The series that set the ball rolling for Indian Cricket

Cricket played by men clad in white clothes has always enticed me more than the action that unfolds when men in color clothes play the game. With the exception of Tendulkar, ODI cricket wasn’t as austere as test cricket was. Hailing from Madras, a city with a rich test cricket heritage, a brahmin family which vouched for the purity of the game, there was an innate liking towards Test cricket.

Some of the most riveting contests in Test cricket of my generation were between the heavyweights, the Kangaroos and the Tigers. It was a blood gushing affair, as the trash talk off field and on field were high, and the cricket of course was top class. The contest on field too was high voltage. Usurping a team right at the top gives you an inexplicable sense of joy and that was what made the contest as captivating as it was.

The aftermath of 2000, the darkest period of Indian cricket saw one of the most awe inspiring resurgence of Indian cricket. Labeled sitting ducks abroad, Indians rewrote history and conquered the crest in one decade, winning in every nook and corner of the cricketing globe. The series that set the ball rolling for India was Australia in India 2001. Australia were in terrific form and oozing with confidence enjoying a 15-match winning streak. India on the other hand were just recuperating from the match fixing scandal and most players in the team were in the primitive stages of their careers.

Pummeling things further for India was the absence of Anil Kumble. In the spinning conditions in India, the captain would be more than disheartened to miss Kumble, India’s lead spinner. The other spinners in the country who could substitute Kumble had less than test tests in their kitty. At this juncture, the legendary captain Ganguly was, handpicked Harbhajan Singh and entrusted him with the huge responsibility of spearheading the Indian spin attack. This raised quite a few eyebrows as Harbhajan’s previous best was 3/30 and he was ousted from the national side due to disciplinary issues. However, given the ruthless instincts of Ganguly, Harbhajan was India’s lead spinner.

The first Test at Mumbai saw the entire nation holding its breath in front of the television, and the TRP ratings soared. The first Test was a forgettable affair for the Indians with the Australian pacers running through the Indian top order in the first Innings and putting India in a spot, 4/62 at lunch. After lunch, Sachin spearheaded a classic counter attack scoring all over the park and notching up a 53 off 53 balls. Just when the semblance of a resurrection emerged, Laxman and Tendulkar were dismissed and the Indians folded to 176.

The Australian innings started off on a dull note as well with Harbhajan and Singhvi hunted in tandem and the Australians were reduced to 5/99. Mark Waugh was dismissed for a golden duck with Ganguly taking a catch of his lifetime, a one handed diving catch at close range. Gilchrist hijacked the innings and his onslaught proved to be too costly for the Indians and he bailed out Australia to a decent 349. The second innings was no different for India, as India were bowled out for 219 with Tendulkar scoring a 65 and Rahul grilling the Australian attack. Tendulkar’s dismissal here was very unfortunate as a pull shot from him hit Langer and forward short leg and rebounded in the air to be caught by Ricky Ponting. With 47 to win for the Aussies in the fourth innings, India had lost the Test. Australia had extended its winning streak to a whopping 16 matches and Indians were hit hard with the media and former players plotting a whitewash.

The second Test at Kolkata was a do or a die game for the Indians and as the pressure mounted Indians succumbed to it and were bowled out for a paltry 171 in reply to Australia’s mammoth 445 led by a century from captain Steve Waugh. Having forced to follow on, Indians were virtually out of the game and out of the series. The public mood was lull and a billion hopes had fallen. In the history of Test cricket, no team has struck back having put to follow on. History doesn’t announce itself, it just happens on the go and so did the monumental partnership between Rahul Dravid and Laxman. 376 runs spanning an entire day, with VVS Laxman playing one of the best test knocks ever. 281 not out, the most classy knock, studded with wristy on drives and stylish cover drives, in supreme authority over the bowling, a knock of a life time, the knock of the decade and arguably the knock of test cricket. Well complemented by Rahul Dravid, playing one of the best second fiddles ever, setting Australia a 384 to win. Australia started off safely to play out the game for a draw.

