for one full day at a packed Eden. That afternoon and the following, when a young unheard off spinner rolled over the Aussies, fighting back from the brink of defeat – was the crux of the era that followed. The Test match at Eden Gardens and the series victory over the invincible Australia was the pivot which swung Indian cricket to bewildering highs of worldwide successes.

Ganguly’s aggressive captaincy, backing of players irrespective of the regional preferences and the emergence of the best batting line-up comprising of the fantastic four, made India win everywhere after two decades of drought. Sehwag, Harbhajan, Yuvraj , Zaheer and many more youngsters came to the field and shook the world time and again. The next ten years also had a few lows, specially the disappointment of the 2007 World Cup. There was fair share of controversy regarding Greg Chappell’s appointment and mishandling of Sourav by the selectors. Yet the lost faith of the common man on the religion he worshiped was restored. Test series’ victories in England, West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand and Test match victories everywhere in the world propelled India up the ICC test rankings. The formidable stars were not only performing on the field but off it too : they signified coherence and honor which was lost in the previous era. The unthinkable act of winning a Test series Down Under almost came true but a certain Steve Bucknor and his howlers prevented India from winning Steve Waugh’s farewell Test and also succumbing to a heart break at Sydney four years later.

The old guard blossomed too under the robust leadership of Dhoni. His start saw him achieve unprecedented success. The balance of youth and experience and the mix of flair and grit made India a supreme force. It was quite ironical that India got its ‘numero- uno’ status at the same ground where the fight back started nine years back. In another dramatic finish India beat SA at Eden Gardens to be number one for the first time. This along with the delirious World Cup victory made cricket the national emblem of unity and prosperity.

Dhoni’s critics always said that he did so well because of the fantastic team he lead. His own performance though was impressive. Yet as some of the seniors retired and others were at the twilight of their careers, a decade later in 2011, Indian cricket was at another crossroad. Every fairy-tale has a fair share of heartbreak and tragedy . For Dhoni it just started. Plagued by injuries and drop of form of eminent players India were drubbed 4-0 embarrassingly in England. They were stripped off their rank one and brought back to harsh reality. The thump to the ground from the stars was shocking and the sudden impact really hurt every Indian fan. Sachin Tendulkar‘s 100^th hundred wasn’t coming and the paranoia around it made things the worst. When Michael Clarke dismissed him for 80 at his favorite Sydney, the dream had been busted far too many times. India was hammered down under and the hapless bowling with the failure of every batsman truly reflected a sorry state; the panic button was pressed. The media, the fans, the lovers had all fallen out on cricket. The success of not even a year back seemed to have turned sour. The jaws had dropped. Even Sachin seemed to carry a burden which was weighing him down.

The sinusoidal ride of Indian cricket ensured that we would be encumbered in a new high soon. Surely, out walked Virat Kohli, and smashed Malinga all around Hobart. This hammering and the subsequent single-handed carnage of Pakistan in the Asia Cup propelled him to be the next big star; the flag bearer of Indian cricket. Cricket though is seriously in troubled waters. As an ardent fan it would be painful to not imagine Dravid walking out at number three and almost near impossible to contemplate the thoughts of Sachin not coming out at number four. The real test is yet to begin. The talents are there to be seen everywhere. Varun Aaron has clocked 150 kmph and Umesh Yadav can bowl the swinging yorkers. The Sharmas, Rainas and Tiwarys are yet to be christened. Some old gems too have a bit of fire left in their bellies. The administration though have to think beyond selling cricket rights for billions and look to hone serious talent. The patience of the Indian fan will be tested. The worshiper of this great religion will have to give these young guns some time to metamorphose into a world beating unit again. Until then let’s take inspiration from a Ganguly image on Lord’s balcony proclaiming the arrival of Indian cricket as a force to reckon with. Let’s cherish the era that was. Let’s salute the man himself and not just his hundredth ton. Let’s acknowledge the change in guard. Cricket we love and in Dhoni we trust.