India's success in ODIs: A sign of old wine in a new bottle?

Opener Ajinkya Rahane hit his maiden century in ODIs at Edgbaston on Tuesday

It’s all hunky-dory now in the world of Indian cricket. A series win in England after 24-years; batsmen and bowlers working in tandem; runs flowing freely, and the ebb of wickets falling. There are thus a lot of reasons to cheer the team about and – figuratively – lift it on our shoulders with pride.

Victory shadows defeat

This series victory, after witnessing all the celebrations going round, also seems like an equalising obliteration of the humiliation that India received in the Test series. A Test series that was as low – if not lower – as the highs attained by the triumph in the ODIs over the past few days.

Our woes surrounding our team’s performance has also magically vanished. No more whining about Shikhar Dhawan’s struggles against the English bowlers, no more pondering about the lack of form of Virat Kohli and no more thinking about why Moeen Ali is so successful against the entire Indian batting unit. In these three matches, it’s as if the Indian team has proved why they can’t be underestimated and why they deserve to be called the best.

No matter then that our best is reserved to ODIs and the T20s, the IPL and the Champions League T20. It doesn’t matter that our captain doesn’t boast of a high statistical record in Tests as he does in these smaller formats. We are content to be the best in these formats and ensure that we never lose our reign-hold of superiority in them for as long as we can help it.

The Questions

Do we deserve to be so content?

Immediately after their Ashes drubbing last year in the tour of England, Australia made near-radical changes to their team. The coach, Mickey Arthur – known infamously for his homework assignments – was removed midway and Darren Lehmann, despite not having a steep reputation as a Test player was brought in just so that he could rebuild the spirit in the squad. The move paid rich dividends and when time came for the Australian tour for the second leg of the series, the team vindicated itself beyond doubt.

Contrarily, in India, when we lose a Test series – embarrassingly at that – the immediate reparation that we do is to get a director to manage our ODI squad, whose performances were never in doubt. In all these years under Dhoni’s leadership, the Indian cricket team has developed a knack for coming through in one-dayers. Be it in the last over – as the captain sometimes finishes it – or be it without breaking a sweat as Rahane managed to do it in the fourth ODI at Edgbaston.

The ever-nagging problems, as far as Test cricket is concerned, haven’t however been handled with prudence, but have been rather brushed aside – conveniently – under the carpet. Undoubtedly these will come to bite us again. Not immediately, for the next forthcoming Test series is against West Indies – at home, no less.

Analysis and Introspection

At home, we do have the advantage of overpowering our rivals who are quite unsettled to play in sub-continental conditions. Added to it is also the fact that even West Indian Test cricket has been in an even bigger slump with most of its star players ostentatiously picking the IPL and Champions League T20 over their national duties.

As over-confident as it may sound picking a clear winner so early on, it doesn’t seem too likely that the Indian team will be much troubled when the West Indians tour us in about a month.

This leaves us with the Australian tour, starting in the month of December for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With an eye on the Australian tourney, this English tour was a must-win litmus test for us.

As lethal as the English bowling contingent was, the Australian bowling order will be far worse and despite that they would be coming in to play after suffering a series loss to India, India’s recent overseas loss would be easy picking for them to dissect and exploit.

The question that arises is this. Enjoyable as this win may be in England, would it not be prudent for the Indian cricket team – and us fans – to mute our celebrations? If not in acknowledgement of our loss in the Tests, at least in introspection that the situation could repeat itself, in just over a couple of months, if not addressed by the authorities appropriately.