However, Harbhajan once again spun a web and the Australians lost 7 wickets in the final session collapsing to a 212. India had created history and plugged Australia’s 16-game winning streak. For generations to come, this match would be a fairy tale, a bed time story, an epic test in the making. Eden Gardens would be remembered for centuries just for this Test. This Test had other implications off field as well. India had made a statement, a bold one and a loud one. Indians were no more lame ducks that could be stamped upon on the go. We were no piece of cake. The redemption was well in course and this was an early message of the fortitude this team had in its ranks. Sachin Tendulkar for long was the bearer of India’s dreams, agonies, hopes, joys and sorrows. He had to shoulder it all alone. Now, there were two other cricketers who would share the weight and ease the burden of his shoulders. India no more was made up of only Sachin Tendulkar, India was a team now, a force to reckon with.

With the series in balance now, the third test at Chennai assumed great significance and the TRP ratings surged, hitting an all time high. New heroes were taking shape and India were certainly sharpening their knives for they knew this was their best and closest chance at beating the mighty Aussies and pull of a series victory. The Australian camp was shaky as expected. Severely dented by surprise that India sprung up in the previous Test, the Australians were still recouping from the shock. With the Indian batting gaining momentum, Australia had to bowl out India to even draw the Test.

Given the spinning track that India would lay out, Warne was seen as a potential threat as a match winning spell from him was due. Tendulkar was well aware of this and now he seized control. He always likes to be in the middle of the action and so did he in the final test at Chepauk. He whipped Warne all over the park. In the previous test too Laxman had taken on Warne, but never was he outwitted like Tendulkar did in the third Test. That innings showed how shrewd a batsman Tendulkar his. Warne was thoroughly outsmarted. In anticipation of the negative line Warne would resort to, Tendulkar fine tuned his paddle sweep every time Warne bowled drifted down the leg side, Tendulkar swept it behind Gilchrist. Scenes of Warne in complete awe of the master amused the Indian viewers and till today that innings remain special, a manual of sorts on how to deal with such mysterious spinners.

Australia, in the first innings had scored 391 with Mathew Hayden concocting a brilliant double hundred. His knock assumed greater significance such that his score made up two thirds of the total and he was particularly brutal against Harbhajan, the bowler who bamboozled his fellow batsmen. With Tendulkar’s century India had raced to 501, setting an unassailable lead of 110. Australia’s misery against Harbhajan continued and harbhajan galloped through the Australian line up and the Australian batsmen were ridiculed. Never in the recent times had they scratched beneath the surface against a particular bowler and against Harbhajan, it was a meek submission.

Australia were spun out for 264. India had to chase a simple 155 and raced to 101/2. As the drama in the entire series wasn’t enough, India would lose 6 wickets and slump to an egregious 151/8. The dream series for Harbhajan continued and he walked in to strike the winning boundary, a style statement by the Turbanatore. It was as though the situation was God made that Harbhajan had to win the series for India and he was the man of the series. The Indian camp was in sheer euphoria. It was a historic moment for India, an historic series win. The streets of India saw a billion jumping and dancing and setting of crackers. Champagnes were opened, cokes were fizzing and India was partying. India had made a mark in world cricket having drubbed the world champions. The victory couldn’t have been more delectable, after all the trash talk and big mouthing the Austrlian’s had resorted to.

The wheels had just been set in motion. The chariot would be maneuvered by men who were not only zealous about their game, but were zealous only about the game. A sagacious leader, a laborious workhorse, a genius, an underrated anchor and a trickster. The chariot would gallop through other nations letting the Indian flag fly high. After this Oval would happen, Rawalpindi would happen, Capetown would happen, Bulawayo would happen and at the turn of the decade, India would be the number one Test team. Yet this series in 2001 set the ball rolling.